Healthy Communities Count
Healthy Communities and the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit Line
The Central Corridor Light Rail Transit (CCLRT) line serves as a vital artery
between the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, through the
historic heart of the Twin Cities. Most of us think of it as a way to improve
transit… but, is it possible that the CCLRT and related changes along University
Avenue could also impact the health of people who live and work there?
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) collected information on things that can impact community
health and quality of life. These “counts” will be useful in tracking the impact of changes that result from the
construction of the LRT and related changes on people’s health.
Much of the data presented in this report already existed and were collected independently by a number of
federal, state, and local agencies. This report represents an effort by MDH to compile this information in one
place to document the “pre-construction” community health status of the Central Corridor. The information is
presented in a series of 18 “counts” along with supporting references.
The “counts” included two groups: Core “Counts” (things MDH counted along the entire planned LRT route)
and Community “Counts” (things individual communities counted in their specific neighborhood/area). The
Central Corridor is home to numerous community, ethnic, religious, and social organizations. In preparing this
report, MDH contacted a number of these organizations to solicit their input and held a community workshop.
Communities were key partners in this project and were encouraged to share their ideas for things to count.
Information on environmental contamination sites along the planned LRT route were also evaluated.
The Final Report is available for use by communities, local planning agencies, businesses and other interested
parties. It may be used to guide redevelopment, share resources to address specific issues, improve people’s
health or build capacity for future work.
The Final Report may be downloaded in full or by section from the MDH website.
http:/www-dev.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/hazardous/lightrail/intro.html
Contact with questions or for more information:
Minnesota Department of Health – Environmental Health Division
Site Assessment and Consultation Unit
Phone: 651-201-4897 or toll-free 1-800-657-3908; Email: [email protected]
Visit: http://www-dev.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/hazardous/contact.html
Minnesota Department of Health
625 Robert St. N.
St. Paul, MN 55164-0975
www.health.state.mn.us