NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Hiawatha Line

The Hiawatha Line is a 12-mile (19-kilometer) light-rail corridor in Hennepin County, Minnesota that extends from downtown Minneapolis to the southern suburb of Bloomington, connecting to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the Mall of America, among other destinations. Groundbreaking for the line took place on January 17, 2001. Regular service began on a first phase of the line on June 26, 2004, with the second phase opening later that year on December 4. Each opening was accompanied with two days of free rides on the train and area buses. The line was tested for months before opening, with regular service simulated for about a month before each phase went online. It is operated by the Metro Transit division of the Metropolitan Council, which is also the largest operator of buses in the area. Image File history File links Logo for Metro Transit in Minneapolis-St. ... Nickname: City of Lakes Motto: En Avant (French: Lets go!) Location in Hennepin County and the state of Minnesota. ... Skytrain Bangkok. ... This article is about light rail systems in general. ... A mile is a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ... km redirects here. ... The dominant rail gauge in each country shown Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two parallel rails that make up a railway track. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, â€² â€“ a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, â€³ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ... Metro Transit logo Metro Transit is the transit division of the Metropolitan Council, a regional governmental agency in the Minneapolis-St. ... A mile is a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ... A kilometer (Commonwealth spelling: kilometre), symbol: km is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1,000 metres (from the Greek words Ï‡Î¯Î»Î¹Î± (khilia) = thousand and Î¼ÎÏ„ÏÎ¿ (metro) = count/measure). ... This article is about light rail systems in general. ... Hennepin County is a county located in the state of Minnesota, named in honor of the 17th-century French explorer Louis Hennepin. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Central business district. ... Nickname: City of Lakes Motto: En Avant (French: Lets go!) Location in Hennepin County and the state of Minnesota. ... location in Hennepin County, Minnesota Coordinates: Country United States State Minnesota County Hennepin Founded 1843 Incorporated 1858 Mayor Gene Winstead Area - City 99. ... Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, by far the largest and busiest airport in the state of Minnesota, straddles the southern border of the cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Groundbreaking is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. ... January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 188 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 4th redirects here. ... An articulated bus operated by the CTA in Chicago, Illinois, USA. A Go North East Bus parked in a lay-by in Tyne and Wear, England A bus is a large road vehicle intended to carry numerous persons in addition to the driver and sometimes a conductor. ... In engineering and manufacturing, quality control and quality engineering are involved in developing systems to ensure products or services are designed and produced to meet or exceed customer requirements. ... Metro Transit logo Metro Transit is the transit division of the Metropolitan Council, a regional governmental agency in the Minneapolis-St. ... The Metropolitan Council is the regional governmental agency (also known as a regional planning organization, see Metropolitan planning organization) in Minnesota serving the Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan area (see Minneapolis-St. ...

The Minneapolis-St. Paul area once had an extensive network of streetcars (operated for many years by Twin City Rapid Transit, a precursor of Metro Transit), but the tracks were removed and services were eliminated in the 1950s. The Hiawatha Line opened 50 years and one week after the last regular-service streetcars ran in the city. A map of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. ... a historic postcard showing electric trolley-powered streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, where Frank J. Sprague successfully demonstrated his new system on the hills in 1888 A streetcar is a railway vehicle designed to carry passengers on tracks, usually laid in city streets. ... The Twin City Rapid Transit Company (TCRT), also known as Twin City Lines (TCL), was a business that primarily operated streetcars, and buses in the area of Minneapolis-St. ... // Recovering from World War II and its aftermath, the economic miracle emerged in West Germany and Italy. ...

According to the most recent Metro Transit report, the Hiawatha Line carried 9.4 million passengers in 2006.^[1] For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Service

Hiawatha Light Rail staff, security, and volunteers produced a largely hitch-free opening day for the new rail system on June 26, 2004. Officials estimated 30,000 people boarded the electric-powered trains during the transit system's first day of service. Train rides were free. Each station featured live entertainment and food as a diversion for the long waits to board the trains.

Passengers who ride the rail system are ordinarily charged the same fare as they would pay for the local Metro Transit bus system, and they are able to use their bus transfer cards to switch between the two different modes of transportation without making another payment. A new payment system using smart cards (known as Go-To Cards) was initially expected to be introduced along with the rail line in June 2004, but software bugs have delayed introduction. As of September 2006, the bugs have been worked out and the Go-To Cards are now operational. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Smart card used for health insurance in France. ... The Go-To card is a contactless smart card meant to be used to pay fares for bus and light rail lines operated by Metro Transit and other transit agencies in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. ... Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. ... A computer bug is an error, flaw, mistake, failure, or fault in a computer program that prevents it from working as intended, or produces an incorrect result. ...

