Metro Blue Line (Minnesota)

Route map:
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the light rail line in Minnesota. For other Blue Lines, see Blue Line (disambiguation).

"Hiawatha Line" and "Hiawatha LRT" redirect here. For the Amtrak route, see
Hiawatha Service. For the multi-use trail, see Hiawatha LRT Trail
.
Metro Blue Line
standard gauge
Minimum radius82 feet (25 m)
ElectrificationOverhead line, 750 V DC
Operating speed55 mph (89 km/h) max
18 mph (29 km/h) average
Route map

Legend
Bottineau LRT
Oak Grove OMF
 Oak Grove Parkway
MN-610 wide.svg MN 610
 93rd Avenue
85th Avenue
Shingle Creek
 Brooklyn Boulevard
Stations and route under revision
Southwest
Target Field   Northstar Line to Big Lake
I-394.svg I-394
 Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue
Nicollet Mall
Orange Line at Marq2 transit corridor
Government Plaza
U.S. Bank Stadium
arrow for u Downtown fare zone
 Green Line to Union Depot
I-35W.svg I-35W
Cedar-Riverside
I-94.svg I-94
Hiawatha OMF
 Franklin Avenue
MNNR spur line
Midtown Greenway
Martin Olav Sabo Bridge
MN-55.svg MN 55 (Hiawatha Ave)
 Lake Street/Midtown B Line
38th Street
46th Street A Line to Rosedale
Minnehaha Parkway
Minnehaha Creek
 50th Street/Minnehaha Park
VA Medical Center
MN-62.svg
MN 62
(Crosstown)
 Fort Snelling
Fort Snelling pocket track
Terminal 1–Lindbergh
Free 24-hour operation between terminals
 Terminal 2–Humphrey
I-494.svgMN-5.svg I-494 / MN 5
 American Boulevard
Bloomington Central
30th Avenue
Mall of America
D Line to BCTC and Red Line to Apple Valley
Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible
This diagram:

The Metro Blue Line is a 12-mile (19.3 km)

Hiawatha Avenue, reusing infrastructure from the former and running parallel to the latter for a portion of the route. The line opened June 26, 2004, and was the first light rail service in Minnesota. An extension, Bottineau LRT
, is planned to open in 2028.

The Blue Line is operated by

Twin Cities. As of December 2022, the service operates from approximately 3:19 am to 12:50 am with 15‑minute headways most of the day.[4] The route averaged 32,928 daily riders in 2019, representing 13 percent of Metro Transit's ridership.[5][6] The line carried 10.6 million riders in 2015.[1]

In

Humphrey terminals. An night owl shuttle train, the Airport Shuttle, runs between terminals during times when no Blue Line service is scheduled.[8]

History

A two-unit Hiawatha Line train approaches 46th Street station from the south in 2005. The black, yellow, and silver livery was standard before the introduction of the Metro system.

Background

The Minneapolis–St. Paul area once had an extensive network of streetcars (operated for many years by

Twin City Rapid Transit
, a precursor of Metro Transit), but the tracks were removed and services were eliminated in the 1950s.

Over the years since the last trolley ran in 1954, many people have pushed for the reintroduction of rail transport in the Twin Cities. Proposals for a modern streetcar or light rail along the Hiawatha Avenue corridor appeared in the pages of the

Texas Transportation Institute
indicated that the area was the 17th most congested area in the country, with the second fastest congestion growth.

Rail projects struggled to gain political support until the 1990s, when several factors combined to make the idea more palatable. Governor Jesse Ventura and Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg heavily promoted the idea of rail transport, and significant amounts of money became available from the federal government. Previous governors had advocated light rail, but had not been able to get legislation passed. Governor Tim Pawlenty had campaigned on a promise to fight the expansion of light rail, but altered his opinions after taking office. He also initially opposed the Northstar Line commuter rail project, which is a rail corridor north of Minneapolis, but changed his mind about that project in January 2004 when a scaled-back version was shown to have good potential.[10]

Project development

For many,[

University Avenue. However, much of the land had already been acquired by the state in the 1960s to build a sunken radial expressway into downtown that was never built. In addition to the available land, the desire to connect to the airport and at least reach the vicinity of the Mall of America proved to be the bigger draw for decision-makers.[11]

The idea of running a rail line down Hiawatha Avenue had already been around for at least a decade by the time the decision was made to go forward. In 1985, the

Environmental Impact Statement that concluded that light rail was the best alternative for the corridor.[12] In 1996, the document was examined again as Mn/DOT looked at the possibility of adding bus rapid transit
along the road, but money for light rail became available soon after, leading to the current layout.

