The following is a statement from Governor Tim Pawlenty regarding news that the Federal Transit Administration has granted Final Design status for the Northstar Commuter Rail project.

“With today’s news from the FTA, Northstar continues to gather steam and is on track to be a powerful addition to our transportation solutions. We applaud the work of the communities along the corridor, Mn/DOT and other partners in securing this important step for the Northstar Commuter Rail project.

“Northstar is an important piece of Minnesota’s transportation future. It will add more transportation capacity in one of the fastest growing areas of the state and get commuters to work and home faster. We will continue to work aggressively to finalize the remaining steps and get Northstar up and running as soon as possible.”

Governor Pawlenty proposed and signed into law $37.5 million for Northstar in the 2005 bonding bill and $60 million in the 2006 bonding bill. The Governor also personally spoke with the CEO of BNSF Railway to help secure access rights for Northstar on existing track owned by BNSF.

Late this afternoon, Governor Pawlenty spoke with Acting U.S. Secretary of Transportation Maria Cino, who delivered the news that Northstar has been granted Final Design status.

With FTA Final Design status granted, the state and local communities will now work with the Federal government to finalize a Full Funding Grant Agreement.