Recent content from Janet Moore

New mock aircraft at MSP offers passengers a training flight without leaving the ground
Faux cabin gives travelers pre-flight experience and employees training opportunities.

Metro Transit ridership up in first quarter of 2022, though still below pre-COVID figures
Trains, buses and other services all saw increases.

North Minneapolis neighborhood worried about Blue Line light rail extension
One resident warns: "This will be another Rondo."

Driverless shuttle survives its first Minnesota winter
Autonomous pod operates in downtown Rochester.

MSP Airport looking to hire 700 workers in anticipation of jump in summer travelers
Job fair hopes to help hire 700 employees to meet the surge.

Roads and bridges or trains and buses? Transportation funding faces stark divide at Capitol
House, Senate disagree on money, policy.

Owners of damaged condos near light-rail line may see relief
State lawmakers are pushing to compensate homeowners after cracks were found in the walls and floors of the towers.

With White Bear Lake opposed to Purple Line, transit officials are looking at other routes
Decision reflects local opposition to the $475 million bus rapid transit project.

Minneapolis to give Midtown Greenway an asphalt do-over
Project comes after first attempt at resurfacing last year came up bumpy.

Recruit shortage slows Metro Transit plans to beef up safety, spur ridership
Hiring challenges, legislative uncertainty have crimped safety efforts.

Southwest work a 'small' factor in cracks, condo board told
Construction of the Southwest light-rail line in the Kenilworth corridor of Minneapolis was a "small contributable factor" that led to cracks in parts of the Cedar Isles condominiums, according to an email sent to homeowners.

New Flyer workers approve possible strike in St. Cloud; talks set to resume next week
Unionized workers at New Flyer fighting for better pay, benefits.
$2 million in fixes needed for glittering new MSP parking ramp
Unique design has attracted accolades — but has problems with flooding and cracking.

Metropolitan Council survey finds changes in transit ridership during COVID-19 pandemic
Results will help Met Council improve service, plan lines.

Future funding for Southwest light-rail line unclear
Planners are hopeful federal funds will come through.

Brisk spring break traffic is expected this week at MSP Airport
The numbers going through the airport this week may be the most since 2019, officials said.

Sharyle 'Shar' Knutson, former state AFL-CIO head, dies at 72
Pioneering labor leader fought to increase minimum wage.

Minnesota Senate joins House in approving Southwest light-rail audit
Gov. Walz also supports a look at the project's costs, delays.
MSP employees give soothing voice to airport announcements
Public service announcements are made by contest winners.

White Bear Lake attempts to block 'Purple Line' bus transit plans
$475 million bus rapid transit line would connect downtown St. Paul to White Bear Lake by end of 2026.

Met Council launches probe into condo cracks near SWLRT site
Construction of a tunnel for light-rail trains along the Kenilworth corridor has been halted for nearly six weeks as a result.

Minnesota House lawmakers approve Southwest LRT audit
Probe will explore issues dogging controversial transit project

Disruption in the skies, already fueled by alcohol, surged during pandemic
As flight attendants and other passengers endure sexual assaults and "mask disputes," two local victims are suing alleged perpetrators — and their employers.

Garage floods at condos near Southwest LRT
Water main broke near Calhoun Isles complex in Minneapolis.

Will electric vehicles pay their fair share for Minnesota's road costs?
Electric cars and truck owners don't pay gas taxes but do contribute to road upkeep in other ways. Some think the state's policies need to change.

Brooke Blakey named new neighborhood safety head in St. Paul
The former Metro Transit official has been the subject of an internal investigation involving a nonprofit.

Metro Transit ridership continued to slide in 2021, owing to COVID-19
COVID, changing work patterns affect ridership.

Bill would transfer Southwest light-rail project from Met Council to MnDOT
Lawmaker: Met Council not capable of handling project

Condo cracks appear during construction of Southwest LRT
Met Council is investigating problems, which Calhoun Isles condo residents have feared as a result of the LRT project.

Walz supports independent audit of Southwest light-rail project
There's bipartisan support for probe, but GOP wants project halted during audit.

Restaurant workers at MSP pushing for COVID protocols
They claim rules at some concessions are random and potentially unsafe.

State lawmakers issue bipartisan call for Southwest LRT audit
Sen. Scott Newman called the $2.75B project a "boondoggle of historic proportions."

More passengers returned to MSP in 2021, though not yet at pre-pandemic levels
Air travel appears to be trending strongly so far this year.

Southwest LRT now expected to cost up to $2.75B, open in 2027
The announcement that it'll be finished four years later and cost millions more ends a year of silence about the cost and timeline of the extension of the Green Line that will link downtown Minneapolis to Eden Prairie.

Southwest light-rail budget grows by $210 million
Tunnel, crash wall, Eden Prairie station all caused price tag to surge.

Minneapolis Park Board declines to extend construction permit for Southwest Light Rail tunnel
A majority of commissioners at Wednesday's meeting asked the Metropolitan Council to compensate the Park Board for closing the Cedar Lake Parkway through the end of 2022.

Metro Transit: Driver shortage, COVID are affecting bus, light-rail service
Metro Mobility customers have been asked to limit requests to essential trips.

Rail agreement could fast-track second Amtrak train from St. Paul to Chicago
Acquisition involving two freight rail giants could mean that service will begin sooner than expected.

MSP: Impact of 5G wireless upgrade on local flights still unknown
Rollout of the new wireless service has been pushed back to find ways to minimize impact.

