Latest Delay for New Buses for Cedar: Color Scheme Conundrum

There's another hangup in the  transit corridor saga. What should the buses look like? No, not the physical design of the buses. What color should they be?

With construction more than half way done, it's time to get buses on the new transit way, but the Star Tribune is reporting that discussions and bus approval between the Metropolitan Council and Dakota County have stalled over the design of the buses.

"They want to do something that basically is like LRT and like some of the transit buses that they have in the inner cities, and we feel it should look different and more futuristic," 's Dakota County Commissioner Paul Krause told the Star Tribune.

For some Dakota County officials, the most recent spat with the Met Council is another example of the regional transit planners not listening to what the local communities want.

Dakota County Commissioner Nancy Schouweiler told the Star Tribune that Met Council staffers at meetings were resistant to most the county's suggestions.

"It made me think they were probably just going through the motions," she told the Star Tribune.

Met Council Chair Susan Haigh says the group does listen, but the Met Council has conducted market research that suggests tying BRT to light-rail would be beneficial.

"I don't think their input was completely disregarded," Haigh told the Star Tribune.

But officials are still upset and frustrated.

According to the Star Tribune, Krause wrote a letter to Haigh, which he intimated was on behalf of "several Dakota County officials," and that shared their "utter frustration."

"It is supremely aggravating to be invited to share thoughts ... only to have the input completely disregarded," Krause wrote, according to the report.

It's not clear when county officials will next meet with the Met Council.

The buses are due to be rolled out in November when the Cedar Avenue reconstruction project is complete.