Facts about trains and construction
Minnesota’s first light-rail line opened in 2004
Length: 12 miles, connecting three of the Twin Cities’ most popular destinations — downtown Minneapolis, Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport and Mall of America in Bloomington.
Stations: 17 (see map)
Opening: Service between the Warehouse District and Fort Snelling began June 26, 2004; full service to the airport and Mall of America began Dec. 4, 2004.
Ridership: From its opening on June 26, 2004 through December 2005, the Hiawatha Line served customers 10.9 million times, 65 percent higher than ridership projections.
Patron generators: Downtown Minneapolis, Metrodome, University of Minnesota, 11 neighborhoods, Minnehaha Park, Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, Mall of America and VA Medical Center.
Impact: More than 50 percent of train riders are new to transit since rail service began.
Major park-and-ride lots: At Fort Snelling (975 spaces) and 28th Avenue (540 spaces)
Milestones achieved:
• Broke ground January 17, 2001
• Completed mining of airport rail tunnels October 2002
• Opened partial service June 26, 2004
• Redesigned bus service to coordinate with rail June and December 2004
• Began full service Dec. 4, 2004, 27 days early
Light-Rail Vehicles
Light-rail vehicles: 24 cars, each 94-feet long and manufactured by Bombardier. A train may consist of two cars coupled together. Each car has four doorways and can hold 66 seated passengers plus standing room for 120. Inside each car are four luggage racks and four
bicycle hangers.
Three additional rail cars have been ordered to meet customer demand and achieve
maintenance schedules.
Accessibility: Fully ADA compliant stations and vehicles with four wheelchair locations per vehicle. Level boarding at each train door. Ramps and tactile edges at all stations. Elevators at stations on bridges.
Power: Electrically powered by wires 16-feet overhead.
Yard and shop: 26.5 acres with a maintenance facility between Cedar and Franklin avenues.
Top speed: 55 mph, with a general service speed of 40 mph and slower speed in downtown.
Service
• Rush hours: Every 71⁄2 minutes from 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m.
• Every 10 minutes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Every 15 minutes from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
• Every half hour from 4 to 6 a.m. and from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Feeder bus service: 46 Metro Transit routes connect to 13 rail stations with timed transfers.
Fare collection: Self-service, barrier free, proof of payment.
Fares: Light-rail fares are the same as bus fares. Transfers valid between bus and rail if used within 150 minutes.
Operating Cost: Annual budgeted operating cost is $19.85 million in 2006 dollars. This cost is offset in part by annual fare revenue estimated at $7.2 million. Hennepin County funds 50 percent of the net operating cost.
Light Rail Construction
Construction funding (in millions $):
Federal 334.3
State of Minnesota 100.0
Metropolitan Airports Commission 87.0
Hennepin County 84.2
Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality grant 49.8
Transit capital grant 39.9
Minnesota Dept of Transportation 20.1
Total 715.3
Construction approach: Design/Build with separate contracts for light-rail vehicles and airport tunnels.
Corridor development potential: 7,150 new housing units, more than 19 million square feet of new commercial space with up to 68,000 new jobs by year 2020.
Partners:
Metropolitan Council – owner
Metro Transit – operator
MnDOT – design and construction
Metropolitan Airports Commission
Hennepin County
City of Bloomington
City of Minneapolis
Questions?
Information: 612-373-3333
