Staff Directory 6370516

Janet Moore

Reporter | Transportation
Phone: 612-673-7752

Transportation reporter Janet Moore covers trains, planes, automobiles, buses, bikes and pedestrians. Moore has been with the Star Tribune for 21 years, previously covering business news, including the retail, medical device and commercial real estate industries. 


Prior to moving to Minnesota, she worked as a business reporter at the Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal and Easton (Pennsylvania) Express-Times. She has a mass communications degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and was a Knight-Bagehot fellow in Business and Economics Journalism at Columbia University in New York.
Recent content from Janet Moore
Trains for the Blue Line light-rail extension could travel along this busy stretch of 10th Avenue in the North Loop.

North Loop group opposes latest route for Blue Line LRT extension

The Minneapolis residents say trains would be a tight squeeze, noisy, disruptive and unsafe for pedestrians.
The Metropolitan Council in August had paused funding to expand the Twin Cities light-rail network, saying that council members needed more informatio

Met Council restarts funding for Twin Cities light-rail projects

Planning for the Blue Line LRT extension between downtown Minneapolis and Brooklyn Park moves forward with $75 million infusion.
The Cedar Isles condominiums along the Kenilworth Corridor in Minneapolis were once grain silos.

No end in sight for Minneapolis condo owners' dispute over Southwest LRT

Resolution not expected until construction of Green Line extension wraps up in 2027.
A Metro Transit C-Line bus travels along Penn Avenue in Minneapolis.

Metro Transit drivers vote to authorize a strike

Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union 1005 are seeking a cost-of-living adjustment.
The $2.7 billion Southwest line will extend the existing Green Line service from Union Depot to Eden Prairie. Service is expected to begin in 2027.

Debate lingers on Southwest light-rail deal to cover funding shortfall

Some Met Council members say it's a bad deal.
The Route 6 bus line will largely be replaced by the E Line arterial bus-rapid transit in late 2025.

The E Line, a new BRT route, is coming from Metro Transit. Here's a primer.

The E Line will serve Southdale, 50th and France, Uptown, downtown Minneapolis, Northeast and the University of Minnesota.
Inmates at the Stillwater state prison were protesting limits on their time outside their cells, which the state Corrections Department attributed to

Stillwater prison protest 'resolved' after inmates refused to return to cells

The prison will remain on lockdown until at least Tuesday after about 100 inmates were involved in a peaceful protest Sunday.
Shots fired near Minnesota State Fair on Saturday night

Shots fired near Minnesota State Fair on Saturday night

No one was injured; the investigation continues.
Minnesota health officials tie illnesses to raw milk

Minnesota health officials tie illnesses to raw milk

Health officials say pasteurization is the only effective way to eliminate germs in raw milk.
Man found shot to death in St. Paul's Frogtown neighborhood

Man found shot to death in St. Paul's Frogtown neighborhood

Neighbors had reported multiple shots fired.
Metro Transit light-rail service at the Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue Station in downtown Minneapolis.

Met Council pauses funding agreements for Southwest, Blue Line Extension light rail

Council members want more time to look at the financial picture before signing off on the latest funding arrangements with Hennepin County.
A Burnsville woman’s car was pelted with fecal-like matter last spring while she was waiting at a coffee shop drive-thru.

The spring 'poop rain' remains a mystery, as Angie Craig pushes for an investigation

The fecal matter likely came from a plane, but how did it happen? At least five people in the south metro reported being rained on this spring.
Zita, a three-year-old German shorthaired pointer, works at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for the Transportation Security Administrat

Zita, MSP's favorite pooch, fails to advance in TSA's Cutest Canine contest

But she's still a very good dog.
Vote: Minnesota dog in the running for cutest TSA pup

Vote: Minnesota dog in the running for cutest TSA pup

Zita, a three-year-old German shorthaired pointer who works at MSP Airport, is competing for TSA's Cutest Canine against three other pups nationwide.
The Southwest light-rail line will ultimately connect Union Depot in St. Paul to Eden Prairie through downtown Minneapolis.

Met Council, Hennepin County reach agreement to close Southwest LRT shortfall

Under the agreement, Hennepin County would bear the majority of costs, with help from Met Council and federal funding.
The Lake Street/Midtown Blue Line station in Minneapolis on Tuesday.

Lake Street/Midtown Station cleaning up its act as Metro Transit takes proactive approach to crime

Increased police and security presence has been added to busy Blue Line station.
Freddie Bell, general manager of KMOJ, worked on producing a future show Tuesday at the broadcast studio in Minneapolis.

KMOJ could be in the way of Blue Line light rail expansion into north Minneapolis

The radio station's home was among possible targets for demolition to make way for the Blue Line extension when transit planners released a map for a future light-rail station in north Minneapolis.
The ongoing push to improve safety aboard Metro Transit’s vast bus and light-rail system comes as ridership steadily climbs.

