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Twin Cities transit and expected costs


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#1 KevinKorell

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Posted 16 June 2015 - 09:55 AM

First, let's give a background of the transit system around Minneapolis and St. Paul.  The main transit agency is known as Metro Transit.  You may also see the name Metropolitan Council; think of this as a parent or oversight agency. Metro Transit is one operating division of the Metropolitan Council.

 

Metro Transit operates a huge system of buses in both cities and their suburbs. There are also other private companies that operate some routes; these are integrated into the route designation system.  Within Metro Transit there is a subsystem known simply as Metro.  Metro is a collection of light rail and bus rapid transit lines that operate on a frequent basis.  The original Metro route was known as the Hiawatha Light Rail. It runs between downtown and the Mall of America in Bloomington, with the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport a major stop en route.  The second light rail route opened last year between downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul. With the advent of multiple routes the lines were color-coded, with the Hiawatha Line becoming the Blue Line, and the line between the two downtowns designated the Green Line.  

 

There are three corridors under Metro that are bus rapid transit.  The first one is the Red Line, which runs south from Mall of America as essentially an extension of the Blue Line. Another bus rapid transit line, which will operate along I-35W, will be known as the Orange Line. And recently designated is a third bus rapid transit corridor that will run to the east of St. Paul, known as the Gold Line, a rubber tired extension beyond St. Paul Union Depot of the Green Line.

 

The two light rail routes run interlined through downtown Minneapolis, splitting and joining near the Downtown East station.  They run as far west as Target Field Station.  Future extensions will take the Blue Line northwest from there, and the Green Line will turn to the southwest.

 

Also under Metro Transit is a commuter rail line known as Northstar.  Norrthstar runs basically to the northwest of the city, as far as Big Lake. Its only station downtown is at Target Field, where one can transfer to or from the light rail lines.

 

Soon will come an explanation of the fares we can expect to pay during our visit.



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#2 BillMagee

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Posted 21 June 2015 - 10:01 AM

For those over 65 or otherwise on Medicare, MSP Metro Transit offers a reduced fare "Go-To" smart card.  The reduced fare card allows light rail rides for $0.75 (2.5 hour validity per ride), and weekend reduced fare rides on Northstar ($1.75 each way between Target and Big Lake).  A reduced fare card can be obtained for $10, which will then load with $11 for rides - a 10% bonus.  For those eligible for reduced fare rides, the $11 load should be more than enough to fund all the planned Fest trips with funds left for other rides (maybe a Sunday ride to the airport?  :P ).

 

While a regular Go-To card can be obtained day of travel on Saturday, the reduced fare Go-To card has to be obtained by mail.  The Metro Transit website has form for purchasing a Go-To card (copy attached). For the reduced card, a copy of state-issued ID showing birthdate must be enclosed.  I mailed my order in on Friday.  Since we are now less than four weeks from our Twin Cities visit, time is starting to run out for ensuring delivery of a card ordered by mail.

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#3 jebr

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Posted 21 June 2015 - 01:50 PM

I do not think getting a Go-To card would be necessary unless you are expecting to do a lot of riding on Friday night or Sunday morning. The senior fares are available to be purchased from the fare machine itself, and one can buy a roundtrip fare on the Northstar that includes transfers to/from light rail and buses for the day you purchase the round-trip ticket. The cost would be two times the one-way fare for the fare class you select, and expires midnight on the day of purchase.



#4 KevinKorell

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Posted 21 June 2015 - 02:04 PM

Hold your horses everyone! Transit fares in Minneapolis/St. Paul  is one of today's projects, and I'll be posting it later today or tonight in this space.



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#5 BillMagee

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Posted 21 June 2015 - 02:13 PM

I do not think getting a Go-To card would be necessary unless you are expecting to do a lot of riding on Friday night or Sunday morning. The senior fares are available to be purchased from the fare machine itself, and one can buy a roundtrip fare on the Northstar that includes transfers to/from light rail and buses for the day you purchase the round-trip ticket. The cost would be two times the one-way fare for the fare class you select, and expires midnight on the day of purchase.