After all these wintry years, Duluth finally declares a snow emergency
Believe it or not, one of the snowiest cities in the state has never declared a snow emergency.

Twin Cities airport makes way for peer-to-peer car sharing service
Turo is now welcome at MSP, but not at many large airports around the country.

50-car pileup reported on I-94 in western Minnesota
No deaths or serious injuries were reported amid snowy conditions.
Police investigating Mankato woman's shooting death in Mpls.
Tamara Vandermoon's death is the 95th homicide in the city this year.

MSP expects heavy traffic despite omicron, canceled flights
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is expecting numbers on peak days to nearly double 2020 levels.

Victim of St. Paul fourplex fire identified
Blaze occurred at site near Hamline University on Wednesday.

Another union at MSP airport authorizes strike
Members of the International Union of Operating Engineers could strike as early as Jan. 25.

Group formed to combat displacement from Blue Line extension
Community members encouraged to participate

Despite ongoing COVID concerns, brisk Christmas travel season at MSP predicted
Daily TSA screenings could reach 37,000 passengers, still short of pre-pandemic highs up to 45,000

Feds give key go-ahead for bus rapid transit linking St. Paul to White Bear Lake
But opponents of the Purple Line in the east metro question the need for it.

Teamsters vote to strike at MSP, other airports
Members include snowplow operators and those who maintain runways, streets.

Met Council will send light-rail trains to Louisiana for needed upkeep
Over union objections, the council approved a $7.7 million contract with a Florida company to do the work.

Orange Line BRT debuts along Interstate 35W, linking Burnsville and Minneapolis
Amid pandemic and shift to remote work, new route's focus goes beyond commuting.

Fights break out at MSP Airport, are quickly subdued
No one was seriously injured during brawl in Terminal 2.

Union unhappy that Twin Cities light-rail cars may go to Louisiana for maintenance
Work on LRT cars may be outsourced to Louisiana

MSP Airport prepared for 'significant spike' in holiday travel
In a sure sign of pandemic-related weariness, thousands of Minnesotans are expected to take to the skies and highways to celebrate Thanksgiving this week — despite a concerning uptick in COVID-19 cases throughout the state.

Traveling for Thanksgiving? Here's how to prepare for the expected throng
Here's what you need to know.

'Botched' repaving of Midtown Greenway in Mpls. brings complaints
About half of the storied bike path was repaved, but some aren't happy with results.
![About 58% of 118 Metro Transit police department employees surveyed in mid-October said they have considered a career change. ] LEILA NAVIDI • leila](https://chorus.stimg.co/22990142/ows_42e47d9e_fc49_4a3d_95ed_200fca5948aa.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Survey: Morale low among Metro Transit police officers
Work is part of an effort to improve safety on public transit.

Four Minneapolis council members who backed replacing police ousted, new progressives elected
Another four incumbents who supported the policing overhaul were re-elected.

Northstar rail runs into trouble in Anoka County
A disagreement over finances has flared up between the Metropolitan Council and Anoka County, which has balked at paying some of Northstar commuter rail's operating expenses due to the line's plunging ridership.

Legislative auditor's memo highlights troubled relationship between Southwest LRT and major contractor
DFL lawmakers pledge to push for a more detailed probe.

Met Council tour explores challenging Southwest LRT construction
Tour focused on Kenilworth Corridor, featuring a half-mile tunnel.

MSP expects 'passenger spike' for busier MEA weekend
Passenger levels at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport are expected to be higher than last year, though not at pre-pandemic highs, during the annual MEA conference break for Minnesota educators and students.
![Seen from a service road west of Highway 77, a plane takes off from MSP. ]DAVID JOLES • david.joles@startribune.com](https://chorus.stimg.co/22937190/ows_ee13d1a7_82ec_45bc_b380_63bd66bd30ff.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
MSP Airport board condemns racial covenants embedded in its property deeds
MAC moves to have discriminatory covenants removed from the books.
![Passengers recently boarded the Route 21D bus at the Uptown Transit Station in Minneapolis. ] CARLOS GONZALEZ • cgonzalez@startribune.com](https://chorus.stimg.co/22921636/ows_9b8c8e15_974f_4832_bb9e_a57cf5493877.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Rapid transit bus line will connect downtown St. Paul, Uptown
The B Line will largely replace Route 21, the slowest bus route in Metro Transit's system, and the second busiest. It will also connect to the Blue and Green light rail line.

Attorney Peter Dorsey, a legal powerhouse whose reach went far beyond the courthouse, dies at 99
A successful trial lawyer for 45 years with the powerhouse Minneapolis-based firm who often represented the titans of the Twin Cities business community, Dorsey valued and nurtured relationships.

Purple Line BRT clears key step to secure federal funding
Once known as the Rush Line, the project would connect Union Depot to White Bear Lake.

Cute and driverless, Med City Mover will pioneer automated vehicles in Minnesota
MnDOT piloting a distinctive shuttle in Rochester's core.

Possible Blue Line extension route prompts opposition in Robbinsdale
Once-eager Robbinsdale now worries that new path would cut city in half.

Four-year project to rebuild 35W from downtown Mpls. to Crosstown comes to close
Project features new bridges, ramps, transit station, bike and pedestrian upgrades.

Air travel strong at MSP this summer, expected to be busy for Labor Day
But as delta variant spreads, future outlook remains unclear.

Group studying safety aboard Metro Transit trains, buses
Nearly three-quarters of passengers say that's their concern, too, a poll finds.