Minn. Metro Transit lands $74M FTA grant for Orange BRT line

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded Metropolitan Council a $74.1 million grant for construction of the Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in Minneapolis. The project will improve mobility and transit service in the region’s busiest express bus corridor.

“A robust, multi-modal transportation system for the 21st century is necessary to keep the Twin Cities and Minnesota economically competitive,” said Rep. Betty McCollum. “As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for investments in transit to make our businesses stronger and communities more livable.”

The Orange Line BRT project is a 17-mile, 12-station BRT line that will operate largely along Interstate 35W, running south from downtown Minneapolis through the suburbs of Richfield, Bloomington, and Burnsville. The BRT line will connect riders along the route to major job centers, including downtown Minneapolis, and headquarters for companies like Target, Best Buy, and U.S. Bank, offering frequent, daily service. The total project cost is $150.7 million.

Funding for the Orange Line BRT project is provided through FTA’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program, which provides funding for major transit projects nationwide. Projects accepted into the program must go through a multi-year, multi-step process according to requirements in law to be eligible for consideration to receive program funds.

Since January 2017, FTA advanced funding for 22 new CIG projects throughout the nation totaling approximately $5.06 billion in funding commitments. With this latest FFGA signing, the Administration has executed 15 CIG funding agreements totaling more than $3.45 billion in CIG funding.