Study: Bottineau Transitway Light Rail Could Have Health Benefits

The Bottineau Transitway Health Impact Assessment (HIA) analyzes how the proposed Bottineau Transitway and its station areas could impact the health of communities in northwestern Hennepin County.

“Our transportation system and the characteristics of our neighborhoods have an enormous impact on our health,” said Health Impact Assessment Planner Crystal Myslajek.

“For a long time, health costs and benefits of projects were not considered. That is changing. Health impact assessments are an emerging practice to include health in project planning.”

The Bottineau HIA found that the proposed light rail line could have health benefits for communities by improving physical activity levels, employment access, housing and transportation costs, traffic safety, education access and access to healthy food. These findings will be used to include health considerations in future planning processes for the Bottineau Transitway and its station areas.

Residents can read the summary or full report online at www.hennepin.us/bottineauhia. Physical copies of the final report and summary are available at the following Hennepin County Library locations: Brookdale, Brooklyn Park, Golden Valley, Rockford Road and Sumner. A public comment report that summarizes and responds to comments collected during the public review period is also available on the project website.

Upcoming milestones in 2014 for the overall Bottineau Transitway project include the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for public review and comment, and starting the planning process for the areas surrounding the transit stations. Hennepin County will release more information about these processes closer to the date they begin.