The Metropolitan Council has reached a decision on the largest transit project in the Twin Cities according to Met Council communications specialist John Welbes.

The Council voted April 9, 14-2 in favor of the Kenilworth plan which includes tunnels in the Kenilworth corridor in Minneapolis. The reroute of freight rail traffic through Saint Louis Park, part of one of the proposed plans, is not part of the chosen one.

Welbes said the Council reached the decision after much deliberation.

“The Met Council was informed by studies conducted for many months,” Welbes said.

Welbes also said that the proposal to reroute freight trains through Saint Louis Park was not chosen due to a variety of concerns, including safety issues. The plans would have brought larger, faster freight trains through Saint Louis Park neighborhoods.

“The physics don’t work with freight rails through Saint Louis Park,” Welbes said. “It would risk derailment, so the Council went back to last fall’s plan of putting the Light Rail in tunnels.”

The Light Rail project has faced difficulties, with opponents of all the plans proposed voicing their opinions.

Safety in the Park, a Saint Louis Park based organization that opposed the freight rail reroute, expressed their support of the Met Council’s decision in their newsletter.

Jami LaPray, co-chair of Safety in the Park said she was glad a decision was finally reached.

“This is a very good start and a positive sign,” LaPray said.

Safety in the Park is not without concerns however, as a reroute may still occur according to LaPray.

“We are disconcerted because the last time Kenilworth was voted on, there was a clause removing St. Louis Park from the table,” LaPray said. “This resolution did not have that clause. We are concerned that it seems to leave a loophole for Minneapolis to negotiate agreeing to the tunnels, but still examining ways to move the freight rail.”

Welbes said that Safety in the Park had a definite influence on the final decision, including a place on the citizens’ advisory committee.

“Safety in the Park had an influence, and a voice in the process,” Welbes said. “They’ve been heard.”

Senior Jake Lukasavage said he supports these recent developments.

“(The decision) is good for our city,” Lukasavage said. “We can keep our new football field and it saves houses. It’s better to go underground because it won’t disturb the community as much.”

The next step for the project is municipal consent, where each of the five cities involved vote on the project. Minneapolis officials have said throughout the Council’s deliberations that if the Kenilworth plan was chosen, they would fight the project.

Welbes said the Met Council is continuing cooperation with everyone involved.

“We’re committed to and working with Minneapolis and all the other cities on the matter,” Welbes said. “If the Minneapolis City Council did block the plan, they would tell us exactly what they object to.”

Consent from the cities is necessary for the project to continue towards final approval. LaPray is confident that municipal consent will eventually be given by Minneapolis.

“I think a bargain will be struck between Minneapolis and the Met Council,” LaPray said. “I am reasonably certain the project will pass.”

The project is ultimately aimed at presenting alternatives for travel to the community.

“The numbers show transit like the Light Rail is important,” Welbes said. “The project is trying to give people more options.”

Sophomore Brandon Hanson said he feels the project has long-lasting benefits for the community.

“I’ glad they finally settled on an option,” Hanson said. “It will promote transportation and decrease fuel emissions.

Safety in the Park stated that they achieved one of their major goals, but will remain focused on the issue until final consent is given from all parties.

“We’re very pleased with the effort everyone put in,” LaPray said. “Four years ago we didn’t think that we’d be able to completely save the city.”

The Met Council is heading public hearings May 12 on municipal consent. Cities will hold votes through the months of May and June.