MSP Airport / Metropolitan Airports Commission

[DanPatchToget]

SouthWest Prime also serves MSP, but I’m not sure how much use it gets to/from there. It would be nice to have a connection on the west side of the airport, such as a hypothetical Red Line extension on 77 through Richfield with a shuttle bus or people mover to the terminals.

[twincitizen]

For being such a destination why does only the Blue line and route 54 serve the airport?

It would be nice to have a connection on the west side of the airport, such as a hypothetical Red Line extension on 77 through Richfield with a shuttle bus or people mover to the terminals.

Co-sign! This would be huge for getting people to the airport from Richfield's 66th Street corridor, who currently would have to get on (or stay on) the 515 as it turns south down Bloomington/American and transfer to the Blue Line at MOA for a ride back up to Terminal 1. Those trips take 12 minutes each for bus and rail, plus an average 6-minute wait for a train at MOA, pushing the total trip duration over 30 minutes to get from Cedar & 66th to Terminal 1 (LRT Station, not actual terminal). That's not great, considering it's only 2 miles as the crow flies.

Just spit-balling here, but my initial thought was to use those "Local Mile" driverless/AV minibuses. It's a near perfect use for that tool. By using the cargo road/underpass network around the runways, the actual distance driven would be about 3 miles from Cedar to Terminal 1. At 20mph average speed, that's 9 minutes from Cedar/66th. That's a world of difference from 30+ minutes when you're trying to catch a flight or get to work.

[DanPatchToget]

I've also thought about using those roads for a shuttle service. That would save a ton of money since very little new infrastructure would be needed, but there's the question of if the MAC and FAA would allow it whether it's autonomous vehicles or driven by a person. Many airports around the world use shuttle buses to transport passengers to/from planes, but those passengers already went through security. In this case it would be people who haven't gone through security. Another issue is where these shuttles would drop people off at Terminal 1. Looking at the airport roadways, it would be easy to route to the drop-off/pick-up area for Terminal 2, but Terminal 1 is less clear.

[RedDutch]

Don't you think they are limiting mass transit to the airport for a reason. They must make a mint on their massive parking ramps.

[DanPatchToget]

Well they allowed the Blue Line to be built with stations at both terminals, did that have any impact on parking revenue? Considering the additional parking ramps built it appears there wasn't an impact. Also as far as I'm aware the MAC has worked with Ramsey County on the Riverview Corridor project.

[Tcmetro]

The airport is realtively out of the way for most bus routes, and the various Blue Line stations and #54 stops provide good transfer opportunities to get to the airport.

The #84 used to serve the airport on the way to the Mall of America but was restructured to connect with the Blue Line and the #54 when those routes were opened/improved in 2004. The other route that went to the airport was the #7, which was the only way to get there from downtown Minneapolis before the Blue Line opened. MVTA had extensions of the 442 and 444 to the airport during rush hours, which were also replaced by the Blue Line.

Something that would be nice to see is improved transit to the airport for workers in the early morning. Many of the jobs there require employees to arrive at work between 2 and 5 am.

[Hero]

I'd like to see route 14 extended around the airport. Extend it down to 77th and take it under Cedar and up 34th. A quick glance at the parking lots around the delta building should give one an idea of how many people work out there without a bus connection.

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.8668114 ... 3?hl=en-GB

Continue on to terminal 2 then to terminal 1 which would make a nice layover spot.

[DanPatchToget]

Delta already provides shuttle bus service for employees at those parking lots.

[J. Mc]

(MSP worker here, longtime reader, figured I'd join and throw a comment in.)

The ground transportation center in the Silver Ramp is well used.
- Many travelers and airport workers use the route 54, and some riders connect between the WB 54 and Blue Line. In the last year I've also noticed more folks coming from T1 boarding the 54 WB at MSP to Bloomington/MOA vs. taking the Blue Line. I do this myself if I'm headed that way as the 54 is a bit faster.
- SW Prime makes fairly regular appearances dropping of or picking up with their assorted vans and minibuses. I have also observed a few SW MCI coaches.
- Regional intercity scheduled services from Jefferson Lines (Minneapolis - KCMO), Land to Air (Mankato region) and Northfield Lines (Northfield) serve it daily.
- Landline runs multiple trips daily with their motorcoaches to Duluth (UMD/Miller Hill Mall/Airport) and St. Cloud.