Metro Transit crime is up, but police say they're making progress

Police say they're responding more and documenting incidents.
Metropolitan Council Chair Charlie Zelle was appointed by Gov. Tim Walz, and all members of the regional planning body are appointed by the governor.

Task force formed to consider Met Council changes is taking shape

The Southwest LRT debacle has fueled new efforts to retool the council.
The proposed Blue Line extension will link the Mall of America with Brooklyn Park.

Grassroots groups team up to oppose big Twin Cities area transit projects

Routes of Blue Line LRT extension, Purple Line BRT may change after community outcry.
Lesley Kandaras, new Metro Transit general manager

There's a new face for Metro Transit, and it's female

Lesley Kandaras was named general manager Thursday, the first woman to permanently fill the top post.
MnDOT keeps its four airplanes at St. Paul Downtown Airport, formerly known as Holman Field. The transportation department will purchase two newer air

MnDOT to replace two planes

Yes, the Minnesota transportation agency uses "heavy-duty pickups in the sky."
Beyoncé performed at what is now Huntington Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota in 2016 during her Formation World Tour. She returns on July

A new challenge for Metro Transit: Beyoncé

Queen Bey descends upon Huntington Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota on July 20.
Construction work continued on the Southwest light rail project in Hopkins in May.

Southwest LRT builder fires back on audit

Contractor says watchdog agency's recommendations would have resulted in more delays, costs.
The C Line arterial bus rapid transit service between Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center is one of three such lines in the Metro Transit system.

Safety measures, BRT help Metro Transit ridership surge this year

Met Council officials say the numbers indicate a steady return of passengers after ridership was decimated during the pandemic, but the new numbers are still half of what they were pre-COVID.
Metro Transit has launched a free-fare program on Route 32 and 62 buses through Dec. 31, 2024.

Metro Transit experimenting with free fares on two bus routes to win back riders

Advocates cheer the concept, but others wonder how cities will be able to pay for free transit.
Construction work on the Southwest light-rail project in Hopkins.

Met Council must reform construction practices after Southwest LRT debacle, state watchdog says

The extension project has been fraught with delays and cost overruns.
Teto Wilson cut the hair of Bernard Beamon while chatting with Audua Pugh on Friday about the coming Blue Line extension at Wilson’s Image in north

North Minneapolis businesses concerned about Blue Line LRT

Some worry the line will displace residents and businesses, like Rondo in the 1960s. Others are more optimistic.
Felix Leiter, with his support dog Lola in tow, waited in line Thursday at Delta Air Lines’ check-in counter at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Internation

Five things to know about air travel at MSP this summer

Minnesotans this weekend are expected to open the summer travel season by taking to the skies and roadways in droves. Here are five things to know about air travel at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport this summer.
Travelers navigated the check-in kiosks at Terminal 1 at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Thursday.

Minnesotans to jump-start summer this Memorial Day in the air and on the road

Just be ready: Airport lines will be long and highways will be jammed.
Indexing the gas tax to inflation would boost it by 5 cents over the current 28.5 cents a gallon by 2027.

Legislature passes $1.3B transportation deal with gas tax hike, sending it to Walz

Debate throughout the session has centered on how to fund much-needed fixes to the state's roads, bridges and public transit systems.
Democrats’ agreement to index the gas tax to inflation has been blasted by Republicans.

Minnesota DFL legislators agree to index gas tax to inflation

Democrats struck a transportation budget deal they say raises funding long-term.
Scott Robbins Anderson

Scott Anderson, longtime North Memorial CEO, dies at 83

Colleagues said he transformed the north metro health system, keeping it independent.
Construction work continued last week on the Southwest light-rail project in Hopkins.

SWLRT builder attributes problems to faulty design, criticizes state probe

Lunda McCrossan Joint Venture says the legislative auditor either "misrepresented" or "twisted" facts in its reports on the project.
Metro Transit police officers patrolled the Blue Line in Minneapolis in 2022.

Crime on Metro Transit buses and light rail is up 66%

"We must hold people accountable for their behavior," says Ernest Morales III, the agency's new police chief.
Metropolitan Council Chair Charlie Zelle

Senate committee approves Zelle for second term as Met Council chair

The full Senate must vote on his reappointment as head of the regional planning agency.
Orange Line buses were supposed to run every 15 minutes on weekdays and every half hour on weekends and at night.