Construction and opening

The line's cost totaled $715.3 million, with $334.3 million coming from the federal government.[13] This is considerably higher than initial budgets predicted—the figure was about $400 million in 1997. Opponents to the rail line state that it went far over-budget, but supporters of the line state that extensions of the route and other alterations, plus the impact of inflation, are the real reasons for the increased cost. Initial designs cut out the last stop in downtown, and the southern end of the line did not quite connect to the Mall of America. The Warehouse District stop was added early but another cost increase came from approximately $40 million to enhance the line (while construction was in progress) to bring the line directly into the Mall of America's transit hub. It was completed later than what was initially hoped for (a lot of literature points to 2003 as the opening year), but the mall connection was a significant contribution to the extra time requirements. These extensions are also why the line was initially reported to be 11.6 miles (18.7 km) long, but ended up being 12 miles (19 km) in length. The Target Field extension in 2009 added a few more tenths to the length. Groundbreaking for the line took place on January 17, 2001.

In March 2004, the labor union representing Metro Transit bus workers went on strike. This delayed the opening of the line from the anticipated start date of April 3, although there was some indication that the opening would have been delayed anyway. Apparently, some of the delay had to do with slow delivery of trainsets from Bombardier. Certain aspects of the design had been tried before, but the cars were the first to combine the factors of conforming to American standards (as opposed to European), having low floors and being built at the company's Mexico plant. Some problems also cropped up during testing of the vehicles, but Bombardier said that the issues were not out of the ordinary.

When the buses began rolling again on April 19, the line's opening was rolled back to June 26. Testing of the track and vehicles continued during the bus strike, as much of the work was performed by Bombardier employees rather than Metro Transit workers. Train operators who had already gone through the training process were given refresher courses when the strike ended. Regular service began on the first phase of the line on June 26, 2004, with the second phase opening later that year on December 4. Each opening was accompanied with two days of free rides on the train and area buses. The line was tested for months before opening, with regular service simulated for about a month before each phase went online. The Hiawatha Line opened exactly 50 years and one week after the last regular-service streetcars ran in the city.

Light rail staff, security, and volunteers produced a largely hitch-free opening day for the new rail system on June 26, 2004.[14] Officials estimated 30,000 people boarded the electric-powered trains during the transit system's first day of service. Train rides were free. Each station featured live entertainment and food as a diversion for the long waits to board the trains. Predicted daily ridership was 19,300 for 2005 and 24,600 for 2020.

Developments post-opening

A pedestrian walking next to moving trains

Busways are still being examined for many future projects and it appears likely that at least one will be built. Construction of the area's second light rail line, the Green Line connecting downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul began in late 2010 and opened on June 14, 2014. On April 26, 2011, the U.S. government announced $478 million in funding for its construction.[15]

During

stadium station. Service at other stations was replaced with free shuttle buses.[16][17]

In July 2011, the

Orange Line bus rapid transit along I-35W, and the operational Red Line bus rapid transit service along Cedar Avenue.[18] The name officially changed on Friday, May 17, 2013.[19]

Starting July 8, 2022, in a planned 5 week project, the Blue line shut down 5 stops from Mall of America to Airport Terminal 2 for the 'Largest construction project in the light rail line's history.' According to Metro Transit, the project consists of replacing sections of tracks that "have worn out and upgrades technology that guides safety safety systems."

In addition, the updates will also bring safety enhancements and allow trains to switch tracks and turn around near the 30th Avenue Station, which will provide more opportunity to keep trains moving if a section of track is taken out of service. Ryan Heath, engineer for Metro Transit who is overseeing the project, said that "this is important for the Blue Line's next 40 years. We're looking out literally decades with an eye toward improving the reliability and maintainability of our system."[20]

Proposed extension

Main article:
Bottineau Boulevard Transitway

An extension of the line to Brooklyn Park is planned. On August 3, 2020, after years of disagreements with The Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company regarding use of BNSF's right-of-way, Metropolitan Council announced they would begin to "explore opportunities to advance this critical project without using BNSF Railway right of way."[21] Current plans call for the Blue Line Extension to run west from Target Field to Lyndale Avenue, then through north Minneapolis via Lyndale Avenue, West Broadway Avenue, and Bottineau Boulevard, until it meets the originally planned route near 73rd Avenue and West Broadway.[22]

Route

Light rail spine along 5th Street downtown, shared by the Green Line.

