Blue University – Building future transit planners, engineers, architects, and construction staff in Minnesota

Blue University (or, Blue U) was created in 2015 by Kimley-Horn and 12 other professional service firms that are working on the Blue Line Light Rail Transit (BLRT) Extension project. The BLRT Extension corridor will serve the communities of Minneapolis, Robbinsdale, Crystal, New Hope, Golden Valley, and Brooklyn Park. In early stages of the project, the team saw an opportunity to deliver more than just the technical requirements of constructing a new LRT line.

With more than 20 public elementary, middle, and high schools within 1-mile of the new corridor, the team saw a unique opportunity to partner with schools along the corridor to educate students about careers in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries and how science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts apply in the real world.

The result was Blue U—experienced professionals engaging with schools to help inspire future transit planners, engineers, architects, and construction professionals in Minnesota.

Light Rail Transit (LRT) is one part of the METRO system in Minnesota that provides a safe, economically friendly, and efficient way of traveling in the Twin Cities area. The Blue Line opened in June 2004 and offers LRT service to 19 stations along 12 miles of track between downtown Minneapolis and the Mall of America. There were 10.6 million rides taken on the Blue Line in 2015, which is the highest annual ridership since it opened in mid-2004. Average weekday ridership topped 30,000 rides per day, exceeding projected ridership to date. The planned Blue Line Light Rail Transit (BLRT) Extension (Bottineau) project will add around 13 miles of LRT track to the existing Blue Line. The new LRT line will run northwest from downtown Minneapolis through north Minneapolis, Golden Valley, Robbinsdale, Crystal and Brooklyn Park.

The proposed alignment will have 11 new stations in addition to Target Field Station where it will continue as the Blue Line, providing one-seat rides to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the Mall of America. It will connect Minneapolis and the region’s northwest communities with existing LRT on the Green Line, future LRT on the Green Line Extension (Southwest LRT), bus rapid transit on the Red Line, the Northstar commuter rail line, and local and express bus routes.

Timeline

The METRO Blue Line Extension will begin passenger service in 2021. Key project milestones include:

August 2014: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approved the Blue Line Extension to enter the project development phase

2016: Final Environmental Impact Statement is published

2018–2020: Heavy construction (anticipated)

2021: Blue Line Extension begins passenger service (anticipated)

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	Show students how STEM subjects relate to jobs in AEC industries to inspire a future generation of infrastructure innovators
	Partner with schools and communities along the corridor through the planning, design, and construction of the BLRT project
	Provide information about and generate excitement for the construction of the new BLRT line in students’ communities and demonstrate how BLRT will positively impact their everyday lives