Hiawatha Light Rail Transit

Background
The Hiawatha Line is a 12-mile light rail line running south from downtown Minneapolis to the airport and the Mall of America.

Project Completion
Completed in June 2004!

Project Updates/News
Updates (information from the Metropolitan Council)
Ridership. The Hiawatha line provided 9.4 million rides in 2006, an average of 28,146 per weekday and an increase of 20 percent over 2005. Ridership on the line already has exceeded the pre-construction estimate for the year 2020. See details.

Customer Satisfaction. A recent survey of Metro Transit customers leaves no doubt that were it not for buses and light rail, many more people would be driving solo on the region's roads and highways. Three out of five train riders and two of five bus riders said they would've driven by themselves if transit were not available. See details.

Development. The Hiawatha line has proven to be a powerful catalyst for development in a corridor that once had large tracts of vacant and underutilized land. Since 2000, more than 5,400 new housing units have been built along the line, with another 7,000 units on the drawing boards. See details.

News

• New Light Rail Cars Shorten Waiting Time. Metro Transit added light rail cars to the Hiawatha light rail transit line. The added cars mean passengers will only have to wait six to nine minutes for arrivals. The added cars also translate to an additional 1,000 passenger capacity during rush hours.
• Cheap Parking for Trips to Airport. The city of Minneapolis is setting aside 300 parking spaces at Ramp C at 318 2nd Avenue North and the underground downtown east ramp at the Metrodome. Both ramps are near light rail stations with trains to MSP International’s Lindberg Terminal.

Events
Hiawatha schedule

Project resources
Metro Transit’s website

Metropolitan Council’s website