Twin Cities Metro ridership up 2.3 percent

Customers boarded Minneapolis Metropolitan Area Transit Authority buses and trains more than 78 million times last year, a 2.3 percent increase over 2009. The year 2010 marks only the fourth time in past 30 years that Metro Transit’s annual ridership has exceeded 78 million. “With signs that the economy is slowly improving, we have a positive outlook for ridership to continue to grow in 2011,” said Metro Transit General Manager Brian Lamb. Customers used Hiawatha light-rail trains 10.5 million times in 2010, a six percent increase and the highest annual ridership in the line’s six-year history. Ridership on core urban routes – the heart of the Metro Transit system -- increased .7 percent to 65.6 million. Ridership on the new Northstar commuter rail line closed its first year at 710,400 rides, nearly 21 percent below expectations. The rush-hour only service intended for workers was hampered by the weak economy and a seven percent unemployment rate with fewer people headed to jobs in downtown Minneapolis. Lamb said average weekday rides last month on Northstar were 2.5 percent higher than December 2009, a trend that continues in early January with average weekday rides up more than 14 percent. “While Northstar ridership last year did not match expectations, service quality was high with a 95.6 percent on-time performance,” he said. “Best of all, 2010 Northstar operations finished within budget despite low ridership.”