Metro Blue Line Light Rail Transit (BLRT)

Neighborhoods don’t always greet mass transit with enthusiasm. We get it; although light rail can raise property values and quality of life, it can be hard to visualize how new transit infrastructure will impact an established community. Miller Dunwiddie has designed light rail stations and other infrastructure for the Metro Blue Line (BLRT) and Metro Green Line (Southwest LRT), and our firm has a keen understanding of the complex issues involved with transit design. In these situations, the team doesn’t design until we get to know the neighborhood.

We began the process of creating conceptual plans for 11 stations for the Blue Line BLRT extension by supporting Metro Transit as they talked with neighbors, future riders, businesses interested in locating near transit, and other local stakeholders. Our goal was to design stations that enhance and reflect the unique setting and culture of each community along the line, while working with Metro Transit to improve the user experience and maintainability of the stations. In the preliminary design phase, the stations, platforms, and two new park-and-ride ramps Miller Dunwiddie designed shared a cohesive, 21st century transit aesthetic. Yet each one conveyed a distinct sense of place. By including community knowledge in every transit planning process, Miller Dunwiddie works to ease concerns, serve the transit customers, and ultimately create stations that are woven thoughtfully into the community.  This project is in the planning stage and station designs are subject to change.