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Met Council To Vote Wednesday On SWLRT Funding

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Met Council is voting on Wednesday on authorizing funding to potentially save the Southwest Light Rail Transit project.

The council is meeting Wednesday and will vote on issuing up to $103.5 million to cover a gap in the project. There is a total gap of $144.5 million. The Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority voted Tuesday to cover $20.5 million, and the Counties Transit Improvement Board is voting Wednesday morning to cover $20.5 million.

If all three groups agree to cover the gap, it clears the path to apply for federal funding for the project, estimated to cost more than $1.8 billion.

An agreement on funding would allow lawmakers to use the 2017 legislative session to provide the state's share of SWLRT funding. Lawmakers couldn't reach an agreement this year on a bonding bill that included money for transit projects.

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