Ramsey County commits nearly $40M for next step in proposed bus rapid-transit line from St. Paul to White Bear Lake

Ramsey County is rolling along with plans for a 15-mile bus rapid transit route connecting downtown St. Paul to White Bear Lake.

The Ramsey County Board on Tuesday voted to commit $39.9 million of county funding needed to help fuel a two-year development phase of the Metro Purple Line, which formerly was referred to as the Rush Line. The development phase is the third of five stages in a federal process to complete the Metro Transit line.

Ramsey County Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt called the board’s action a “momentous occasion.”

“The project, obviously, is a vital link for residents, workers and businesses in the east metro, and we have many supporters along the way from businesses to individuals to nonprofits to environmental groups,” she said.

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