The Blue Line runs from downtown Minneapolis to the Mall of America for a length of 12 mi (19.3 km).

Minnehaha Park, and other locations in south Minneapolis. Trains travel on bridges over traffic at busy intersections near Lake Street
and Franklin Ave with overhead stations located at each crossing.

After crossing to the other side of Highway 55, the line runs on the former

Northstar Commuter Rail
.

Map
Metro Blue Line interactive map

Stations

Government Plaza station in front of City Hall

Each of the 19 stations along the route is designed in a unique architectural style reflective of the station's surrounding community. This is not an entirely new idea for the region, as many of the higher-traffic bus stops around the city have distinctive designs. Due to the unique makeup of Minneapolis' population, ticket-dispensing machines present instructions in four languages: English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong. Travel time is roughly two to three minutes between most stations.

The airport used to operate a bus shuttle between the two terminals, but the light-rail line has replaced that service. No fare is required to ride between the two airport stations and trains run between these 2 stations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.[8] Only seven of the original 17 stations was built to accommodate three car trains, but due to the need to increase the line's capacity, the remaining stations were retrofitted or extended to accommodate three-car trains in 2009. The extensions were paid for primarily with federal money but the Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County, and city of Bloomington also contributed some funds.[28]

Station additions

The Blue Line was extended several blocks northwest from the

Southwest Corridor, will connect directly to the end of the Blue Line to share service with the station.[30]

Largely federal money but also with some local contributions was secured for construction of the new

Bloomington Central Station. This station was included in the line's original plans, but was postponed due to cost overruns. Because much of the necessary underground infrastructure for the station was installed when the line was constructed, the station was built with minimal service interruptions.[28][31]

Service

A Metro Transit Ticket, valid for 2½ hours after purchase.

Passengers who ride the rail system are charged the same fare as they would pay for the local Metro Transit bus system, and they are able to use their bus transfer cards to switch between the two different modes of transportation without making another payment. A new payment system using

software bugs
delayed introduction. By September 2006, the bugs were worked out and the Go-To Cards became operational.

In basic service trains operate every 10 to 15 minutes and operate less frequently in the early morning and late-night. Additional trains operate on Friday and Saturday nights.[32] The line shuts down for about four hours each night, except for a shuttle service between the two terminals at the MSP airport which run 24 hours a day.[8] Vehicles have a capacity of 66 seated passengers and 120 standing. Currently two or three vehicles are run together to increase capacity.

Ridership

The line accounts for about 13% of Metro Transit's total ridership. Less than two years after opening, the line had already exceeded its 2020 weekday ridership goal of 24,800.[6] The line carried 10.6 million riders in 2015.[1] In 2018 weekday ridership on the Blue Line was 32,921.[33] Ridership for both the Green and Blue Lines combined was down 59% in 2020 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.[34] Ridership had begun to recover in 2023, but average weekday ridership remained below 20,000 [35]

Fares

The Blue Line uses a proof-of-payment system, requiring riders to carry tickets at all times. Fares are purchased before boarding, either at ticket machines located in the stations or by scanning a Go-To card at dedicated pedestals. Tickets are valid for 2+1⁄2 hours after purchase, with transfers available to other Metro lines as well as any Metro Transit bus routes. Fares can range from 50¢ within the two Downtown Zones of Minneapolis and St. Paul to $2.50 for adults in rush hours.[36]

Rolling stock

Main article: Metro Transit rolling stock

The Blue Line uses 27

low-floor design, meaning that 70 percent of the floor inside is within about 14 inches (356 mm) of the ground. This is the same height as the rail platforms, allowing stepless access for passengers dependent on wheelchairs or other mobility aids. The feature also makes it easier for passengers with bicycles or strollers to board the train. Each vehicle weighs about 107,000 pounds (48,534 kg) when empty. Minneapolis is the first and only city to use this LRV model in the United States.[37]

Vehicles have a

pantograph
mounted on the B section. The first "Type I" LRV was delivered on March 19, 2003. 14 of 15 delivered vehicles were operational for the opening weekend. The initial order was eventually bumped up to a full 24 vehicles, which were operational by early 2005. Three additional vehicles were ordered in the winter of 2006/2007, using leftover funds from the construction budget for one vehicle and Hennepin County funds for the other two.

