urbanMSP

Carlin was more than a mere comedian

I'm betting the Green Line opens 5 weeks prior to July 1...

"The Green Line also stands to receive up to $1.3 million in additional funding for opening early. According to the grant agreement, the line will receive $268,000 per week of revenue service before July 1, for a maximum of five weeks."

http://finance-commerce.com/transit/201 ... in-grants/

Is there a reason why they don't tie it to the Twins home opener in April?

To be fashionably late.

Is there a reason why they don't tie it to the Twins home opener in April?

I think many people here are guessing that it will open with the quarterly bus schedule change that coincides with the end of U of M classes. Since so many routes are changing to better connect with the Green Line, this is a logical time to do it. I assume that it would be pretty complicated to change when the bus changes occur, with bus driver contracts, route assignments, and other logistical reasons. It is also possible that they want the summer to work out any kinks before the additional influx of student riders in the fall.

A few early season Twins games will work fine with the existing transit service.

lets hope they work out the kinks before the allstar game...

Did anyone catch KARE 11's 6pm report on the Green Line? They showed shrink-wrapped LRT cars after delivery with the famous "DO NOT HUMP" warning. They actually blurred out "HUMP." Hilarious!

Maybe you can catch it at 10pm tonight.

PC channel 11 hahahaha do they blur out road signs that say road humps ahead?

Still no official launch date announced, but it looks like it will be in June, as expected. A Transportation Committee report about contracted bus service says:
"That the Metropolitan Council authorize the Regional Administrator to execute a five-year
contract with First Transit, Inc. to provide regular route local transit service in the western
and central portions of the metro area, from the June 2014 pick date (METRO Green Line
launch date) through May 31, 2019..."

http://metrocouncil.org/Council-Meeting ... 014_3.aspx

It seems as though it will not be concurrent with the opening of the Interchange project in May.

Ugh, that's still so far out, it seems soooo ready, and I'm so ready to go to St. Paul all the time!!! *Impatient!!!

Ugh, that's still so far out, it seems soooo ready, and I'm so ready to go to St. Paul all the time!!! *Impatient!!!

Hard to believe, I know, but there's several 50 buses each hour, even more 16s and, if you're in a rush, a couple 94s that you can hop on right now. The 16 and the 50 interface nicely with the Blue Line and with downtown, run the same route as the Green Line, and don't cost anymore. Most amazing part? They're available right now. St. Paul is keeping normal (admittedly, short) hours between now and the opening too.

This week the Met Council will announce when the Green Line will open.

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_ ... sformation

This week the Met Council will announce when the Green Line will open.

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_ ... sformation

Repulsive comments on that article...

I didn't notice this before, but the route 83 bus proposal was modified in November to serve Har Mar.

http://www.metrotransit.org/Data/Sites/ ... /083.3.pdf

The extra coverage is nice, but it seems silly for it to get so close to Rosedale Transit Center without actually serving it, or even quite getting to Snelling. Would extending it farther require another bus to operate it?

Does anybody have a good explanation as to why they're stopping the 16 at Oak Street, short of downtown Minneapolis? It seems like the new 16 will be primarily serving limited mobility individuals (as anybody who's got two good go-sticks will walk the couple extra blocks to get on the train). So now you're forcing these limited mobility individuals to make a transfer, all to avoid having the bus go into the highest transit market in the state. What gives?

Other buses (the 2 and the 3) have local service on the portion of route 16 that is being cut. The money it would take to run the 16 all the way downtown can be used to improve connecting buses. It isn't ideal, but they must have decided it is worth the tradeoff.

From most points on University Ave it'd probably be quicker to take the 16 to the nearest Green Line stop and continue downtown than it would be to take a bus all the way downtown.

I think that the other idea is that the majority of the mobility-impaired people live on the eastern end of University. And it's expensive to run buses through Downtown Minneapolis, would likely require the addition of another bus to the line.

I wonder if the 16 will actually be able to attract a decent ridership, or will it have to be reduced in frequency more. I would like to see the 16 moved to 5th and 6th in Saint Paul, especially considering it will be rerouted to Marion St.

I could be wrong, but I'd wager that the train will be at its fullest between the University and Downtown Minneapolis, so it seems like that's the last place you'd want to be forcing people to transfer onto already full trains.