Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2009
HIAWATHA LIGHT-RAIL LINE CELEBRATES ITS FIVE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
MINNEAPOLIS – (June 26) – Metro Transit celebrated five years of successful operations on the Hiawatha light-rail line at a noontime event in downtown Minneapolis today.
Metropolitan Council Chair Peter Bell said that ridership has outpaced expectations. “When we opened the line, we projected 24,400 rides each weekday in 2020. In 2008, average weekday ridership was 30,500, or 20 percent higher than the projections for 12 years from now. That number shows that residents of the region embrace public transportation and welcome additional options for affordable, convenient and environmentally friendly travel,” Bell said.
In addition to strong weekday ridership by commuters, 1.6 million rail tickets have been sold at the Humphrey and Lindbergh airport terminals and more than 2 million rides have been recorded for Minnesota Twins home games.
Bell also noted that the presence of light-rail service has spurred development, as 6,710 new housing units have been built along the line.
State Representative Alice Hausman, Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, and Bloomington Mayor Gene Winstead also spoke at the event, held at the Hiawatha Line’s Government Plaza Station, where anniversary cake was served to mark the milestone.
The Hiawatha light-rail line is operated by Metro Transit, a service of the Metropolitan Council. In 2008, the Hiawatha light-rail line surpassed 10 million rides for the first time.
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(Editors: For more information contact Bob Gibbons, director of customer services, at 612-349-7509 or robert.gibbons@metc.state.mn.us)
