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Not that I ever did, but I'm especially not taking Metro Transit's winter operations for granted seeing how things melted down all over New York/New Jersey. Can't trust the rails here!

New Yorkers don't handle snow very well, unfortunately. Particularly in shoveling. As every Minnesotan knows, it's easier to shovel multiple times as the snow falls rather than trying to do it all at once when it stops. New Yorkers haven't learned this yet.

Snow covered streets in Queens, New York City

Snow-covered subway entrance in Queens, New York City

NYC without cars is beautiful, so peaceful

Snow covered streets in Queens, New York City

Snow-covered subway entrance in Queens, New York City

NYC without cars is beautiful, so peaceful

Network Now Highlights – March 2026 • Route 17 Sunday service improved to every 15 minutes on Sundays during the daytime. • Route 22 weekday service improved to every 15 minutes; weekends to every 20 minutes on core of the route. • Route 94 rush hour service improved to every 15 minutes between downtown Minneapolis and St Paul • Route 270 new hourly service middays and improved rush hour service between Maplewood Mall and downtown Minneapolis • Route 860 routed to serve Lafayette business and State offices

We also have some service change news, effective in March!

Frequency increases are coming to the 22 and 94. Route 17 is also getting a Sunday bump. And Route 270, Maplewood Mall to downtown Minneapolis express, will now run all day.

That'll make the A and G Lines the only aBRT routes to not use articulated buses. I think this decision makes sense based on the ridership of those routes.

Seeking purchase of (109) 40’ electric-hybrid buses • Includes (12) A Line replacement buses and (24) new G Line buses with BRT styling (picture on left) • Remaining buses (79) will be used on regular route service with standard styling (picture above)

The committee is being asked to approve a lease near Westgate Station on the Green Line for a new TRIP agent office.

Also proposed is the purchase of new 40' Gillig hybrid buses, which will be for regular routes, the A Line, and the future G Line.

022326 Agenda - Metropolitan Council

Next week has a very full agenda for the Met Council's Transportation committee. Here are some interesting things included:

metrocouncil.org/getdoc/a9342...

An illuminated star and crescent symbol in a PATH train tunnel, seen through a train window

In the middle of the PATH train tunnel

TIL Metro Transit trains have an extra icebreaking pantograph! Here they are just now at Westgate.

Traffic is snarled down University Ave including buses, but as usual the trains are unaffected. Go trains.

Pie chart showing Northstar replacement routes 888 and 882, with 50% Very late, 33% late, and 17% early.

The Northstar train was rarely delayed due to bad weather. This is how its replacement bus routes are doing:

A timely "No weather-related light rail delays" for the start of the #mnleg session!

I'm still totally nerding out over this fairly obscure reference and I have no one irl who'd understand it...

Your fun fact of the week The first U.S. Navy-commissioned ironclad, the USS Monitor, was built by Brooklynites in the winter of 1861-62 in Greenpoint. A few months later, it helped the Union win the Battle of Hampton Roads in Virginia. Some readers may wonder if this is related to the album. It is. — Mitch

Build the Blue Line Extension!

We’ll talk about a big hole on the Upper East Side, go back to Carroll Gardens, and prepare a goodbye tour of the Greenpoint waterfront.

The MTA x Titus Andronicus is the crossover I didn't know I needed

view.info.mta.org?vawpToken=J4...

Map of Metro Transit's Route 539, on 98th St in Bloomington

The 539 runs east-west across south Bloomington along 98th St. It has big anchors at both ends: the Mall of America and Normandale Community College. In the middle is a transfer to the Orange Line.

Despite the built environment, it's not hard to see why this route pulls relatively good numbers.

In 2024, the cheapest route to operate on weekdays is the Green Line, unsurprisingly. Next lowest is interesting, it's the suburban Route 539 in Bloomington. Both of these operate at around $4.40 subsidy per passenger.

Fascinating Met Council report on the per-pax subsidy of each transit route in the system.

We already know most of what this says: LRT and aBRT are our cheapest modes, commuter and suburban routes are the most expensive. But there are some surprises:

metrocouncil.org/Council-Meet...

Amtrak Texas Eagle in Fort Worth (this is more common on Amtrak than I thought)

Amtrak's Vermonter in Springfield, MA

US rail services that switch ends/reverse mid-run:

NYC PATH JSQ-33 via Hoboken (soon to be discontinued)
LA Metrolink Ventura County Line
SF BART Red Line
Amtrak in Portland, ME, Denver, and Tampa
What else?

Implying that most people don't visit cities just for their metros? Ok maybe I'm the weird one...

Another downside of embedded track, in cold weather climates, is that it's nearly impossible to repair broken rails (which of course are caused by freeze-thaw) when it's cold due to the temp requirements of concrete and sealant. In the Twin Cities we have slow zones that last for months!

Metro Transit considers the Capitol to be in the downtown zone. Then again they also say St. Anthony Main is in the downtown zone, so idk if it's a good indicator...

Two sets of rules on the ownership of skyways and alleys

The free-roaming turkeys of Saint Paul, Minnesota:

- are enormous
- don’t know where they’re going
- have no plans or motivations
- don’t understand roads
- or anything at all, really

"Why doesn't DA Mary Moriarty do..."

She's 100% clearing the field