In basic service, trains operate every 10 minutes, though rush hour sees one train every 7½ minutes, and late-night operation once every half hour. The line shuts down for about four hours each night, except for a shuttle service between the two terminals at the MSP airport. Vehicles have a capacity of 66 seated passengers and 120 standing. Two vehicles may be linked together to double capacity in busier periods. If the need ever arises for three-unit trains, some stations are already designed with that capacity, and others were built to be easily expandable to handle the longer trainsets. Predicted daily ridership is 19,300 for 2005 and 24,600 for 2020. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2020 (MMXX) will be a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The line is named for Hiawatha Avenue, also known as Minnesota State Highway 55, which runs parallel to the train tracks for much of its distance. To integrate the train route with the rest of the area bus system, it was also given the name Route 55. In extremely heavy travel periods and when the rail line is out of service for any reason, buses use that route number. Before the second phase had been completed, a temporary bus line known as Route 155 provided a link to some destinations south of the Fort Snelling station. Minnesota State Highway 55 is a highway in Minnesota. ... Fort Snelling is a former military fortification located at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers in Hennepin County, Minnesota. ...

Significant amounts of effort has gone into creating artwork for the different rail stations. In the months after the line first started, a number of small audio and video playback devices were installed in the stations, to provide amusement and topics for discussion among travelers waiting for the train. The Bath, a painting by Mary Cassatt (1844-1926). ...

There are two stretches where tunnels are used on the line. A short tunnel parallel to Hiawatha Avenue travels under Minnehaha Parkway just north of the Minnehaha Park station. At the airport, twin tunnels (one each for the northbound and southbound trains) go underground for 1.7 miles (2.7 km) to reach the Lindbergh Terminal station, the only stop that is totally underground—70 feet (20 m) below the surface. Trains return to the surface as they near Humphrey Terminal. Some of the sections under the airport required the use of a tunnel boring machine. A disused railway tunnel now converted to pedestrian and bicycle use, near Houyet, Belgium A tunnel is an underground passage. ... A tunnel boring machine that was used at Yucca Mountain. ...

Current News on Hiawatha

The airport used to operate a bus shuttle between the two terminals, but the light-rail line has supplanted that service, it is free to ride between those two stops.

Due to airport construction, the Humphrey Terminal Station is currently closed until late 2007. This closure, which started on September 9, 2006, is due to the construction of a new parking garage. While this station is closed, the airport has resumed its bus shuttles between the two terminals.

In the upcoming months and years the Hiawatha Line will be extended by a few blocks to the new Downtown Minneapolis Station, at the current end of the line of the Hennepin Ave/Warehouse District Station to meet up with the future Northstar Commuter Line and will be built right next door to the new Minnesota Twins ballpark. Downtown Minneapolis Station is a station that will be build in the next coming months in the vacinity of Downtown Minneapolis in Minnesota near the Warehouse District Station. ... The Northstar Corridor is a proposed commuter rail line that will serve a region which runs to the northwest from Minneapolis, Minnesota toward St. ... Twins Ballpark refers to the proposed new stadium for the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ...

It is likely that express bus service will expand from Lakeville (Cedar Corridor Transitway Project-Bus Rapid Transit) and will make connections to Hiawatha trams at the Mall of America transit center and possibly the Cedar-Riverside station. The South Cedar Transitway (called Cedar Avenue Corridor in devolpment) is a 53 mile future busway planned by Bus Rapid Transit (MVTA) for Cedar Avenue (Minnesota State Highway 77/County Road 23) between Minneapolis/Bloomington and Lakeville. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

It is also likely that one station will also be added in Bloomington between the Humphrey Terminal station and American Boulevard.^[2]

Stops and Stations

Each of the 17 stations along the route are designed to have a unique architecture reflecting the neighborhood they stand in. This is not an entirely new idea for the region, as many of the higher-traffic bus stops around the city have distinct designs. Due to the unique makeup of Minneapolis's population, ticket-dispensing machines present instructions in four languages: English, Spanish, Somali, and Hmong. The 17 stations are listed below. Travel time is two to three minutes between each stop, not counting the airport between the both terminals. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... |familycolor=Hmong-Mien |states=Sichuan, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and USA. |speakers=over 4 million[1] |fam1=Hmong-Mien |iso2=hmn| |lc1=hmn|ld1=Hmong (generic)|ll1=none |lc2=mww|ld2=Hmong Daw (Laos, China)|ll2=none |lc3=hmv|ld3=Hmong Do (Vietnam)|ll3=none |lc4=hmf|ld4=Hmong Don (Vietnam...

