Local officials are trying to determine how a recently proposed change in how the federal government evaluates transit projects for funding could affect Minnesota’s Central Corridor light rail project, as the Metropolitan Council and University of Minnesota continue to grapple over the impact of EMI on university labs and research facilities. Earlier this week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood proposed “new funding guidelines” that would evaluate projects based on a broad range of factors, including economic development opportunities and environmental benefits, as well as cost and time saved. A government spokesman says the new guidelines offer more flexibility in the Met Council’s $941 million budget, but the council is concerned that a change in funding could further delay an agreement.
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