Thanks for the tip. It initially appeared that use of machine-purchased senior fares required a special MN drivers license with a "T" endorsement. I now see that anyone with a Medicare card can use that plus a state-issued ID for proof of age (which I presumes means any state, not just MN). However, it will be nice to have a card that will allow me to ride pretty much as needed all weekend without having to buy a separate fares.

 

Now, I'll "hold my horses" for Kevin's post.  :)



#6 KevinKorell

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Posted 21 June 2015 - 03:46 PM

Metro Transit light rail & bus

 

 

Metro Transit has a diverse fare structure, but for transit (bus and light rail) it does not contain zone charges.  The only light rail surcharge is for riding during weekday rush hours, which we won't be doing given our weekend visit.  Express buses also have a surcharge, but we won't be riding them either.

 

The base fare for any light rail or bus ride is $1.75 . That $1.75 not only gets you one ride, but multiple free transfers are also included in that fare if the entire trip over however many vehicles will be completed within 2-1/2 hours.  Thus the fare from St. Paul to Mall of America, which requires a transfer from the Green Line to the Blue Line at Downtown East, would still cost $1.75. If you want to ride from your hotel to St. Paul Union Depot (normally a 50-cent ride), this would be included in the same $1.75 fare to Mall of America as long as the entire riding is done within 2-1/2 hours.  The ticket you purchased in St. Paul can be shown as proof of payment as long as we complete the entire journey within 2-1/2 hours.  Our scheduled trips should take less than 1-1/2 hours total, so even if we miss the connection and take the next scheduled Blue Line train, we will still make it. 

 

During the non-rush hour periods, a reduced fare is available for seniors (ages 65 & over), children (ages 6-12), persons with disabilities, and Medicare card holders, for 75 cents.  This fare, like the regular adult fare, allows for one free transfer.

 

Non-payment of fares can result in a $180 fine.

 

Both cities have a Downtown Zone, where the fare on any light rail or bus route is 50 cents. One must not leave the either downtown zone if they purchased this fare, as they will be fined $180 just as anyone who hasn't paid a fare at all. For example, if we end up having dinner in downtown Minneapolis, we would be eligible for this fare between Target Field and wherever we get off, such as Nicollet Mall.  If on Friday night or Sunday morning you choose to ride light rail between Union Depot and a station closer to your hotel, it would be within St. Paul's Downtown Zone for 50 cents fare.

 

There is a Day Pass available for $6.00 .  This eliminates the needs for transfers nor worry about going beyond the Downtown Zones.  The Day Pass is NOT accepted for payment of fares on Northstar.  Day Passes allow unlimited rides for 24 hours from purchase, so please do not purchase them from a machine until the day of travel.

 

Metro Transit's smart card is known as the Go-To Card.  This is simply a stored value card that you can use if you will be paying your fares separately.  (The Day Pass is a separate instrument not loadable on the Go-To Card.).  It is available online for free, but you must designate a certain stored value. You can put a minimum of $5 on the card. The next tier is $10. Anything from $10 and higher gets a 10% bonus, so a $10 card will be worth $11.  For our purposes, this probably is as high a value as one might need (unless as Bill says, you will be taking additional trips on Friday night or Sunday morning).

 

Coming up next, Northstar.


Edited by KevinKorell, 21 June 2015 - 06:07 PM.
Corrected information about multiple transfers allowed on $1.75 fare


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#7 KevinKorell

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Posted 21 June 2015 - 06:04 PM

Metro Transit Northstar commuter rail

 

Northstar fares between downtown Minneapolis (Target Field Station) and outlying stations are distance-based and whether one is riding during the rush hour.  Adult one-way fares range from $3 to $6 at rush hours, and all other times including our Saturday excursion, they run from $2.50 to $5.25 one way.  Our trip will of course take us to the end of the line at Big Lake, so we will pay $5.25 each way, or a total of $10.50 for the round trip.  Insignificant to us, trips between intermediate stations are $3 rush hours, $2.50 non rush hours.

