Bus Rapid Transit Plans Stalled In Twin Cities

"The bus rapid transit (BRT) closest to rolling is the Cedar Avenue project. Ground may be broken in 2007 and buses might roll from the southern suburban city of Lakeville to the Mall of America in Bloomington by 2010."

"Dakota County Commissioner Will Branning has been advocating transit on Cedar Avenue for three decades. Branning says everything would be happening faster, if more local money were available."

"The price tag for finishing all three bus rapid transit projects amounts to about $170 million. However that's just part of the cost. All three projects include widening roads for more traffic. Total road and bus costs of all the projects are unknown but probably approach half a billion dollars."

"The goal of the Metropolitan Council, the agency which oversees most Twin Cities transit, is to have the three BRT systems and other transit services up and running by 2030."