Metro Transit's decision to use light rail service for Super Bowl ticket holders rankles some who will be forced to take the bus
Metro Transit, the regional transit agency in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, is offering express light rail service to ticket holders on Super Bowl Sunday. Ticket holders who buy a $30 "game day" pass will get a nonstop ride from a security screening area directly to U.S. Bank Stadium for the game. Both light rail lines, the Blue Line and Green Line, will offer this service.
Members of the general public looking to ride the Blue Line and Green Line will be offered substitute bus service. This doesn't sit well with some riders and transit advocates in the Twin Cities. Saint Paul resident Nate Hood was quoted in the article:
“It’s creating two tiers of people: Those who can afford expensive Super Bowl tickets, and those who cannot,” said Nate Hood, a Saint Paul resident and Metro Transit user.
The primary rationale for the altered service seems to be that both light rail lines pass within the security perimeter around U.S. Bank Stadium. A similar situation occurred during the 2016 Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California, but the SCVTA was able to maintain regular train service during that time as well.
FULL STORY: General Public Won’t Be Allowed to Ride Parts of Light Rail System on Super Bowl Sunday
Two Years In, a Look at the Twin Cities Fare Discount Program
In 2017, Metro Transit in the Twin Cities raised fares but also started a program for low-income riders to help ease the burden of travel costs.
2017 Twin Cities Rail Ridership Up
Light rail ridership increased in 2017 in Minneapolis and St. Paul, despite a decline in bus ridership.
Super Bowl Will Highlight Stadium's Surrounding Urban Development
Urbanists and planners might consider looking at the development outside U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Super Bowl Sunday. Gone are the vast parking lots surrounding the Metrodome, replaced with mixed use and a popular park, the Commons.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Baltimore Ordered to Improve Sidewalk Accessibility
The city is one of many to face lawsuits for failing to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
This Toronto Suburb Has More Bus Riders Than Columbus, Ohio
Brampton, Ontario used gradual improvements in service to prove that if you build it, they will ride.
Paris Bike Boom Leads to Steep Drop in Air Pollution
The French city’s air quality has improved dramatically in the past 20 years, coinciding with a growth in cycling.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
City of Santa Clarita
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service