 

Like the transit side of the agency, discounted fares are offered for Seniors (ages 65 & over), Children (ages 6-12), those with disabilities, and Medicare card holders. One who qualifies for this can ride Northstar on a one-way trip between Target Field Station and Big Lake for $1.75 , or a total of $3.50 for the round trip.

 

The $6 unlimited Day Pass for light rail & bus rides is not eligible for use on Northstar.

 

If you have the Go-To Card, it can be used for payment on Northstar provided it has the above value available on it. At Target Field Station there are Go-To Card readers with specific destinations on them. Using the one marked "Big Lake", the card should be read on that machine, and the value of the one way trip will be deducted.  The card will need to be touched to another reader at Big Lake for the return trip.

 

I have created a chart for our needs with the itinerary, breaking down the fares.  This assumes we are having dinner in downtown Minneapolis. If we do travel to the Westbank or Eastbank stations, then the 50 cent Downtown zone fare would not apply but rather $1.75 adult or $0.75 discount fares.  As you can see, individual fares come out to be less (by 25 cents) than with the Day Pass with the 50-cent downtown fare. However if we pay to go to Westbank or Eastbank, then the individual fares will exceed what we will pay with the Day Pass.



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#8 KevinKorell

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Posted 21 June 2015 - 06:20 PM

A few more things:

 

The Go-To card is available by mail for only the fixed values specified -- either $5 for $5 value, or $10 for $11 value.   The Day Pass is also sold online for its face value of $6, however I am not certain on how the day of its validity is coded onto the card -- it may just get activated by the first use.

 

You can purchase either the Go-To Card or Day Pass fare instruments at Metro Transit's online store  here.  If you choose to do this, please allow enough time between now and your trip departure date for the item to be delivered to you.  Remember, we should all be able to purchase the needed fare media in person from the light rail and commuter rail vending machines,  Buying the card early subjects you to possibilities of forgetting to bring it, inadvertently invalidating it with contact with a magnetic object, or theft.

 

Jeb mentioned above about Northstar tickets being valid for rides on light rail.  Since we are riding light rail all day, I am doubtful that buying Northstar fares will allow us to travel all day on the light rail.  And some of us won't be able to purchase those Northstar fares until we get to Target Field --- unless they are available from any light rail machine anywhere, including St. Paul or Mall of America.  So I would think that purchasing a Day Pass makes the trips to and from Northstar on the light rail a moot point.  One would expect that only trips to and from Target Field would be eligible for this anyhow.  Not at all doubting Jeb, but we cannot find anything on the site to back this fact up. If it is possible, and you are paying by trip rather than by Day Pass this might save a little money as well.  We need some clarification on these points, if anyone wishes to call Metro Transit.



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#9 pennyk

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Posted 21 June 2015 - 06:21 PM

It should be noted that there is a Northstar Roundtrip Family Pass, which, for our destinations, would cost $20.00.  The pass would cover 2 adults and up to 3 children under 17 or seniors over 65.  The phone representative with whom I spoke a couple of months ago stated that IDs may be checked on board to assure that family pass passengers are related.



#10 KevinKorell

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Posted 21 June 2015 - 06:34 PM

I didn't mention the Family Pass, because Metro Transit's website states that this ticket is not sold at Target Field Station, where we are originating from, only from the outlying Northstar stations. It's intended for said family from the suburbs to spend the day in the city and return, whereas our "family" is doing the opposite - riding outbound first and then inbound.

 

 

Purchase your pass at ticket machines at any suburban Northstar station (not available at Target Field Station) during hours of train service.

It would have provided us with more savings, but alas for some reason they don't want to offer it in our directions of travel.



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