Historically in the Twin Cities, transit development has led to the systemic displacement of and under-investment in Black, immigrant and local community members and businesses.
Blue Line Coalition is advocating for transformative shifts in transit development by leading with an abundance mindset. We know that community has the abundance of expertise to know the solutions for a successful transit line and corridor, and there is an abundance of resources to realize those solutions.
At the Actualizing Equity event hosted by the Alliance this month, the Blue Line Coalition discussed: What elements compose such a vibrant community? And what it would take to materialize the collective outcomes our communities seek?
“It’s all about celebrating the diversity of North Minneapolis. It’s about building business and having a good time. I’ve always wanted to make sure that this extended Blue Line is about the people. That it has all the amenities, all the goodies that we deserved in this community. I’ve been talking about a party train with a disco ball and slot machines on it. I want to see vibrating, massage chairs and edible plants on the platforms. Let’s have some fun with this. Let’s get the people what they want.” –Candy Bakion, Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing (MICAH) and Heritage Park resident
“I want to feel like I belong here. That this is my train. Like there’s a mural on the building of Sammy’s Avenue Eatery of the Virgin of Guadalupe. That just makes me feel at home. And I want the train to reflect all of us, to make the community feel like home. For that to happen, we need a pool of funding for all residents and businesses, regardless of immigration status, to stay in their home and their communities with access to assistance throughout the project.” –Karla Arredondo, Pueblos de Lucha y Esperanza
“The neighborhood would be more accessible. It’ll be more healthy. It’ll be more safe, whether you’re walking, or riding your bike. I like to be on my bike or my roller skates. And it would also have a very strong youth presence and influence and ownership. And young people wouldn’t just have ownership of the things but in the ideas, in the plan, in this vision and in the strategy and the execution. Then it will really feel like this is their home as well and they get to create the world they’re going to want to live in.” –Felicia Perry, Partnership in Property Commercial Land Trust
“Having walkable, accessible neighborhoods and amenities is super important. The areas of the Twin Cities that benefited from racial covenants are really well developed. They have access to schools, pharmacies, clinics, grocery stores, and the traffic noise is little to non-existent. People live near lakes. They’ve enjoyed opportunities for generational wealth. So a successful outcome here is neighborhoods constructed around communities’ imagination and ideation for the kinds of things that they’d like to see.” –José A. Zayas Caban, Our Streets Minneapolis
bluelinecoalition.org 