Overall transit riders took fewer trips on Metro Transit in 2019, but there is plenty of blame to go around.

Metro Transit, which operates buses and light rail in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region, released its report on March 5. Regional ridership, which also includes buses, fell 2.7 percent as officials looked to bad weather, construction, low interest rates on new cars and ride sharing as possible culprits behind the drop.

However, the Green Line, an 11-mile light rail system that runs between the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, saw a 3 percent increase in 2019 compared to 2018 (more than 14.2 million rides). Maple Grove Transit, Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, Plymouth Metrolink and SouthWest Transit had about 5 million rides in 2019, a slight decrease from 2018.

Construction in downtown Minneapolis could have been a major deterrent over the last year, as it created delays and detours for many of the busiest transit lines.

For the latest news, go to http://www.rtands.com.

More on light rail.

The post Minnesota’s Metro Transit suffers decline in ridership in 2019 appeared first on Railway Track and Structures.