Metro Green Line LRT – Strategic Stormwater Solutions for Transit-Oriented Development

The City of Saint Paul selected SRF to lead the development of an innovative stormwater and green infrastructure strategy for the Metro Green Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) corridor. This collaborative effort supported broader goals of transit-oriented development (TOD), livability enhancements, and green space creation along the LRT line connecting downtown Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

As an experienced environmental engineering and planning firm, SRF assembled a multidisciplinary team of water resource design experts and a public artist to approach stormwater management with creativity and systems-level thinking.

A Shared Infrastructure Approach to Support Redevelopment

The team conducted detailed technical studies and policy development to determine the feasibility of implementing shared, stacked-function green infrastructure (SSGI). This approach aimed to meet water quality standards while enabling denser redevelopment near LRT stations.

Key efforts included:

• Engaging a stakeholder advisory committee representing watershed organizations, city departments, nonprofits, and the University of Minnesota.
• Hosting developer focus groups to assess needs, challenges, and opportunities related to shared stormwater infrastructure.
• Exploring how stormwater strategies could be integrated with public art and green space goals.
• Designing a replicable toolkit for use along future transit corridors in the Twin Cities metro area.

SRF’s process brought together a wide range of public and private stakeholders to align on a vision that blended policy, urban design, and infrastructure planning. The resulting framework provided a detailed development guide, enabling agencies, elected officials, and developers to advance vibrant, green, and sustainable urban redevelopment along the Green Line.

Beyond the final deliverables, the process fostered ongoing dialogue and cross-agency collaboration, creating a model for integrated infrastructure planning in dense, urban environments.

Resource Links:
The Metro Green Line 

Internal Category:
Water & Environment
Environmental Planning
Resilience and Sustainability

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Minneapolis, MN
Saint Paul, MN