Customers boarded Minneapolis Metro Transit buses and trains nearly 81.4 million times in 2013, an increase of more than 300,000 rides (0.4%) over 2012. The Northstar Commuter Rail line had a particularly strong year, with ridership up more than 12%.
“Only twice in 32 years has Metro Transit ridership reached this level,” said GM Brian Lamb. “We thank our customers — both long-time and new — for this fourth consecutive year of growth. In 2013, we provided five million more rides than just four years ago.”
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Buses
Customers boarded buses operated by Metro Transit 70.4 million times in 2013. Ridership on urban local routes – the heart of the agency’s all-day service — increased 565,266 rides to 59.3 million. Customers boarded freeway-oriented express buses 9.5 million times and suburban crosstown routes 1.6 million times.
Rail
Ridership on the METRO Blue Line dropped 3.2% to 10.2 million. Planned service interruptions for construction and maintenance projects dampened weekend ridership. Projects included the first-ever smoothing of all miles of track, completion of the junction with the METRO Green Line and accommodating a major rebuilding of the roadway interchange at 34th Avenue and I-494 in Bloomington. Average weekday ridership on the region’s first light-rail line continues to exceed projections for the year 2020 by more than 25%.
“We know that many weekends of construction and maintenance on the METRO system wore on our customers last year,” said Lamb. “This year, we intend to repay that patience with the results — improved reliability and comfort on the Blue Line and the opening of the METRO Green Line.”
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Meanwhile, customers boarded Northstar trains 787,239 times in 2013, the highest number in the line’s four-year history. This overall 12.4% increase is attributable to a fare reduction made permanent in April and the addition of a station in Ramsey in November 2012. Average weekday ridership — the line’s primary commuter market — increased 17%.
“Although trains served more special events than ever before, new weekday commuters drove the strong gains in Northstar ridership,” said Lamb. “The line’s weather-proof reliability, comfortable ride and new onboard Wi-Fi service offer an increasingly attractive package for work travelers.”
The beginning of the final BRT segment advances construction across all five segments, reflecting steady progress toward shorter travel times, improved accessibility, and a more dependable connection to jobs, businesses, and community destinations.
The visit is part of the SF Fed's ongoing engagement with major employers and industries across Southern California and, more broadly, the western U.S. to better understand regional economic conditions and business outlooks.
Advances in data and analytics are giving transit agencies new opportunities to refine maintenance practices, improve efficiency and make more informed decisions about asset performance.
Today’s riders—and the communities you serve—expect more from public transit. While ADA compliance is required, leading transit agencies know that true accessibility also means delivering dignity, efficiency, and a better rider experience. This whitepaper reveals why forward thinking agencies nationwide choose the Low Floor Frontrunner as their first choice for ADA compliant vehicles—setting a new standard with passenger first design, faster boarding, improved safety, and unmatched operational performance.
In Part 2 of a two-part conversation, AC Transit’s director of maintenance joins co-hosts Alex Roman and Mark Hollenbeck to discuss his maintenance team’s work with various types of vehicle, training, augmented reality, and more.
Under this extension, Keolis will continue to manage and operate fixed-route bus service across the East Valley, serving communities including Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, the town of Gilbert, parts of Phoenix, and the Gila River Indian Community.
The new network reflects extensive input from riders and the community through Reimagine DART on what matters most in public transit — and those priorities are reflected in the changes ahead.
While recognizing regional economic constraints and continuing to improve service, the budget increases the jurisdictional subsidy to less than 1.8%, significantly below the inflation rate and the 3% regional target, said agency officials.
