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Metro Transit celebrates its 3 billionth rider
Posted by: Tim Harlow Updated: November 29, 2012 - 1:01 PM
This has been quite a year for Nadine Babu. First she was named as the Woman of the Year by the Minnesota Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
On Thursday, she was honored as the 3 billionth customer to ride on Metro Transit buses and trains during a ceremony at the Uptown Transit Center in Minneapolis.
Babu, 34, of St. Louis Park, has been a bus rider since 1996 and was rewarded with a card that will allow her to take all the free bus rides she wants for a year.
" I love not having to pay for parking," she said as one of the reasons she rides the bus. "I can put on makeup, text, Facebook. I like the camaraderie on the bus."
Nobody knows for sure if Babu was the rider who pushed the transit agency over the big milestone, but she was the winner of a contest to pick the 3 billionth rider.
Ironically, as winner of the Leukemia Society's highest honor for raising more than $37,000 for blood cancer research, Babu got her face on scores of advertisements for the society that appear on Metro Transit buses. It's only a coincidence that she won the contest entered by more than 100 people, said General Manager Brian Lamb.
A team of transit agency employees judged Babu's story about the time she was razzed by fellow passengers for wearing a Green Bay Packers jersey while heading to a Vikings-Bears game two years ago at the Metrodome during a snowstorm as the most creative and exceptional.
Metro Transit was formed in 1967 when it began acquiring many of the routes operated by local bus companies. It started service in 1972 at the Metropolitan Transit Commission and reached 1 billion rides in 1984. It hit 2 billion in 1999.
An average of 260,000 people board Metro Transit buses and trains each day and more than 76 million ride annually, Lamb said.
Lower fares helping Northstar line stem ridership loss
Posted by: Tim Harlow Updated: November 26, 2012 - 6:38 PM
Fewer people are riding the Northstar Commuter line according to figures recently released by Metro Transit, but officials with the transit agency say they see some encouraging signs in the data despite the disappointing numbers.
Overall, ridership from January through October totaled 589,686. That is 13,215 fewer rides than taken during the first 10 months of 2011, or a drop of 2.2 percent.
But losses have slowed since Metro Transit lowered fares on Aug. 1 in an attempt to increase the number of riders. In the three months since fares were cut by up to $1, ridership on the 41-mile line the runs from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis is 8 percent higher than what was forecast, said transit agency spokesman John Siqveland.
Also helping boost ridership is a new station that opened in mid-November in Ramsey. In the first two weeks of service, 1,700 passengers have boarded Northstar trains at the $13 million facility at 7550 Sunwood Drive.
Metro Transit projected a daily average increase of 200 riders per weekday with the addition of the Ramsey Station, but early returns have surpassed that. Service at Ramsey begain Nov. 14, and more than 300 passengers boarded during the first two days of service.
However, there was no charge to ride on those two days. Siqveland said the typical Monday and Tuesday workdays of Nov. 19 and 20 will probably be a better barometer to judge the impact on the average weekday ridership. Still, the 263 rides provided from Ramsey on those two days beat projections.
"We probably won't be able to get an initial sense of steady average weekday ridership until probably the week before the Christmas holiday," Siqveland said, noting that last week was a short week with the Thanksgiving holiday and no train service the day after.
Metro Transit officials attribute much this year's losses in passenger traffic to the poor performance of the Minnesota Twins. Ridership to games at Target Field was down 16 percent from last year.
With ridership falling, Metro Transit cut fares in an attempt to win riders back, or gain new ones. Fares went from $7 to $6 in Big Lake, from $5.50 to $4.50 in Elk River, from $4 to $3 in Anoka and Coon Rapids, and from $3.25 to $3 in Fridley.
At $3, train riders now pay the same fare as those who ride express buses during rush hour.
Although weekday commuters are the rail line's primary audience, Metro Transit operates the Northstar line for special events, too. It will offer rides to the final two Vikings' home games this season. The train also will have service to the Holidazzle parades on Saturdays through Dec. 23.
Fare holiday
Posted by: Tim Harlow Updated: November 14, 2012 - 6:02 AM
There is no cost to ride the Northstar Commuter rail line today or Thursday. Metro Transit is offering free rides to celebrate the opening of a new station in Ramsey.
It is free to ride from any station, however, not just from the new station adjacent to Ramsey City Hall at 7550 Sunwood Drive.
The Ramsey station is the seventh along the 41-mile line from Big Lake to Minneapolis, and the first to open since the commuter rail line began operating in 2009.
Trains heading to downtown Minneapolis will depart the Ramsey station on weekdays at 5:16, 6:06, 6:36, 7:06 and 7:36 a.m., along with one afternoon departure at 5:21 p.m. The trip to downtown is projected at 35 minutes.
Northbound trains to Elk River and Big Lake will depart at 6:43 a.m. and 4:27, 4:57, 5:27, 5:55 and 6:45 p.m.
On Saturdays southbound trains will depart at 10:38 a.m. and 1:38 and 5:28 p.m. Northbound trains will leave at noon, and 4:30 and 7:30 p.m.
On Sundays, southbound departures will be at 9:48 a.m., 2:08 and 2:58 p.m. Northbound departures will be at 11:10 a.m., 1:50 and 5:25 p.m.
The new $13 million station, trains will offer riders 12 weekday trips and six runs on weekends. Special trains also will run during Vikings and Twins games, and special events such as the Holidazzle parades.
The fare will be $3.50 each way from the Ramsey station.