The noses of these vehicles are built to a different design than is standard for the Flexity Swift, containing a small scoop-shaped area. This assists in the removal of snow, but the anticipated snow-management method is merely to run trains on a frequent basis rather than actually using snow removal equipment (this was what the earlier streetcar system usually did to keep lines clear, though they also often featured small scrapers in front of the lead wheels).

Each vehicle has a number of cameras on board, pointing both inward and outward, to monitor passenger activity and other areas of interest for security and safety. Train stations also have cameras. Video feeds and the position of each vehicle on the line are monitored in a control room at the system's maintenance facility, located between Cedar-Riverside and Franklin Avenue stations.

Two Type III LRVs coupled to three existing vehicles while being delivered.

According to Metropolitan Council meeting notes dated July 30, 2010, for the August 9 Transportation Committee meeting,

S70
LRVs.

Safety

Aftermath of a non-fatal accident

With an expansion of the light rail system happening with the opening of the Green Line in 2014, Metro Transit rolled out a new rail safety campaign, with representatives of Metro Transit customers visiting schools and organizations situated near the Blue Line to discuss rail safety.[40] The campaign won a visual design award from the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators.[41] By January 2015, there had been 11 deaths from accidents on the line, eight of them pedestrians.[42][43] After two more people were killed in separate incidents on the Blue Line, one a bicyclist and one a man in a wheelchair, signs saying "See Tracks? Think Train" were added at locations of recent deaths along the Blue Line and Green Line.[44][45] As of September 2019, 15 people have died in crashes with Blue Line trains.[46]

