Nicollet Streetcar Project Open Houses Coming Wednesday, Thursday

City officials offering updates on Nicollet Ave streetcar project.

Nicollet Streetcar Project Advances

Find out more project details at three upcoming open houses.

The idea of returning streetcars to Southwest Minneapolis' Nicollet Avenue has been batted around Minneapolis City Hall for ages, but the project is finally advancing, according to an announcement made by the City of Minneapolis on Wednesday morning. Three open houses will be held in late September along Nicollet and Central Avenues to showcase some of the transportation options a city-appointed study group is considering, and seek feedback from Minneapolitans. Options range from streetcars to "enhanced bus options." Whichever mode of transit the city chooses, the project will use the Nicollet and Central Avenue corridor as the first phase of a longer-ranged revamp of Minneapolis' public transportation network. Open houses are being held: …

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Minneapolis Snags $900,000 for Nicollet Avenue Streetcar Study

It was one of 24 grants awarded nationwide by the Federal Transit Administration to study alternative transit plans.

In a baby step for the Minneapolis long-term streetcar plan, the city was awarded $900,000 in federal money to help study alternative public transit on Nicollet and Central avenues. The studied route starts at the new 46th Street transit station on Nicollet, heads north through downtown, then through North Minneapolis on Central Avenue all the way to the Columbia Heights transit station. The $1.2 million study will assess cost, ridership and traffic flow to help city leaders decide whether the streetcar line is a good idea. It will also include studies of an enhanced bus line and a "non-build" scenario. The study, which includes public hearings, will take about 18 months from the time the city receives the funds.   This particular …

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