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Greetings, We're happy to report that Northstar Commuter Rail remains on track and is preparing to begin construction this summer. Today, the Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) Executive Committee approved the first of five payments to BNSF Railway for easements that will give Northstar access to BNSF train tracks. The $24 million payment will be combined with $10 million in earnest money paid early this spring to make up the first payment to BNSF, due May 31. For a total of $107.5 million, the state will receive permanent easements from BNSF, which will allow Northstar to use BNSF tracks between Big Lake and downtown Minneapolis for the entire life of the commuter rail system. May 31 is also the execution date of all current Northstar agreements with BNSF. Click here to read the full news release. Today's decision follows another exciting breakthrough last week: the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) invited the NCDA to formally apply for the 50 percent federal funding match. According to the FTA, Northstar's recent progress gives the FTA the "necessary confidence that this project is a viable candidate" for a Full Funding Grant Agreement. Click here to read more. This reassures us that Northstar is well-positioned to receive federal funding this year and open for service in late 2009. It's also a great acknowledgement of our efforts to advance commuter rail transit as a highly efficient way to move Minnesotans through one of the state's most rapidly growing corridors. Sincerely, Dan Erhart |