Additionally, there has been concern over violent assaults, robberies, and disorderly conduct that occurs on the station platforms while people wait for the trains. There was a murder by stabbing at the Lake Street/Midtown station in December 2014.[47] Aggravated assaults, which involve the use of a weapon to cause serious injury, continued to increase through 2019 including another murder by stabbing at the Lake Street/Midtown station in October 2017.[48] Increased police officer hours, including the use of plainclothes police officers, were added to address safety concerns in 2019. Other efforts included allowing riders to text a number to communicate with police and teams dedicated to helping homeless riders were added in the same year.[49] In January 2020, the Met Council approved $1.3 million in spending to install new 360-degree 4K resolution cameras on all Metro Transit light rail cars by the end of 2020.[50] Another stabbing that resulted in death occurred on a train in Bloomington in January 2020, but no charges were filed due to claims of self-defense.[51]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Metro Transit ridership tops 85.8 million in 2015" (Press release). Metro Transit. January 22, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "Metro Blue Line – Facts About Trains and Construction". Metro Transit. 2013. Archived from the original on February 14, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
  3. ^ "These routes will change May 18". Metro Transit. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  4. ^ "Schedules – Metro Transit".
  5. ^ "Performance". metrotransit.org. Metro Transit. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Minneapolis: More spectacular ridership gains for Hiawatha light rail transit". Light Rail Now. August 2008. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
  7. ^ Del Rosario, Ari (January 2020). "2019 Annual Regional Park & Ride System Report". Metro Transit Engineering and Facilities, Planning and Urban Design. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c "Airport – Metro Transit". www.metrotransit.org. Metro Transit. Retrieved September 4, 2022.; "Airport Shuttle – Schedules". Metro Transit. August 20, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  9. ^ Mike, Anderson (June 18, 1974). "Streetcars Proposed to Ease Transit Woe". Star Tribune.
  10. ^ McCallum, Laura (August 3, 2004). "Pawlenty finds money to jumpstart North Star rail line". Minnesota Public Radio.
  11. ^ Newberg, Sam (May 2004). "Light Rail Comes to Minnesota" (PDF). community-wealth.org. American Planning Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 11, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  12. ^ Collopy, Trisha (Summer 2004). "The Right Track". Inventing Tomorrow (University of Minnesota). Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
  13. ^ "Facts About Trains and Construction". Metro Transit. Archived from the original on April 26, 2010. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  14. ^ "Down the Line; Light Rail's First Day." Star Tribune; June 27, 2004
  15. ^ Van Denburg, Hart (April 2011). "Feds signing over $478 million in Central Corridor funding today". City Pages. Archived from the original on May 18, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
  16. ^ Harlow, Tim (January 12, 2018). "A month of Super Bowl disruptions ahead for Metro Transit riders". Star-Tribune. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  17. ^ Harlow, Tim (February 4, 2018). "Mixed reviews for Super Bowl Sunday transit service". Star-Tribune. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  18. ^ "Met Council approves line color names for region's developing transitway system". Metropolitan Council. July 2011. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  19. ^ "Hiawatha light-rail name to be phased out for Blue Line". StarTribune. May 17, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  20. ^ "Rider's Almanac Blog". www.metrotransit.org. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  21. ^ "Project partners announce new direction for METRO Blue Line Extension". August 3, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  22. ^ "Route Modification Report". Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  23. ^ Moore, Janet (February 19, 2020). "New $25 million Mall of America transit station set to welcome visitors 'in style'". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  24. ^ Wascoe Jr., Dan (October 8, 2001). "Looking for light at the end of the tunnel". Star Tribune.
  25. ^ Wascoe Jr., Dan (August 30, 2002). "A boring project that's anything but". Star Tribune.
  26. ^ Harlow, Tim (August 27, 2016). "Metro Transit's Rail Control Center leans in to stadium learning curve". Star Tribune. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  27. ^ "On Monday, chunk of 5th St. will be closed permanently". Star Tribune. March 2, 2002.
  28. ^ a b Duch, Kevinschere (August 26, 2009). "Light-rail upgrades running on time". Star Tribune. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  29. ^ Duchschere, Kevin (October 28, 2009). "Sprucing up 'round the park". Star Tribune. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  30. ^ "Minneapolis Detail Map". Hennepin County (Southwest Corridor). Archived from the original on October 8, 2008. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
  31. ^ "Two New Stations in the Works for Hiawatha Line in Minneapolis". Mass Transit Magazine. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
  32. ^ "Metro Blue Line – Mpls – Airport – MOA". Metro Transit. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  33. ^ Kerr, Drew (February 11, 2019). "Light rail, Bus Rapid Transit lines set annual ridership records". Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  34. ^ Moore, Janet (February 23, 2021). "Met Council: Ridership on Metro Transit plunged in 2020, owing to pandemic". Star Tribune. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  35. ^ Metro Transit (April 4, 2024). "Metro Transit Ridership". Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  36. ^ "Fares". Metro Transit. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  37. ^ "Bombardier FLEXITY Swift – Minneapolis/St. Paul, USA". Bombardier. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2007.
  38. ^ "Transportation Committee Business Item 2010-275" (PDF). Metropolitan Council. July 30, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
  39. ^ "Transportation Committee Meeting July 26, 2010". Metropolitan Council. July 26, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
  40. ^ Harlow, Tim (September 13, 2013). "The Drive: Prohibited turns bring light-rail mishaps". The Star Tribune.
  41. ^ Minnesota Association of Government Communicators (May 20, 2013). "2013 Award Winners" (PDF). Northern Lights Awards. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2013.
  42. ^ Nelson, Tim (January 13, 2014). "Minneapolis light rail train hits, kills pedestrian". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  43. ^ McKinney, Matt. "Woman struck and killed by Blue Line light-rail train in south Minneapolis". StarTribune. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  44. ^ Harlow, Tim. "Man hit by light-rail train is ID'd; witness says wheelchair had wheel in air". StarTribune. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  45. ^ Harlow, Tim. "Rail safety signs pop up near three pedestrian deaths". StarTribune. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  46. ^ Harlow, Tim (September 6, 2019). "Bicyclist killed in Minneapolis crash with light-rail train was Richfield man". Star Tribune. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  47. ^ Collins, Liz (September 10, 2015). "Rail safety signs pop up near three pedestrian deaths". WCCO. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  48. ^ Lyden, Tom (October 31, 2019). "Danger on the line: Assaults up at light rail stations". FOX 9. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  49. ^ Callaghan, Peter (February 13, 2020). "Met Council chief vows to improve safety on Twin Cities buses, light rail". MinnPost. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  50. ^ "Metro Transit Considers Adding New Cameras To Light Rail". January 22, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  51. ^ "No charges filed in fatal stabbing on Blue Line train". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Associated Press. January 24, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2021.

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