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 291 Ã— 598 pixel Image in higher resolution (501 Ã— 1030 pixel, file size: 31 KB, MIME type: image/gif) Map of Hiawatha Line, Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 291 Ã— 598 pixel Image in higher resolution (501 Ã— 1030 pixel, file size: 31 KB, MIME type: image/gif) Map of Hiawatha Line, Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... Downtown Minneapolis Station is a station that will be build in the next coming months in the vacinity of Downtown Minneapolis in Minnesota near the Warehouse District Station. ... The Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue station is a light rail station on the Hiawatha Line in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... The Nicollet Mall station is a light rail station on the Hiawatha Line in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... The Government Plaza station is a light rail station on the Hiawatha Line in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... The Downtown East/Metrodome station is a light rail station on the Hiawatha Line in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... Cedar-Riverside is a light rail station on the Hiawatha Line in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... Franklin Avenue is a light rail station on the Hiawatha Line in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... Lake Street/Midtown is a light rail station on the Hiawatha Line in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... 38th Street is a light rail station on the Hiawatha Line in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... 46th Street is a light rail station on the Hiawatha Line in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... 50th Street/Minnehaha Park is a light rail station on the Hiawatha Line in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... VA Medical Center is a light rail station on the Hiawatha Line on Fort Snelling in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota. ... Fort Snelling is a light rail station on the Hiawatha Line on Fort Snelling in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota. ... The Airport - Lindbergh Terminal light rail station is on the Hiawatha Line in the Twin Cities region of the U.S. state of Minnesota. ... The Airport - Humphrey Terminal light rail station is on the Hiawatha Line in the Twin Cities region of U.S. state of Minnesota. ... The Bloomington Central light rail station is on the Hiawatha Line in the Twin Cities region of U.S. state of Minnesota. ... The 28th Avenue light rail station is on the Hiawatha Line in the Twin Cities region of U.S. state of Minnesota. ... The Mall of America light rail station is on the Hiawatha Line in the Twin Cities region of U.S. state of Minnesota. ...

Vehicles

The Hiawatha Line uses Flexity Swift trams manufactured by Bombardier, electrically powered by overhead lines. The system is designed to output 750 volts of direct current. Trains can reach speeds of 55 miles per hour, but the “general service speed” is about 40 mph or slower (especially in the congested downtown region). They are of a 70% low-floor design, meaning that 70 percent of the floor inside is within about 14 inches (36 cm) of the ground. This is the same height as the rail platforms, allowing stepless access for passengers dependent on wheelchairs or other mobility aids. The feature also makes it easier for passengers with bicycles or strollers to board the train. Each vehicle weighs about 107,000 pounds (48,500 kg) when empty. The Minneapolis installation is the first use of this model in the United States.^[3] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1528x1146, 445 KB) This image was copied from en. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1528x1146, 445 KB) This image was copied from en. ... Download high resolution version (850x554, 88 KB)Hiawatha Line light-rail vehicle #111 near Cedar/Riverside station. ... Download high resolution version (850x554, 88 KB)Hiawatha Line light-rail vehicle #111 near Cedar/Riverside station. ... A low-floor Flexity Swift tram in Cologne. ... logo Bombardier Inc. ... Lightning strikes during a night-time thunderstorm. ... The overhead lines of a Swiss Federal Railways track. ... Josephson junction array chip developed by NIST as a standard volt. ... Direct current (DC or continuous current) is the continuous flow of electricity through a conductor such as a wire from high to low potential. ... Speed is the rate of motion, or equivalently the rate of change of position, many times expressed as distance d moved per unit of time t. ... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ... Passenger door of a low-floor tram Passenger door of a non-low-floor tram In public transportation, low floor is a term describing vehicles such as busses, trolleybusses and trams whose passenger compartment has a floor which is considerably lower than that of traditional cars. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, â€³ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... A centimetre (American spelling centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of length that is equal to one hundredth of a metre, the current SI base unit of length. ... A wheelchair is a wheeled mobility device in which the user sits. ... â€œVeloâ€ redirects here. ... For transportation of a baby or toddler there are special vehicles, special car seats, and devices for carrying. ... The pound (abbreviations: lb or, sometimes in the United States, #) is a unit of mass in a number of different systems, including various systems of units of mass that formed part of English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The U.S. National Prototype Kilogram, which currently serves as the primary standard for measuring mass in the U.S. It was assigned to the United States in 1889 and is periodically recertified and traceable to the primary international standard, The Kilogram, held at the Bureau International des Poids et...

