MINNEAPOLIS — Metro Transit will end around-the-clock service on one light rail line, the agency announced Friday, after five years of 24-hour operation.
Beginning in August, the Green Line will shut down from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. on weekdays, while continuing 24-hour service on weekends, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. That will leave only LA Metro in Los Angeles as a U.S. light rail system offering 24-hour service.
In announcing the decision, Metro Transit General Manager Wes Kooistra cited a recent survey that found only 15 to 20 of 152 late-night riders were actually traveling to a destination. Many of the others were homeless seeking a place to spend the night or groups using the light rail system as a gathering place.
–This story was edited May 20 to reflect the correct time operations are shut down
But the 15-20 going someplace also means 15-20 who now might not make the opposite trip during “regular” hours, since they can’t go round trip.
The Star-Tribune says 2AM – 4AM. a total of 2 hours.
Are they really going to shut down for 14 hours, or is that a typographical error?