We had a great meeting this morning at the Community Center regarding the proposed rail connection in Crystal.  Over 200 residents came out to learn more about the project and how they can help make an impact.

(For background on the project, click here and follow the links.)

If you couldn’t make it to the meeting, you can still help out.

The Surface Transportation Board (STB), a federal agency, is required to approve this project before it can move forward.

The STB has discretion on whether it will require a full environmental review (known as an Environmental Impact Statement or EIS) or a lesser environmental review.  It is our position that this project should require a full EIS so we can understand the impact to our community. We believe that an EIS will uncover serious issues that must be addressed before this project could go forward, if it could move forward at all.

Right now we are asking residents to contact the STB directly and request that they require a full EIS for the Crystal rail connection project.

You can help by writing a letter (handwritten is best) to the STB and our federal elected officials explaining that you are a concerned resident and that you want an EIS to happen.  (Addresses below)

We had pre-addressed post cards at available at the meeting today, and we’ll have more at City Hall on Monday afternoon.  Or, you can send it in your own envelope.

For more information, you can visit the dedicated page on the city’s website and/or the new Facebook Group for this project.

I’d also like to thank the mayors of Golden Valley, New Hope, and Robbinsdale, several council members from those cities, as well as Senator Rest, Representatives Freiberg and Carlson, Met Council Chair Adam Duininck and commissioner Mike Opat for attending the meeting today, the Crystal city staff for organizing the event, and Crystal Mayor Jim Adams for running a great meeting.

As always, if you have any questions or if I can be of assistance, please let me know.

Surface Transportation Board
Debra Miller, Acting Chairman
395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423

Senator Al Franken
Email: https://www.franken.senate.gov/?p=email_al
Phone: 651-221-1016; 202-224-5641
Address: 309 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510

Senator Amy Klobuchar
Email: http://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/email-amy
Phone: 612-727-5220; 202-224-3244
Address: 302 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510

Representative Keith Ellison
Email: https://ellison.house.gov/contact/email-me
Phone: 612-522-1212; 202-225-4755
Address: 2100 Plymouth Ave N; Minnesota, MN 55411
2263 Rayburn Building, Washington, MN 20515