Metro Transit: Expanding bus service is the key to post-pandemic rebound

But bus driver shortage, remote work and crime may tamp down demand.
Elected officials posed with a ceremonial check for $239,345,549 on Tuesday, April 11, in St. Paul. Federal Transit Administrator Nuria Fernandez anno

Feds contribute $239M to Gold Line linking St. Paul, Woodbury

The result will be the first bus-rapid transit project in Minnesota that will largely operate on a dedicated lane.
Cranes and other heavy equipment building the Southwest light rail line along the Kenilworth Corridor in Minneapolis. When will it all end? Maybe 2027

Audits, overruns and delays: 6 things to know about Southwest LRT line

The Met Council is still saying passenger service between Minneapolis and Eden Prairie will begin in 2027.
Lime says its new scooters are less tippy when parked, reducing sidewalk clutter.

Just in time for a weather warmup, scooters return to St. Paul

Minneapolis is not far behind, according to scooter firm Lime.
The scene after a BNSF train carrying ethanol and corn syrup derailed and caught fire in the west-central Minnesota town of Raymond.

Minnesota lawmakers seek to tighten rail safety

Raymond rail accident gives measure at State Capitol more urgency.
Bikers last year enjoyed a stretch of the Bruce Vento Trail that intersects with the Gateway Trail in Maplewood.

New option would move Purple Line buses off part of Vento Trail onto White Bear Avenue

Intense public engagement, opposition led to possible new route.
Ernest Morales III got hugs from Metro Transit police officers after he was sworn in Wednesday as the new Metro Transit police chief.

New Metro Transit police chief on public safety: 'We have to strike a balance'

Ernest Morales III says the transit system needs to strike a balance in making riders feel safe without victimizing the homeless and addicted.
Charlie Zelle, chair of the Metropolitan Council, was twice appointed by Gov. Tim Walz. Many lawmakers think that members of the regional planning bod

Efforts to reform Met Council gaining ground, thanks to Metro Transit troubles

Ideas range from staggered terms to electing members.
Work at the Green Line Bryn Mawr Station continues Wednesday, March 15, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minn.

Met Council wasn't transparent about Southwest light-rail costs, delays, auditor says

The Metropolitan Council went ahead with the $2.7 billion Southwest light-rail project despite knowing it did not have the funds necessary to complete the line linking Minneapolis and Eden Prairie, according to a report released Wednesday morning by the Office of the Legislative Auditor.
Some say Northstar Commuter Rail service should be shut down. Others say it should be extended to St. Cloud. A new study offers different scenarios to

Met Council study finds no easy answers to Northstar ridership woes

Ridership is up slightly this year following the plunge that came with COVID, but service remains heavily subsidized.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg  studied the map of the proposed B Line in 2022 as he took a tour. With him were Hennepin County Commissi

Proposed 2024 federal budget includes funding for transit projects in Twin Cities, Rochester

The Federal Transit Administration announced the bus rapid transit initiative on Thursday.
Delta plans get de-iced at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, which received top honors from a trade group for customer satisfaction.

For second straight year, MSP wins top honors for airports of its size in North America

Travel survey gauges customer experience.
The bill’s sponsor, DFL Rep. Brad Tabke of Shakopee, calls light-rail safety “a massive, massive problem.”

Lawmakers call for cultural 'reset' on light-rail trains

Bill calls for 3 months of intensive safety interventions, including social workers.
Construction of a tunnel for the Southwest light-rail line near the Cedar Isles condominiums in Minneapolis.

Crew removes 'impediment' found during SWLRT tunnel construction

The 20-square-foot concrete slab was determined not to be a structural part of nearby condos.
The rotunda at the far end of MSP’s Concourse G was remodeled last year, with more improvements planned at the main terminal.

MSP, Duluth airports get federal grants for terminal improvements

MSP's G Concourse will be improved; new terminal planned in Duluth
Jim Perkins and Sandy Bjornstad Perkins of Eden Prairie enjoyed wine on the beach at sunset during a vacation at Captiva Island in Fort Myers, Fla.

Minnesotans still planning winter getaways, but not always to a beach

Travelers aren't shying away from higher prices so far. But those who opt to book that last-minute getaway will likely pay more.
Pat Schleicher waits at MSP Airport’s Terminal 2 to board his flight home to Nevada, one of the few remaining flights that hadn’t been canceled, a

Travelers at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport try to beat the snowstorm

The "lull" Wednesday morning provided a tiny window for those departing and arriving.
Police at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and Metro Transit police will bolster patrols at the airport’s two light-rail stations after fi

Police bolster patrols at MSP Airport light-rail stations

The action comes after complaints from employees and passengers about safety.
Construction of the Southwest light-rail line is seen in the Kenilworth Corridor in Minneapolis.

Underground 'impediment' discovered in SWLRT work

The mystery concrete could add delay, expense to a project already $1 billion over budget.
Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005 protested outside the Metropolitan Council’s headquarters in St. Paul over safety conditions on

Union, Met Council reach agreement on plan to bolster transit safety

The plan was approved despite a rocky start last week.
Metro Transit officials said ridership increased in 2022, including on bus rapid transit lines.

