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Dear Friends,
This morning the Legislative Audit Commission received a briefing on the latest Legislative Auditor report regarding Metropolitan Council failures in the Southwest Light Rail project (SWLRT). The SWLRT has been plagued by delays and cost overruns and is now expected to be the most expensive public works project in Minnesota history. The project is now 10 years behind schedule and almost $1 billion over budget. The current projected opening date is 2027.
The Legislative Auditor found that the Southwest LRT project has been grossly mismanaged and that the Metropolitan Council is not being an effective steward of public funds. They also reported the Met Council was not fully cooperative with the Audit process and was not forthcoming with either the legislature or the public. Some key findings from the report include:
- ?The Metropolitan Council obligated itself to spend more money on Southwest LRT than the funds committed to the project.?
- ?The Council did not hold its civil construction contractor accountable for failures to provide an acceptable project schedule.?
- ?The Council has also not been fully transparent about the project?s delays and cost increases.?
The Auditor?s report reveals the Metropolitan Council has misled the public and the legislature from nearly the beginning. They knew that it would have substantial cost overruns, ignored warnings, and went ahead with the project anyway. The Legislative Auditor recommends that the Legislature ?create a framework in which the government entity responsible for light rail transition construction also bears some financial responsibility for construction costs and any potential cost increases.?
Unfortunately, while the Met Council mismanaged this project, and the cost burden is ultimately on the backs of taxpayers.?
The Met Council also runs the operations of the existing light rail lines.? As you may have read, the Twin Cities light rail is now considered the most dangerous light rail system in the United States and ridership has plummeted. Crime continues to rise and frankly it?s become what I call Rapid Crime Transit and a Homeless Hotel. The light rail either needs to be cleaned up or permanently shut down.
You can read the full report here.
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