U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visited Minnesota yesterday to talk about light-rail transit along the Central Corridor. Several elected officials, including LaHood, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Representatives Jim Oberstar and Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, and Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, announced that three more stops along University Avenue would be added to the plan.

LaHood praised the coordinated effort put forth by a coalition of chambers of commerce, district councils, businesses, and residents to make the Central Corridor possible. Building support and momentum for transportation initiatives through a coalition – like what On Board Midwest is doing for high-speed rail along the Mississippi River Route – is a strategy that should be used around the country, said LaHood.

The final stop of the Central Corridor will be at the Union Depot. This light-rail line will give people coming to the Union Depot via Red Rock, Amtrak, or high-speed rail other transit options once reaching Saint Paul. It’s one more example of how a regional transit system benefits the entire community.

This marks the second time in recent months that LaHood has visited Minnesota to talk about transit projects. His interest in the state’s investments in transportation shows how important these projects are for the entire country and the growing momentum for rail in our region.