Insight News: Transit Options Energize Northside Civic Engagement

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Metric Giles, the St. Paul-based environmentalist and community organizer, beamed with pride. “This is awesome,” he said, addressing a standing room only audience of North Minneapolis residents, business and agency leaders, and politicians who responded to State Rep. Bobby Joe Champion’s (DFL-58B) call to consider Light Rail Transit options for North Minneapolis.

Over 250 people overflowed a first space, then a larger space at the University Research and Outreach/Engagement Center (UROC) at 2100 Plymouth Avenue North. “I expected to see a lot of white people here, but to find, instead, a room full of Black people, Asian people and Latino people is awesome. That’s what this is all about….all the people being on board,” said Giles.