METRO (Minnesota)

METRO
Light-rail and bus rapid transit vehicles with the METRO branding logo plastered on
Background
Owner	Metropolitan Council
Locale	Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area & surrounding suburbs
Operation
Began operation	May 18, 2013[1]
Operator(s)	Metro Transit Minnesota Valley Transit Authority

METRO is the branding being applied to a system of existing and emerging light rail and bus rapid transit lines in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-Saint Paul. Four color-coded lines are currently being contemplated: Blue, Green, Red, and Orange, presenting six separate projects in a more simplified manner. The system was approved by the Metropolitan Council in July 2011, but only one service, the Blue Line, was operating at the time.^[1] The branding is expected to be pushed to a greater extent as the Red Line begins regular operations. The first portion of the Green Line is also currently under construction, and stations nearing completion as of 2012 have already had Green Line signage installed.

System Routes

Each route is designated with a line color, to better help passengers to identify with each route's locale.^[1] Metro Transit already operates the Blue Line and will run the Green Line, while the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) will operate the Red and Orange Lines.

METRO Blue Line

The █ Blue Line (formerly known as the Hiawatha Line light-rail service, which opened in 2004) runs from Minneapolis and some of the city's southern suburbs to the Mall of America in Bloomington. The Blue Line is expected to be extended northwest along the Bottineau Transitway to Brooklyn Park when that line opens in the late 2010s. During the Spring of 2013, the new light-rail cars with the METRO name branding were seen in operation with the Blue Line name on it.

METRO Green Line

The █ Green Line is an under-construction light-rail line between the region's two core cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The route is expected to begin service in 2014, and is planned to be extended southwest from Minneapolis to Eden Prairie as part of the Southwest Transitway project around 2018.

METRO Red Line

The █ Red Line along Cedar Avenue in Dakota County and southern Hennepin County, extends from the Blue Line's southern terminus at the Mall of America in Bloomington further south into Eagan and Apple Valley, with plans to later extend into Lakeville. The Red Line began station-to-station service on June 22, 2013.^[2]

METRO Orange Line

The █ Orange Line runs within Interstate 35W from Minneapolis south into Richfield, Bloomington, and Burnsville, with plans to later extend into Lakeville. The Red Line parallels the Orange Line approximately 3 miles to the west.

References