Light-rail vehicles for the Hiawatha Line have been rolling along the line for testing and training purposes since late 2003. Vehicles have a color scheme that is primarily a combination of black, yellow, and gray. Yellow is a notable color because it was commonly used on the previous streetcar systems in the area. Each vehicle has an A, B, and C section: The A and B sections are the large portions on each end, while the C section is a small portion that connects the two other pieces and has the vehicle's middle truck or bogie. Electricity is collected by a pantograph mounted on the B section. The first vehicle was delivered on March 19, 2003. 14 of 15 delivered vehicles were operational for the opening weekend. The initial order was eventually bumped up to a full 24 vehicles, which were operational by early 2005. An additional one to three vehicles will probably be ordered, using leftover funds from the construction budget and some money intended for a future upgrade that will extend the line a few city blocks and add several more vehicles. Training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relates to specific useful skills. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rather unusually, these Angels wear white hart (deer) badges, with the personal livery of King Richard II of England, who commissioned this, the Wilton diptych, about 1400 A livery is a uniform or other sign worn in a non-military context on a person or object (such as an airplane... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A yellow Tulip. ... Gray or grey is a color seen commonly in nature. ... A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. ... A pantograph is a device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. ... March 19 is the 78th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (79th in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The noses of these vehicles are built to a different design than is standard for the Flexity Swift, containing a small scoop-shaped area. This could assist somewhat in the removal of snow, but the anticipated snow-management method is merely to run trains on a frequent basis rather than actually using snow removal equipment (this was what the earlier streetcar system usually did to keep lines clear, though they also often featured small scrapers in front of the lead wheels). Animation of snowcover changing with the seasons Snow is precipitation in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. ...

Each vehicle has a number of cameras onboard, pointing both inward and outward, to monitor passenger activity and other areas of interest for security and safety. Train stations also have cameras. Video feeds and the position of each vehicle on the line are monitored in a control room at the system's maintenance facility, located between Cedar-Riverside and Franklin Avenue stations. Large format camera lens. ... This page covers security in the sense of protection from hostile action. ... Warning signs, such as this one, can improve safety awareness. ...

History of light rail in the area

Over the years since the last trolley ran in 1954, many people have pushed for the reintroduction of rail transport in the Twin Cities. The primary reason is that traffic congestion has grown considerably since the last trolley ran in 1954: a 2003 report by the Texas Transportation Institute indicated that the area was the 17th most congested area in the country, with the second fastest congestion growth. Congestion is also one of the most prominent complaints of area residents. The area's population is expected to grow by about one million residents by 2020, adding to the population of nearly three million as of the 2000 census. While the Hiawatha Line isn't expected to make a significant dent in the region overall, proponents hope that the line's popularity will ensure future expansion will happen (in the first full month of service, ridership exceeded projections by 99.8%, although transit officials were wary about drawing too many conclusions so early on in the line's life). Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 571 pixel Image in higher resolution (1762 Ã— 1258 pixel, file size: 945 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Location: Minneapolis, United States Date: June 26, 2004 Photographer: Randy C. Bunney QuetzalCoatlicue dance group celebrates the opening of the Hiawatha Line Rail... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 571 pixel Image in higher resolution (1762 Ã— 1258 pixel, file size: 945 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Location: Minneapolis, United States Date: June 26, 2004 Photographer: Randy C. Bunney QuetzalCoatlicue dance group celebrates the opening of the Hiawatha Line Rail... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) is a department at Texas A&M University that does research on transportation to increase the safety and efficiency of vehicles (as well as roads and rails, in the case of ground transport). ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

