Purple Line BRT Project

Environmental Process

Next steps for additional environmental review is currently under evaluation.

Environmental assessment and decision documents (2021)

The METRO Purple Line has completed an environmental assessment document to describe the transportation, social, and environmental impacts associated with the construction and operation of the project.

Public comments were collected from May 11 – June 25, 2021. View the Public Open House Boards (June 2021). The comments, along with the other environmental analysis that has been done, has been used to make a decision about how the Purple Line will affect the region it serves. The Metropolitan Council is the lead regional agency in this decision, and the Federal Transit Administration is the lead federal agency.

The FTA has determined the environmental assessment adequately addressed impacts of the project, and has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) document, which means the project will move forward without additional required analysis from the FTA. Responses to substantive comments on the environmental assessment are included in the FONSI.  

The environmental assessment is an analysis required by the National Environmental Policy Act that evaluates impacts and benefits from proposed projects. 

What is the purpose of the analysis?

• Ensure compliance with environmental laws
• Evaluate benefits and impacts to environmental, social, economic, and transportation resources
• Identify solutions to avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts
• Inform the public and agencies on impacts as part of the decision-making process

What is evaluated in the environmental assessment?

• Ridership and Operations
• Traffic
• Land Use and Economics
• Archaeology and Architecture History
• Environmental Justice
• Natural Resources
• Stormwater Resources
• Contaminated and Hazardous Materials
• Noise and Vibration
• Air Quality
• Section 4(f) and 6(f): Park and recreation areas
• Other Supporting Information: Railway, pedestrians and bicycles, energy, visual resources, safety and security, utilities, geology, groundwater, and soils

Section 106 Notice of Termination

• Section 106 Termination Letter (December 2025)

Section 106 Assessment of Effects and Final Determination of Effect for Historic Properties

• Section 106 Assessment of Effects and Final Determination of Effect for Historic Properties (September 2021)

Section 106 Memorandum of Agreement Implementation

Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) requires projects receiving federal funding to take into account the effects of their undertakings on historic properties. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the FTA and Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (MnHPO) guides the implementation of this process. 

• Section 106 Memorandum of Agreement (September 2021)

The Council and FTA began reporting to MnSHPO and other Section 106 consulting parties in January 2022 on implementation of the MOA. These reports are available below.

• Purple Line BRT Section 106 Quarterly Report No. 1 (Sept. 22 - Dec. 31, 2021) .5MB
• Purple Line BRT Section 106 Quarterly Report No. 2 (Jan. 1 - March 31, 2022) .5MB
• Purple Line BRT Section 106 Quarterly Report No. 3 (April 1 - June 30, 2022) .5MB
• Purple Line BRT Section 106 Quarterly Report No. 4 (July 1, 2022 - Sept. 30, 2022) .5MB
• Purple Line BRT Section 106 Quarterly Report No. 5 (Oct. 1, 2022 - Dec. 31, 2022) .5MB
• Purple Line BRT Section 106 Quarterly Report No. 6 (Jan. 1, 2023 – March 31, 2023) .5MB
• Purple Line BRT Section 106 Quarterly Report No. 7 (April 1, 2023 – June 30, 2023) .5MB
• Purple Line BRT Section 106 Quarterly Report No. 8 (July 1, 2023 - Sept. 30, 2023) . 5MB
• Purple Line BRT Section 106 Quarterly Report No. 9 (Oct. 1, 2023 - Dec. 31, 2023) .5MB
• Purple Line BRT Section 106 Quarterly Report No. 10 (Jan. 1, 2024 - March 31, 2024) .5MB
• Purple Line BRT Section 106 Quarterly Report No. 11 (April 1, 2024 - June 30, 2024) .5MB
• Purple Line BRT Section 106 Quarterly Report No. 12 (July 1, 2024 - Sept. 30, 2024) .5MB
• Purple Line BRT Section 106 Quarterly Report No. 13 (Oct. 1, 2024 - Dec. 31, 2024) .5MB
• Purple Line BRT Section 106 Quarterly Report No. 14 (Jan. 1, 2025 - March 31, 2025) .5MB
• Purple Line BRT Section 106 Quarterly Report No. 15 (April 1, 2025 - June 30, 2025) .2MB
• Purple Line BRT Section 106 Quarterly Report No. 16 (July 1, 2025 - September 30, 2025) .5MB

Read the Environmental Assessment

The Environmental Assessment and all appendices are available below. All documents are in PDF format. Due to large file sizes, some documents may take a few moments to load on your device.

Environmental Assessment – May 11, 2021

Rush Line Bus Rapid Transit – Environmental Assessment (9 MB)

Appendix A – Concept Plans

15% Concept Plans (30 MB)

Appendix B – Agency Coordination

Agency Coordination (2 MB)

Appendix C – Section 106 Coordination

Section 106 Coordination (11 MB)

Appendix D – Section 4(f) Evaluation

Section 4(f) Evaluation (13 MB)

Appendix E – Technical Reports

Technical reports are divided into three parts due to file size constraints.

Part 1 (96 MB)

Part 1 includes the following reports:

• Purpose and Need
• Alternatives Refinement Summary
• Ridership and Operations
• Traffic
• Land Use and Economics
• Archaeological Report
• Lake Superior & Mississippi Historic District Phase II Evaluation

Part 2 (102 MB)

Part 2 includes the following report:

• Architecture History

Part 3 (72 MB)

Part 3 includes the following reports:

• Section 106 Assessment of Effects
• Environmental Justice
• Natural Resources
• Stormwater
• Phase I Environmental Site Assessment
• Phase II Environmental Site Assessment
• Noise and Vibration
• Air Quality
• Indirect and Cumulative Effects

Appendix F – Other Supporting Information

Other Supporting Information (9 MB)

Appendix G – Rush Line Bus Rapid Transit Project Environmental Assessment Worksheet

Rush Line BRT Project Environmental Assessment Worksheet (5 MB)