Metro Blue Line (Minnesota)

Metro Blue Line
Blue Line light rail in downtown Minneapolis
Overview
LocaleMinneapolis–St. Paul
Termini
Stations19 open, 10 proposed
WebsiteMetro Blue Line
Service
TypeLight rail
SystemMetro
Route number901
Operator(s)Metro Transit
Rolling stockBombardier LF-70 or Siemens S70 and S700
3-car trains (typical, maximum)
Daily ridership31,471 (avg. weekday, 2015)[1]
History
OpenedJune 26, 2004; 20 years ago (2004-06-26)
Technical
Line length12 mi (19 km)[2]
Number of tracks2
CharacterPrimarily at-grade in separated right of way
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Minimum radius82 feet (25 m)
ElectrificationOverhead line750 V DC
Operating speed55 mph (89 km/h) max
18 mph (29 km/h) average
Route map

Bottineau LRT
Oak Grove OMF
Oak Grove Parkway
93rd Avenue
85th Avenue
Shingle Creek
Brooklyn Boulevard
Stations and route under revision
Southwest LRT
to Southwest
Target Field
Northstar Line
to Big Lake
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
Cedar-Riverside
Hiawatha OMF
Franklin Avenue
MNNR spur line
MN-55.svg MN 55 (Hiawatha Ave)
Lake Street/Midtown B Line
38th Street
46th Street
A Line
to Rosedale
Minnehaha Parkway
50th Street/Minnehaha Park
VA Medical Center
MN-62.svg MN 62 (Crosstown)
Fort Snelling
Terminal 1–Lindbergh
Free 24-hour operation between terminals
Terminal 2–Humphrey
American Boulevard
Bloomington Central
30th Avenue
Mall of America
D Line and Red Line
to BCTC and Apple Valley

Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible

The Metro Blue Line is a 12-mile (19.3 km)[2] light rail line in Hennepin County, Minnesota, that is part of the Metro network. It travels from downtown Minneapolis to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport and the southern suburb of Bloomington. Formerly the Hiawatha Line (Route 55) prior to May 2013,[3] the line was originally named after the Milwaukee Road's Hiawatha passenger train and 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 Metro Transit, the primary bus and train operator in the 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 South Minneapolis, several bus routes converge at transit centers along the line, offering connections to other Metro lines and frequent bus routes. The line has two park and ride stations, the Fort Snelling and 30th Avenue stations, with a combined capacity of 2,569 vehicles.[7] Major destinations along the corridor include downtown Minneapolis, Lake Street, Minnehaha Park, Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport, and the Mall of America. At the airport, the Blue Line provides free, 24/7 service between Lindbergh and Humphrey terminals. A night owl shuttle train, the Airport Shuttle, runs between terminals during times when no Blue Line service is scheduled.[8]

  1. ^ a b "Metro Transit ridership tops 85.8 million in 2015" (Press release). Metro Transit. January 22, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "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. ^ "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. ^ "Airport – Metro Transit". www.metrotransit.org. Metro Transit. Retrieved September 4, 2022.; "Airport Shuttle – Schedules". Metro Transit. August 20, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2022.