No new rail projects were able to get off the ground for many years until the 1990s when several factors combined to make the idea more palatable to area politicians. Governor Jesse Ventura heavily promoted the idea of rail transport, and significant amounts of money became available from the federal government. Previous governors had advocated light rail, but had not been able to get legislation passed. Governor Tim Pawlenty had campaigned on a promise to fight the expansion of light rail, but has altered his opinions since taking office. He also initially opposed the proposed Northstar Corridor commuter rail project, which would be a rail corridor north of Minneapolis, but changed his mind about that project in January 2004 when a scaled-back version was shown to have good potential. For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Jesse Ventura (born July 15, 1951, as James George Janos), also known as the body, The Star, The Mind, and Governor Body, is an American politician, former professional wrestler, Navy UDT veteran, actor, and former radio and television talk show host. ... Timothy James (Tim) Pawlenty (born November 27, 1960) is an American politician from the Republican Party. ... The Northstar Corridor is a proposed commuter rail line that will serve a region which runs to the northwest from Minneapolis, Minnesota toward St. ... A Connex commuter train stands by the platform in Melbourne, Australia Regional rail systems, or commuter rail systems, usually provide a rail service through a central business district area into suburbs or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a daily basis. ... January 2004 : â† - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- â†’ Irelands Roman Catholic and Protestant Boy Scouts organisations merge after nearly a century of division, in spite of efforts by the Roman Catholic bishops to block the merger. ...

For many, the Hiawatha Avenue corridor was not the top choice for a new project. Popular other options included connecting Minneapolis with western suburbs, though probably the most-desired option has been the Central Corridor connecting the Twin Cities themselves (Minneapolis and St. Paul) with a route down the middle of Interstate 94 or University Avenue. However, much of the land had already been acquired by the state in the 1960s in preparation for a sunken radial expressway into downtown that was never built. In addition to the available land, the desire to connect to the airport and at least reach the vicinity of the Mall of America proved to be the bigger draw for decisionmakers. The Central Corridor is the 11-mile stretch between the downtown regions of Minneapolis and Saint Paul in Minnesota, which is currently proceeding with engineering work for a future light rail line to stem the growth of traffic congestion. ... Location in Ramsey County and the state of Minnesota. ... Interstate 94 (abbreviated I-94) is a long interstate highway connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain region of the United States. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ...

The idea of running a rail line down Hiawatha Avenue had already been around for at least a decade by the time the decision was made to go forward. In 1985, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) had produced an environmental impact statement that concluded that light rail was the best alternative for the corridor. In 1996, the document was examined again as Mn/DOT looked at the possibility of adding a busway (bus rapid transit) along the road, but money for light rail became available soon after, leading to the current layout. 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT, pronounced min-dot) oversees transportation by land, water, and air in the U.S. state of Minnesota. ... According to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) whenever the U.S. Federal Government takes a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment it must first consider the environmental impact in a document called an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... There is a large number of public transport systems in European towns that fulfill several of the BRT criteria given above, but they are rarely designated as BRT. Bus lanes and exclusive use of key city-centre streets is commonplace, and bus priority on approach to traffic lights is quite...

Busways are still being examined for many future projects, and it appears likely that at least one will be built. The most likely candidate for the area's second light rail line is the Central Corridor; a busway for this corridor is no longer being considered as an option.

