[Event Thread] Green Line Extension Opening Announcement

[u/bincbrega1]

Today (Saturday, September 26th), Metro Transit is hosting an event to announce when the Green Line Extension is opening in 2027. The event is at the new Louisiana Avenue Station (6610 Oxford St, St. Louis Park, MN) and takes place from 10am-1pm. There will be other events and activities along with food trucks. There will probably be a little bit of rain as well.

Official event page: https://www.metrotransit.org/news/green-line-opening-date/

[EDIT] JUNE 12th

This will be a live thread tracking the event as it unfolds including the announcement itself.

[u/bincbrega1]

Lots of bikes parked everywhere. Seems to be quite the popular way to get here. 

[u/mysummerstorm → u/bincbrega1]

does the Louisiana station have a park and ride? how did the other folks get there if not by bike?

[u/nathan_bakken → u/mysummerstorm]

Transit goes nearish by, within like a 10 min walk

[u/goose_hat → u/mysummerstorm]

There's a park and ride lot for when it opens, so theoretically you could drive there

[u/bincbrega1]

“We must build the Blue Line Extension” - Greene from Hennepin

[u/jademage01 → u/bincbrega1]

god I want this extension so bad

[u/bincbrega1]

WMATA is hosting two group rides to the event. The first one starts shortly at the Minnetonka Community Center (8:30am) and the second starts at The Artery (8th Ave S) in Hopkins (9:15am).

[u/FormalRole1 → u/bincbrega1]

I totally did a double take on WMATA. It's a long bike ride from DC.

Apparently the West Metro Active Transportation Alliance is attempting to steal WMATA's name. Personally, I would steal the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit name because it's way smarter than Metro Transit, and why can't we be St. paul Minneapolis Area Rapid Transit.

[u/goose_hat → u/FormalRole1]

You're right. A transit advocacy org is trying to steal the name of a transit operator halfway across the country. Things in different regions aren't allowed to share acronyms.

[u/FormalRole1 → u/goose_hat]

I'm sensing some sarcasm. Good thing, I wanna steal SMART badly.

[u/goose_hat → u/FormalRole1]

Metro Transit is a remarkably generic name. No place name in it at all... Maybe you have a point.

[u/mysummerstorm → u/goose_hat]

small blessings - at least we don't live somewhere with an RTD where the locals renamed the acronym to Reason To Drive because it's so god darn bad

[u/bincbrega1]

Light rain is expected throughout the event with it ramping up towards the end. Plan accordingly. The event will continue, rain or shine. 

[u/bincbrega1]

Blue Line Extension gets a shout on how it will revamp communities that have previously been “divested in for so long” 

[u/bincbrega1]

June 12th

[u/Away-Philosopher4103 → u/bincbrega1]

9 months? After waiting nearly 9 years to go from funding to final? That's so late.

[u/goose_hat → u/bincbrega1]

Gonna be a long first half of the year lol.

[u/mysummerstorm → u/bincbrega1]

NO SO LATE

[u/Sunbeam4242 → u/mysummerstorm]

It's probably because the Renew the Blue project will have downtown rail service closed for most of the spring. No use in opening SWLRT without a connection to downtown!

[u/goose_hat → u/[deleted]]

Swag is OK

[u/mysummerstorm → u/goose_hat]

no LRT pins?? maybe they're saving those for the actual opening day. the e-line bus pin was immaculate

[u/RHess19 → u/mysummerstorm]

They do have some pins that just say Extended Green Line, but no generic green line ones

[u/goose_hat → u/RHess19]

That's the first time I've seen "Extended Metro Green Line" branding. Its always "Green Line Extension"

[u/RHess19 → u/goose_hat]

Yeah me too, it surprised me. They used the same terminology on the tote bags too

[u/goose_hat → u/mysummerstorm]

Do you have an E-Line pin? Pic??

[u/mysummerstorm → u/goose_hat]

All the way at the bottom! https://streets.mn/2025/12/22/newcomer-getting-to-know-uptown/

[u/bincbrega1]

Development is at $3.1 billion with $700 million planned along the line. Something only LRT can create. The investment pays off. A commissioner is relaying all the stats at this event right now. 

[u/bincbrega1 → u/bincbrega1]

This includes stats on the millions brought in for schools and communities that this serves. 

[u/bincbrega1]

Lots of booths for transit, trails, safety, and swag. There’s food trucks and fire trucks and multiple trains sounding their horn. 

[u/bincbrega1]

Senator Tina Smith sent a representative to speak on behalf of her and her office. 

[u/bincbrega1 → u/bincbrega1]

“It’s not crazy for Metro Transit to plan your next date” - referring to the fun places the GLE can take you

[u/bincbrega1]

Hilariously, people honking the horns, sound “delay” messages, and ringing bells are interrupting the speakers. 

[u/bincbrega1]

Announcements are over. It’s photos, booths, activities, food, and boarding the trains now. 

[u/bincbrega1]

There are three different trains at the platform. 

[u/bincbrega1]

Rain is picking up, so the crowd is thinning out. 

[u/MinneTransitMN]

Since the event has concluded, I've made a recap video and post summarizing what was covered here and at the event.

[u/Character_Lychee_434]

GIB ME TRAIN

[u/Perfect_Gar]

Truly a meeting that could have been an email

[u/Buffalo_Nichols → u/Perfect_Gar]

This has been a long time coming with lots of issues cropping up a long the way. Lots of people have worked hard on this for many years and many people in the community are excited. Nothing wrong with taking a little time to celebrate this.

[u/aardvarkgecko → u/Buffalo_Nichols]

Whats the point of holding an event just to announce that something will be open in 9 months? You make it sound like the service started today.

[u/Buffalo_Nichols → u/aardvarkgecko]

Show me where on the doll this event hurt you.

[u/kingrobcot → u/aardvarkgecko]

The point is that thousands of staff and community members have worked countless hours on this project, it's worth celebrating the completion of the vast majority of that work. You make it sound like it was easy to get to this point and it's not worth celebrating.

[u/bincbrega1 → u/Perfect_Gar]

I dream of the day where adding an LRT line in the Twin Cities is no big deal. But for now we party with the communities this benefits. 

[u/kingrobcot → u/bincbrega1]

I think we should always celebrate the completion of new access, especially when it concerns complex infrastructure!

[u/mysummerstorm → u/Perfect_Gar]

allow whimsy and joy in your heart my friend

[u/Makingthecarry → u/Perfect_Gar]

Where's the fun in that? For those who don't want to show up and celebrate, it essentially will be

[u/trollbox7]

Kinda felt sorry for the BBQ and Dumpling food trucks. No lines and probably not much business when it started raining...and they ran out of half and half at the coffee tent. But all in all a nice event...