21 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

Letter to editor, Monticello Times , 1/29/21:

 

   Why is the Northstar still running?    

 

I first raised the question in April of 2020, why with everything locked down because of Covid, is the Northstar line still running with little if any ridership.

 

 

Letter

[KevinKorell]

Minneapolis, MN Star-Tribune, 3/26/21:

 

 

    Talks surface again about shuttering Minnesota's Northstar rail line  

 

 

Earlier this month, fewer than 120 passengers per weekday climbed aboard the Northstar Commuter Rail line — a stark example of how the COVID-19 pandemic has savaged public transportation ridership.

 

Full story

[KevinKorell]

Minneapolis, MN Star-Tribune, 4/5/21:

 

 

   Metro Transit increases passenger limits on buses and trains  

 

 

Metro Transit began allowing more passengers on its buses and light-rail trains Monday, as statewide pandemic restrictions start to lift.

 

Story

[KevinKorell]

Minneapolis, MN Star-Tribune, 5/8/21:

 

 

   Metro Transit prepares for commuters to return  

 

 

It may have been rush hour aboard the Green Line one morning last week, but the sparse number of passengers suggested otherwise. A few solitary riders — some masked, others not — stuck to the train's distant corners, studiously avoiding one another.

 

Read

[KevinKorell]

KMSP-TV, Fox-9 in Minneapolis, MN, 5/10/21:

 

 

   Lawmakers debate Northstar's future after 96% ridership plunge  

 

 

Minnesota lawmakers are debating whether to mothball the Northstar Line commuter rail or heavily subsidize it in the hopes that its customer base rebounds after the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Full story

[KevinKorell]

KSTP-TV, 5-ABC in Minneapolis, MN, 5/24/21:

 

 

     Metro Transit: Capacity limits on buses, light rail end Friday  

 

 

Metro Transit reported Monday that capacity limits on buses and light rail trains will end Friday.

 

This is where that story is.

[KevinKorell]

Bring Me The News, 6/15/21:

 

 

     'The picture has not been good': Pandemic still significantly impacting Metro Transit ridership  

 

 

Ridership on Metro Transit is down more than 50% in the first part of this year compared to 2020, but it is slowly rebounding. 

 

Story

[KevinKorell]

Mass Transit magazine, 8/11/21:

 

 

    Metro Transit to temporarily cut fares to a buck a ride this fall  

 

 

In an effort to lure back passengers who strayed from public transportation during the COVID-19 outbreak, Metro Transit plans to cut most fares on buses and trains to $1 per trip in September and October.

 

Details

[KevinKorell]

Elk River, MN Star-News, 10/21/21:
 

    Northstar’s future questioned  

 
 
 
After hearing a grim report on Northstar Commuter Rail ridership numbers Tuesday, some Sherburne County commissioners agreed more discussion is in order regarding its viability.

 
Story here.
 
Cross-posted in Commuter Rail and Coronavirus/Metro Transit forums.

[KevinKorell]

KSTP-TV, 5-ABC in Minneapolis, MN, 10/22/21:
 

 

   Metro Transit adjusts light rail schedules starting Saturday   

This weekend, there's a change for Metro Transit light rail riders.

 

Read