Funding and delays

The line's cost is expected to total $715 million, with $424 million coming from the federal government. This is considerably higher than initial budgets predicted—the figure was about $400 million in 1997. Opponents to the rail line state that it has gone far over-budget, but supporters of the line state that extensions of the route and other alterations, plus the impact of inflation, are the real reasons for the increased cost. Initial designs cut out the last stop in downtown, and the southern end of the line didn't quite connect to the Mall of America. The Warehouse District stop was added early, but another cost increase came from approximately $40 million to enhance the line (while construction was in progress) to bring the line directly into the Mall of America's transit hub. It is coming a year or two later than what was initially hoped for (a lot of literature pointed to 2003 as the opening year), but the mall connection was a significant contribution to the extra time requirements. ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Indian Ocean Territory,[1] the British Virgin Islands, Cambodia, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 2. ... Budget generally refers to a list of all planned expenses and revenues. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In March 2004, the labor union representing Metro Transit bus workers went on strike. This delayed the opening of the line from the anticipated start date of April 3rd, although there was some indication that the opening would have been delayed anyway. Apparently, some of the delay had to do with slow delivery of trainsets from Bombardier. Certain aspects of the design had been tried before, but the cars were the first to combine the factors of conforming to American standards (as opposed to European), having low floors, and being built at the company's Mexico plant. Some problems also cropped up during testing of the vehicles, but Bombardier has said that the issues are not out of the ordinary. 2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December Deaths â€¢ 08 Abu Abbas â€¢ 20 Queen Juliana â€¢ 28 Peter Ustinov â€¢ 30 Alistair Cooke More March 2004 deaths Ongoing events EU Enlargement Exploration of Mars: Rovers Haiti Rebellion Israeli-Palestinian conflict Occupation of Iraq Same-sex marriage in... A union (labor union in American English; trade union, sometimes trades union, in British English; either labour union or trade union in Canadian English) is a legal entity consisting of employees or workers having a common interest, such as all the assembly workers for one employer, or all the workers... April 3 is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 272 days remaining. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ...

When the buses began rolling again on April 19th, the line's opening was rolled back to June 26th. Testing of the track and vehicles continued during the bus strike, as much of the work was performed by Bombardier employees rather than Metro Transit workers. Train operators who had already gone through the training process were given refresher courses when the strike ended. April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ...

Signal problems

Delays of a different sort have afflicted cars and trucks running along Hiawatha Avenue and cross streets. The rail vehicles stop for traffic signals in downtown Minneapolis, but use signal preemption along much of the route, allowing the train to speed through by lowering gate arms at railroad crossings and turning traffic lights red. Synchronization of the different signals has been very problematic, reportedly causing some people to be stuck waiting at intersections for ten to fifteen minutes when the train was in its testing phase. Engineers from Metro Transit, the city of Minneapolis, and Mn/DOT have worked to get their respective systems communicating with each other, but delays are still common in the area. A 3M Opticom signal preemption system emitter. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Traffic lights can have several additional lights for filter turns or bus lanes. ...

Around the time of the line's opening, the Minneapolis City Council requested additional assistance from the Federal Highway Administration to resolve the issue, and the agency promised to send experienced engineers when they become available. However, it appears that improvements would require significant changes to the signal layout. This article refers to Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. ...

Delay issues are partially due to an unusual problem—the train horns. Residents along the rail corridor had complained that the horns were too loud, so transit officials decided to reduce the volume. However, this forced a reduction in service speed, as the quieter sound couldn't be heard at as great a distance. Some sections that were going to be limited to 55 mph were instead limited to 45 mph. Crossing gates and signals along the line are set to go off when the train is at a certain distance from the intersection, so the slower speed meant that the trains would trigger the gates prematurely.

In February 2005, the signals were upgraded at a cost of between $300,000 and $400,000 to improve traffic flow (the money came from leftover contingency funds in the system's construction budget). Changes involved moving the crossing trigger points closer to intersections, reprogramming the gates themselves to operate more quickly, altering the timings used when trains are at stations next to gated crossings, and altering the behavior of pedestrian crosswalks along the corridor. This is all expected to improve wait times on nearby roadways by 20 to 40 seconds. February 2005 : â† - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December - â†’ Pope John Paul II is taken to a hospital suffering from a serious case of influenza. ...

External links

Portable Document Format (PDF), sometimes mistaken for Printable Document Format, is an open file format created by Adobe Systems in 1993 and is now being prepared for submission as an ISO standard[1]. It is used for representing two-dimensional documents in a device independent and resolution independent fixed-layout...