Amenities include an 800-space surface lot patrolled by city and Metro Transit police, along with a skyway from the adjacent Ramsey Municipal Parking Facility.
The station, served by bus route 887, also features a covered and enclosed waiting areas with on-demand heating systems, platforms with wheelchair accessible ramps, security cameras. Conductors are on each train to assist passengers.
The 411 on getting to Sunday's Vikings game
Posted by: Tim Harlow Updated: December 30, 2012 - 11:17 AM
The Vikings will try to beat the Green Bay Packers and clinch a playoff spot at 3:25 p.m. Sunday at the Metrodome.
If you're of those going to the game, here are a few tips on getting to and from the game:
For those who drive, the City of Minneapolis will block off the following streets in the vicinity of the Metrodome beginning at 10 a.m. and keep them free from traffic until 2 hours after the game ends, roughly 7 p.m:
5th Street between Park Avenue and 11th Avenue.
Chicago Avenue/Kirby Puckett Place from 3rd Street to 6th Street.
4th Street between Park Avenue and I-35W
Norm McGrew Place between 3rd and 4th Streets.
Light Rail
The Hiawatha Light Rail has been a popular way for fans to get to the game. But as game time approaches, cars are packed, so the best advice is to catch an early train.
Free parking is available at the 28th Avenue, Fort Snelling and Lake Street/Midtown stations. Northbound trains run about every 13 to 18 minutes until 10 a.m., then the frequency of service increases to about every 10 minutes.
Metro Transit will agument train service with Route 55 buses, that will shuttle passengers to the Metrodome and back to their vehicles after the game. The buses go directly to Fort Snelling and 28th Avenue Park & Ride lots.
Regular rail fare of $1.75 applies, or buy a 6-hour rail pass and avoid having to buy a second ticket to get back home.
Bus
The following Metro Transit routes serve the Metrodome:
From the north or south, Routes 5, 7, 14, 19 and 22
From the west, Routes 7 and 9
From the east, Routes 3, 16 and 94.
Driving
It's always congested around the Metrodome, so the best advice is to park away from the stadium and walk or catch a Metro Transit bus or light rail for 50 cents from your favorite ramp or lot.
It's also cheaper as lots closest to the dome charge $20 or more. Here are links to downtown ramps, http://www.minneapolismn.gov/parking/ramps/index.htm
Here is a link to downtown Minneapolis parking meters and rates, http://www.mplsparking.com/CurrentMeterMap.pdf
Handicap parking
Parking for people with a handicap is available at the Hennepin County offices between 5th and 6th Streets on Park Avenue. Handicap street parking is also available between 3rd and 4th Streets on Chicago Avenue.
Biking
Outside bicycle parking is available cost free. The parking attendants at the loading dock entrance at 11th Avenue and 5th Street can direct you.
Metro Transit holds ribbon cutting for new Northstar Station today
Posted by: Tim Harlow Updated: November 8, 2012 - 11:53 AM
The Northstar Commuter line
Metro Transit will mark the opening of the newest station along the Northstar Communter line today with a ribbon cutting at 1 p.m. at the Ramsey City Hall.
Trains will start serving the new Ramsey Station on Wednesday.
The new station adjacent to City Hall at 7550 Sunwood Drive is the seventh along the 41-mile line from Big Lake to Minneapolis, and the first to open since the commuter rail line began operating in 2009.
To entice riders, Metro Transit will offer free rides on the Northstar all day Wednesday and Thursday from all stations, not just the Ramsey station, Metro Transit officials said.
The promotion comes as Metro Transit has tried to boost ridership on the commuter rail line. Earlier this year, it cut fares by 25 percent in hopes of increasing ridership. The number of passengers has dropped from 710,426 in 2010 to 703,427 in 2011. Metro Transit if forecasting 688,200 riders in 2012.
When service begins Wednesday at the new $13 million station, trains will offer riders 12 weekday trips and six runs on weekends. Special trains also will run during Vikings and Twins games, and special events such as the Holidazzle parades.
The fare will be $3.50 each way from the Ramsey station.
"Ramsey Station will provide hundreds of daily connections for commuters and travelers, including veterans accessing the new Northwest Metro VA Outpatient Clinic in Ramsey," said Metro Transit's General Manager Brian Lamb.
On weekdays, commuters can catch southbound trains to Minneapolis at 5:16, 6:06, 6:36, 7:06 and 7:36 a.m., along with one afternoon departure at 5:21 p.m. The trip to downtown is projected at 35 minutes.
Northbound trains to Elk River and Big Lake will depart at 6:43 a.m. and 4:27, 4:57, 5:27, 5:55 and 6:45 p.m.
On Saturdays southbound trains will depart at 10:38 a.m. and 1:38 and 5:28 p.m. Northbound trains will leave at noon, and 4:30 and 7:30 p.m.
On Sundays, southbound departures will be at 9:48 a.m., 2:08 and 2:58 p.m. Northbound departures will be at 11:10 a.m., 1:50 and 5:25 p.m.
Along with an 800-space surface lot patrolled by city and Metro Transit police, there also is a skyway from the adjacent Ramsey Municipal Parking Facility.
The station, served by bus route 887, also features a covered and enclosed waiting areas with on-demand heating systems, platforms with wheelchair accessible ramps, security cameras. Conductors are on each train to assist passengers.
Anoka County Commissioner Matt Look will emcee today's festivities, which includes a ride on the Northstar from Ramsey to Elk River.
Mayor Bob Ramsey, Counties Transit Improvement Board Chair peter McLaughlin and Met Council member Edward Reynoso will speak.
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