Private off-site parking operators do all their T1 pickups out of the Silver Ramp. These seem to be heavily used as well. It's not unusual to see little lineups waiting for each of the different lot shuttles during busy periods. The MSP quick-ride ramp off Northwest Dr. is still closed so I'd assume the main parking ramps at each terminal still have extra capacity. The red quick-ride ramp shuttle vans are still operated, but are now used as an accessible link between the Silver Ramp transportation center and the T2 ground transport center.

I would argue more for 24 hour service on the 54 vs. adding earlier and later service. Currently there's just a gap from roughly 12:20a - 3:00a between WB buses leaving SPUD and serving MSP, and 12:15a-3:50a between EB buses leaving MOA and serving MSP, 7 days a week. Prior to C-19 there were buses going EB as late as 1am.

Delta does not currently contract with First to operate their parking lot and airport campus shuttles. Shuttle services were dropped at some point in mid-2020. Currently the lots off Airport Lane are vacant and blocked off. Delta staff park in the upper levels of Silver Ramp instead. The Delta bus fleet was still mothballed behind one of their buildings along 34th last I saw, so perhaps they are planning to reinstate it at some point in the future. Additionally Skyhop shuttle vans ferry the flight crews around.

Silver Ramp does have a secure bike pen and open bike racks. However I have not seen more than a bicycle or two locked up there at any one time.

[commissioner]

Any idea of what's going to happen with the old building across 5 from the Delta hangars? It's been empty for a while. Same with the abandoned Speedway? That would make a great viewing area when planes are coming in over the river.

[Hero]

I have a friend who works for Delta and he confirms the shuttle is not running. Since Metro transit almost built a light rail stop by Delta why wouldn't there be enough demand for a bus stop? I could see the 14, 515 or 540 ending at Terminal 1 not everything has to go to MOA.

[MNdible]

Did the MAC acquire the old Speedway? I guess I didn't realize that it had closed.

[commissioner]

Did the MAC acquire the old Speedway? I guess I didn't realize that it had closed.

IIRC, MAC owns the land, the Speedway closed not too long after the Holiday on 34th opened.

[MNdible]

Interesting. Google Streetview shows the Speedway being open as recently as summer of 2019, and the Holiday open as early as September of 2014, so a fair amount of overlap.

[seanrichardryan]

That SA was historic

[commissioner]

Interesting. Google Streetview shows the Speedway being open as recently as summer of 2019, and the Holiday open as early as September of 2014, so a fair amount of overlap.

My bad, I didn't think the Holiday was open that long.

[mamundsen]

MSP (and other airports) will receive federal money for upgrades.

https://m.startribune.com./four-minneso ... lmob=y&c=n

At MSP, the funding will support several projects in Terminal 1, including the replacement of six passenger boarding bridges with modifications for ramp or walkway improvements to enhance passenger accessibility.

The money also will help pay for the first phase to replace the main terminal's iconic folded plate roof and the replacement of an electrical substation serving the baggage system, checkpoints and airport police operations, according to Jeff Lea, spokesman for the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC).

It really caught my eye because Rep Betty McCollum said it was receiving 21.6 Billion!?! Whoops!

[DanPatchToget]

Sun Country is launching Eau Claire to MSP and a couple sunny destinations in December.

https://www.fox9.com/news/sun-country-a ... dF6yqz9Xco

[Trademark]

Sun Country is launching Eau Claire to MSP and a couple sunny destinations in December.

https://www.fox9.com/news/sun-country-a ... dF6yqz9Xco

And yet amtrak has money to put Eau Claire to MSP from the infrastructure budget. And it's not happening.

[nBode]

How does that flight make any sense?... By the time you board the plane you'd have already been in Minneapolis had you driven. (to say nothing of what a real train could do)