References

Categories: Light Rail in Minnesota | Presently operating light rail or streetcars in the United States | Metro Transit Routes | Minneapolis-St. Paul | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minnesota railroads Metro Transit logo Metro Transit is the transit division of the Metropolitan Council, a regional governmental agency in the Minneapolis-St. ... A news release, press release or press statement is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something claimed as having news value. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Metropolitan Council is the regional governmental agency (also known as a regional planning organization, see Metropolitan planning organization) in Minnesota serving the Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan area (see Minneapolis-St. ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... logo Bombardier Inc. ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... A train of Light Rail, KCRC, Hong Kong. ... a historic postcard showing electric trolley-powered streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, where Frank J. Sprague successfully demonstrated his new system on the hills in 1888 A streetcar is a railway vehicle designed to carry passengers on tracks, usually laid in city streets. ... The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is a body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts [1] formed in 1964 to finance and operate most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, USA area. ... Two trains at Park Street. ... The Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line (or Mattapan-Ashmont Line, or just the M Line) is considered part of the MBTAs Red Line, even though it uses different equipment (trolleys) and passengers have to change at Ashmont. ... Hudson-Bergen Light Rail trains at the Exchange Place stop in Jersey City HBLR train on Hudson Street, near Exchange Place station in Jersey City Harborside Financial Center station, Jersey City The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) is a light rail system, owned by New Jersey Transit and operated by... Newark Light Rail logo Newark Light Rail system map The Newark Light Rail is a light rail system operated by New Jersey Transit serving Newark, New Jersey. ... River Line system map The River Line (styled River LINE by NJ Transit) is a light rail system in New Jersey, United States that connects the cities of Camden and Trenton, New Jerseys capital. ... Buffalo Metro Rail train entering Allen-Medical Campus station Buffalo Metro Rail is the public transit rail system in Buffalo, New York; it is operated by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, or NFTA. The system consists of a single, 6. ... SEPTA redirects here. ... The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) operates five subway-surface trolley lines in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. ... The Suburban Trolley Lines operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) as Routes 101 (Media) and 102 (Sharon Hill) of the Suburban Transit Division, are the remaining portion of the former Red Arrow trolley system operated by the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company. ... The Girard Street line, (SEPTA route 15) is a heritage streetcar line serving North and West Philadelphia. ... The Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL), operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority as Route 100 of the Suburban Transit Division, is a hybrid between light rail and rapid transit operating between Norristown Transportation Center and 69th Street Terminal, running entirely on its own right of way, inherited from the... The Pittsburgh Light Rail, commonly known as The T, is a 25-mile light rail system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... Light rail at BWI station The Baltimore Light Rail is a small light rail network serving Baltimore, Maryland and the surrounding suburbs. ... Streetcars in New Orleans have been an integral part of the citys public transportation network since the first half of the 19th century. ... Kenosha Transit is a city-owned public transportation agency based in Kenosha, Wisconsin. ... RTA Rapid Transit (generally known as The Rapid) is a rapid transit and light rail system in Cleveland, Ohio, owned by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (known as RTA). The system is made of three lines - the Red Line (heavy rail) and Blue and Green Lines (light rail). ... Light rail vehicle on the Waterfront Line The Blue and Green Lines are the light rail component of the RTA Rapid Transit, a rail transit system in greater Cleveland, Ohio. ... A TECO streetcar picking up passengers in Ybor City. ... LYNX is the light rail service in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States that is set to begin service by December 2007. ... The Charlotte Trolley is a heritage streetcar which operates in Charlotte in the U.S. state of North Carolina. ... The Memphis Area Transit Authority(MATA) is the largest transit agency in Tennessee. ... The River Rail Streetcar is a heritage railway streetcar system operating in Little Rock and North Little Rock is the U.S. state of Arkansas. ... A DART Bus operating in downtown Dallas The Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority (or DART) is the transit agency in Dallas, Texas that operates buses, light rail (including an underground station), commuter rail, and HOV lanes in Dallas and 12 of its suburbs. ... M-line Streetcar at Cityplace Station The McKinney Avenue Transit Authority, a non-profit organization, operates the M-line Streetcar line in Dallas, Texas (USA). ... METRORail is the light rail service in Houston, Texas, United States that started on January 1, 2004. ... Galverton Island Trolley is a heritage streetcar in Galveston, Texas. ... MetroLink is a light rail transit system in the Greater St. ... Two forms of public transport operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni): on the left, a bus (the 38 Geary line) and, on the right, the F Market historic streetcar. ... Muni