Metro Transit ridership increased 17% in 2022, but still below pre-pandemic levels

Legislators are considering bills to ease safety concerns and make transit passengers more comfortable.
Alec Voight bagged groceries at Kowalski’s in southwest Minneapolis 2017. Kowalski’s customers are given a choice of paper or plastic grocery bags

Metro briefs: Edina leaders mull plastic bag fee

The Edina City Council took a step toward implementing a 5 cent fee for single-use bags last week, with the council directing staff to draft…
Minnesota briefs: Tribes receive more than $1 million to improve roads on reservations

Minnesota briefs: Tribes receive more than $1 million to improve roads on reservations

Duluth police department forms Behavioral Health Unit.
Commuter rail passengers walked to the Northstar train at Minneapolis’ Target Field Station in September.

Lawmakers seek to lift gag order on rail line between Mpls., Northfield

A longstanding gag order has barred study — much less construction — of the Dan Patch commuter rail line.
Transportation Security Administration employees have stopped nine firearms at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport so far this year, Fifty-eigh

TSA confiscates two loaded guns at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

The weapons were seized in separate incidents Tuesday.
Repairs are in the works at the $245 million Silver Ramp at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Fixes to concrete barrier posts in MSP's Silver Ramp to cost $1.45M more

The total repair bill for the $245 million Terminal 1 parking ramp comes to nearly $5 million.
Teen shot in neck on St. Paul's East Side

Teen shot in neck on St. Paul's East Side

The 15-year-old was reported to be breathing when taken to hospital after the Friday night shooting.
Passengers rode a light-rail train in downtown Minneapolis earlier in the week. Metro Transit fare dodgers can be charged with a misdemeanor and fined

Lawmakers seek to reduce fare-dodging penalty on transit

Efforts in play at the Capitol to change system for penalizing those who don't pay.
The F concourse in Terminal 1 at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport last summer.

Metro briefs: Record number of guns detected at MSP Airport

BloomingtonRecord number of guns detected at MSP airportTransportation Security Administration (TSA) officers discovered a record 58 handguns at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport checkpoints last year.…
New Metro Transit Police Chief Ernest Morales III

Former New York City police veteran named police chief for Metro Transit

Ernest Morales was commanding officer with New York City's Transit Bureau.
Crime reports related to Metro Transit’s trains and buses increased significantly in 2022 over the previous year.

Metro Transit: Crime in 2022 on trains, buses increased by half

Officials said they were confident that an aggressive plan set in place last summer will reduce incidents as ridership increases.
Charlie Zelle has been reappointed chair of the Metropolitan Council by Gov. Tim Walz.

Charlie Zelle reappointed chair of Metropolitan Council by Gov. Tim Walz

He'll face many challenges in the next four years, including completion of the Southwest LRT line.
Cranes and other heavy equipment last month at the construction site of a tunnel along the Kenilworth Corridor in Minneapolis between Lake of the Isle

As Southwest LRT proceeds, questions remain about who will fund budget gap

Some want to tap the state's $17B surplus to finish the job.
A pedestrian crossed the street on W. Franklin Avenue near Lyndale in Minneapolis in December 2021. Some projects aim to fix aging infrastructure in t

Extra federal funding lets Met Council double Twin Cities area transportation projects

An additional $155 million will expand this round of local transportation projects to support safety and mobility efforts.
Two men were charged with disorderly conduct in an incident aboard a Sun Country plane.

Two passengers cited for fighting aboard Sun Country flight after arrival at MSP

Tensions are running high at airports nationwide due to cancellations and delays during the busy holiday travel season.
A $93M crash-protection wall along the Southwest light-rail line to separate freight and light-rail trains is one reason the project is over budget.

Met Council approves additional $111 million for Southwest light-rail line, but more is needed

The action follows the Hennepin County Board's approval last week of an additional $100 million for the project.
“Ho, Ho, Ho,” shouts out Santa Claus, also known as Paul Hollen as he visits with patrons at the annual European Christmas Market outside the Unio

A decade after $243 million renovation, St. Paul's Union Depot struggles to gain traction

The historic train station has become an events hub as transit connections gradually materialize.
Construction of the Southwest light rail line on Monday along the Kenilworth Corridor in Minneapolis.

Plans call for $211M to shrink Southwest LRT budget gap

Troubled project may get $211 million infusion from Met Council, Hennepin County, but more will be needed.
Delta Airlines planes at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport last year.

Workers at MSP Airport join nationwide rally for better health care

Move comes after the Metropolitan Airport Commission enacted a $15 hourly minimum wage for airport workers.