Transportation

As Green Line extension languishes, some lawmakers want future light rail in state hands
A bill being considered at the Capitol would take authority over light rail construction away from the Metropolitan Council and give it to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Underpass underway: Downtown Moorhead project separating trains and traffic
A $120 million project will drop street traffic below two busy rail lines passing through Moorhead. Cars and pedestrians currently being forced to wait for trains to pass will now be able to move more freely.
Lyft attempts negotiation on Minneapolis drivers’ wage increase
Lyft’s chief policy officer Jeremy Bird said in a letter addressed to Council President Elliott Payne that the company is now willing to support an increase to .89 cents per mile and about .49 cents per minute, which is the rate recommended in a study released last month by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. 
With the future of rideshare in Minneapolis in limbo, state lawmakers revise a bill vetoed last year
Minneapolis has until the end of the month to find a compromise in hopes of keeping Uber and Lyft in the city. At the same time, the state is looking at its own wage proposal.
Minneapolis rideshare drivers navigate future as Uber, Lyft exit approaches 
Uber and Lyft are threatening to leave Minneapolis following the approval of a driver pay ordinance by the city council. Now, emerging rideshare apps are exploring ways to step in while drivers prepare for the potential changes ahead.
As Uber, Lyft departure looms, Minneapolis council could reconsider ordinance next week
The Minneapolis City Council could reconsider its controversial ordinance boosting rideshare driver pay next Thursday. If there’s no action taken, Uber and Lyft say they’ll cease operations in the city and beyond by May 1.
Community service officers will enforce fares on Metro Transit buses
Community service officers are riding Metro Transit buses to ramp up fare enforcement efforts. The move is an expansion from the officers riding light rail trains in last December, following new transportation legislation.
Northeast Minneapolis lizard sculpture smashed in car crash
A beloved northeast Minneapolis sculpture took a hit this weekend when a car drove off the road and crashed into it. “Lizard Lounge” dwells on the lawn of East Side Neighborhood Services. The Minneapolis Police Department said a car crashed into the sculpture just before 3 a.m. on Saturday morning.
St. Paul’s 1 percent sales tax bump has started. Here’s what’s changing first
The city of St. Paul’s new 1 percent sales tax increase began Monday, raising the total county, state and local sales tax to nearly 10 percent — the highest in Minnesota. As residents adjust to a cost bump on nonessentials, they can expect construction signs in the coming months, too.
‘No timeline’ to recover 4 bodies after Baltimore bridge collapse, as cleanup begins
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore called the recovery operation "complex" after a ship smashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Officials have not given estimates on when the river will reopen to traffic.