Metro is a mass transit system operated in the City and County of San Francisco by the San Francisco Municipal Railway, managed by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. ... San Francisco Cable Car No. ... F Market PCC cars at Jones Street terminal. ... [[|right|200px]] Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is a special-purpose district responsible for public transit services, congestion management, specific highway improvement projects, and countywide transportation planning for Santa Clara County, California, United States. ... The Sacramento Regional Transit District, commonly referred to as the RT, is the agency responsible for public transportation in the Sacramento, California area. ... The Los Angeles County Metro Rail is the current mass transit rail system operating in Los Angeles. ... Metro Blue Line The Metro Blue Line of the Los Angeles County Metro Rail is a light rail line connecting Downtown Los Angeles at the 7th St/Metro Center station and Downtown Long Beach. ... Metro Green Line The Metro Green line of the Los Angeles County Metro Rail is a light rail line connecting Redondo Beach and Norwalk. ... Metro Gold Line diagram. ... The San Diego Trolley is a trolley-style light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego, California. ... Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) is a light rail system in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. ... A streetcar at the corner of SW 11th and Alder. ... ... TRAX Sandy train at the Gallivan Plaza stop in Downtown Salt Lake City TRAX is a two-line light rail system in Utahs Salt Lake Valley, serving Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake, Murray, Midvale and Sandy. ... The Old Pueblo Trolley is a heritage railway streetcar system operating in Tucson in the U.S. state of Arizona. ... TheRide is a transit system in the Denver, Colorado metropolitan area. ... The Platte Valley Trolley is a heritage streetcar line in Denver, Colorado. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Tacoma Link at the Tacoma Dome Station Tacoma Link is a 1. ... Metro Transit logo Metro Transit is the transit division of the Metropolitan Council, a regional governmental agency in the Minneapolis-St. ... The Metropolitan Council is the regional governmental agency (also known as a regional planning organization, see Metropolitan planning organization) in Minnesota serving the Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan area (see Minneapolis-St. ... Metro Transit logo Metro Transit is the transit division of the Metropolitan Council, a regional governmental agency in the Minneapolis-St. ... The Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) is a public transportation agency that provides transit services in Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Rosemount, and Savage. ... Southwest Metro Transit is a public transportation agency that is based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. ... Plymouth Metrolink is the public transit system that serves Plymouth, Minnesota ... Maple Grove Transit is the public transit system in Maple Grove, Minnesota. ... Shakopee area transit began fixed route service in December 2002. ... The BE Line system is funded by the Metropolitan Council. ... Anoka County Traveler is a system operated for the Met Council by a private company. ... Prior Lake Laker Lines is the public transit service operated by the city of Prior Lake. ... The Northstar Corridor is a proposed commuter rail line that will serve a region which runs to the northwest from Minneapolis, Minnesota toward St. ... The Central Corridor is the 11-mile stretch between the downtown regions of Minneapolis and Saint Paul in Minnesota, which is currently proceeding with engineering work for a future light rail line to stem the growth of traffic congestion. ... The Southwest Corridor is a future transit corridor between Minneapolis and Eden Prairie, going through Hopkins along the way. ... The Pilot Knob Corridor is a future projectment LRT corridor in southern suburbs of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, the mode of this form of transport might be either light rail or a busway on Pilot Knob Road is not confirmed, it is also not yet confirmed if it will... The U of M Transitway is a busway that runs between the University of Minnesota Minneapolis and St. ... Bottineau Boulevard BRT is a proposed Bus Rapid Transit line that would operate along County Road 81 from Minneapolis to Osseo/Rogers. ... The South Cedar Transitway (called Cedar Avenue Corridor in devolpment) is a 53 mile future busway planned by Bus Rapid Transit (MVTA) for Cedar Avenue (Minnesota State Highway 77/County Road 23) between Minneapolis/Bloomington and Lakeville. ... Interstate 35W (abbreviated I-35W), an interstate highway, is the western half of Interstate 35 where it splits to serve different cities in Minnesota. ... The Northstar Corridor is a proposed commuter rail line that will serve a region which runs to the northwest from Minneapolis, Minnesota toward St. ... The Red Rock Corridor is a proposed commuter rail between Hastings, Minnesota through downtown St. ... The Rush Line is a proposed mass transit link from downtown Saint Paul to Hinckley, MN via Forest Lake, Pine City and White Bear Lake, MN. The 80-mile route will likely be commuter rail but bus rapid transit is also under consideration. ... The following is a list of Metro Transit Routes or routes operated by partners of Metro Transit in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. ... The Go-To card is a contactless smart card meant to be used to pay fares for bus and light rail lines operated by Metro Transit and other transit agencies in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. ... The uPass design for the 2005/2006 winter session (actual passes bear the holders photograph). ... The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT, pronounced min-dot) oversees transportation by land, water, and air in the U.S. state of Minnesota. ...

Encyclopedia > Hiawatha Line

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