List of Metro (Minnesota) light rail stations

A simple transit diagram with a green line stretching roughly left to right (west to east) and a blue line stretching roughly top to bottom (north to south). A light blue river runs from the top right to the bottom right, roughly following the shape of a ladle. Another thinner waterway runs straight from center-left to connect with the river near the center of the image.
Map of the Metro system as it stood in September 2017, showing the Blue and Green lines

Metro is a public transportation network consisting of light rail and bus rapid transit services covering the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. The light rail portion of the network, managed by Metro Transit, has 37 light rail stations in operation across two lines: the Blue Line, running from downtown Minneapolis to the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the Green Line, connecting downtown Minneapolis to downtown Saint Paul.[1] In 2016, the Blue and Green lines respectively provided approximately 10.3 million and 12.7 million rides for a total of 23 million rides across both lines.[2] By ridership, it is the ninth-largest light rail system in the United States.[3]

Construction on the Blue Line, which was initially known as the Hiawatha Line, began in 2001.[4] The line opened in two phases in 2004, beginning with a 12-station stretch from the Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue station through the Fort Snelling station in June. In December, five more stations were opened, continuing service south of Fort Snelling to the Mall of America station.[5] Two additional Blue Line stations opened in late 2009: a new northern terminus at Target Field and the American Boulevard station in Bloomington.[6][7] Construction on the Green Line, which was initially designated as the Central Corridor, began in 2010.[8] The line opened in its entirety in June 2014.[9]

Fares for Metro light rail service are the same as those for most Metro Transit bus services and include unlimited transfers to other light rail and bus routes within 2.5 hours from the time a fare is paid.[10] Two exceptions exist for Metro light rail services: fares within (but not between) downtown zones[nb 1] are less expensive than regular fares but may not be transferred; and there is no cost to ride between terminals 1 and 2 at the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP).[13][14] Many stations connect with rail or bus routes. The Target Field station provides a connection to the Northstar commuter rail line, while the Mall of America station allows for transfers to the Metro Red Line bus rapid transit service. The A Line bus rapid transit line connects with the 46th Street Blue Line station and the Snelling Avenue Green Line stop.[1] Two Metro light rail stations – 30th Avenue and Fort Snelling – have designated park and ride lots.[15]

Extensions to both Metro lines are planned as of 2023. The Blue Line extension will branch northward from the Target Field station, adding 11 stations to the line: two more in Minneapolis, two in Golden Valley, one each in Robbinsdale and Crystal, and five in Brooklyn Park.[16] The Green Line extension will branch west from Target Field station and include 16 new stations: five in Minneapolis, three each in Saint Louis Park and Hopkins, one in Minnetonka, and four in Eden Prairie.[17] The Green Line extension was originally intended to open in 2018 but, as of 2022, was delayed until 2027.[18] Passenger service was planned to begin on the Blue Line extension in 2023, but an issue with securing right-of-way resulted in the need to rework the line's route, resulting in a new estimate of 2028.[19][20][21][22]

  1. ^ a b "What is Metro?". Metro Transit. June 19, 2017. Archived from the original on June 26, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  2. ^ Moore, Janet (January 13, 2017). "Metro Transit sees slight dip in 2016 ridership". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on January 14, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  3. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2016" (PDF). Washington, D.C.: American Public Transportation Association. March 3, 2017. pp. 3–4. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 20, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  4. ^ Knudson, Paul T. (June 2009). "Coalition Formation and Metropolitan Contention: An Analysis of the Politics of Light-Rail Transit in the Twin Cities of Minnesota". City & Community. 8 (2): 177–195. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6040.2009.01279.x. S2CID 143514228.
  5. ^ "Hiawatha Line Returns Rail Service to Minneapolis". Passenger Transport Archive. American Public Transportation Association. July 5, 2004. Archived from the original on July 19, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  6. ^ Gibbons, Bob (November 14, 2009). "Communities celebrate arrival of Northstar Line; daily commuter rail service begins Monday" (Press release). Metro Transit. Archived from the original on March 16, 2010. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  7. ^ Smetanka, Mary Jane (December 9, 2009). "Hiawatha LRT line opens 19th station in Bloomington". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  8. ^ "Central Corridor Light Rail Transit Project Facts" (PDF). Metropolitan Council. April 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 19, 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  9. ^ Duchschere, Kevin (June 13, 2014). "St. Paul makes a bet on revival with Green Line light-rail train". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  10. ^ "Fares". Metro Transit. Archived from the original on July 7, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  11. ^ Downtown Minneapolis (PDF) (Map). Metro Transit. March 4, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 18, 2017. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  12. ^ Downtown St Paul (PDF) (Map). Metro Transit. March 4, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 18, 2017. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  13. ^ "Downtown Zone is 50¢". Metro Transit. Archived from the original on October 7, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  14. ^ "Taking Metro Transit to MSP airport terminals". Metro Transit. Archived from the original on October 27, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  15. ^ "Park for free then ride the smart way". Metro Transit. Archived from the original on July 7, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  16. ^ "Routes and Stations: Connecting Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Robbinsdale, Golden Valley & Minneapolis". Metropolitan Council. January 2017. Archived from the original on July 12, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  17. ^ "Routes and Stations". Metropolitan Council. January 2017. Archived from the original on July 20, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  18. ^ Phipps, Jennie L. (September 29, 2022). "Minn. Light Rail Project Is Nine Years Late, Billions over Budget". Engineering News-Record. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  19. ^ Ecklund, Eric (November 30, 2018). "Twin Cities Transit Expansion Timeline". Streets.mn. Archived from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  20. ^ Ecklund, Eric (July 1, 2019). "The Blue Line Extension in Limbo". Streets.mn. Archived from the original on October 15, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  21. ^ Wanek-Libman, Mischa (October 12, 2020). "Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz fully backs METRO Blue Line extension". Mass Transit. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  22. ^ Sepic, Matt (April 19, 2022). "Latest light rail plan puts Blue Line in heart of north Minneapolis". MPR News. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2023.


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