| A system of "skyways" (small, fully enclosed | | | | it also followed Washington, 4th, and 5th |
| pedestrian bridges) link the buildings across | | | | Avenues though downtown Minneapolis. A |
| more than 60 city blocks of the downtown | | | | freeway stub running from I-35W to 10th |
| region, providing a way to travel around the | | | | Avenue is still considered part of Highway |
| city without being exposed to the wide | | | | 65, creating a gap in the official routing. |
| temperature extremes of the climate. The | | | | |
| system is widely used by the daytime worker | | | | Minnesota State Highway 77 (Apple Valley to |
| population and downtown residents, who are | | | | Minneapolis) ends as it enters the city from |
| able to move around without their coats and | | | | the south as Cedar Avenue. |
| other outdoor gear all day long. The | | | | |
| street-level foot traffic is greatly reduced | | | | Minnesota State Highway 121 (Richfield to |
| (especially as the outdoor temperature dips) | | | | Minneapolis) is a spur that connects |
| and many businesses that would normally be | | | | Interstate 35W with Lyndale Avenue in South |
| located at ground level in other cities are | | | | Minneapolis. |
| instead brought up to the second floor. In | | | | |
| fact, the interconnected passageways that | | | | The city is served by air with the |
| include restaurants and retailers are | | | | Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, |
| sometimes considered as one of the largest | | | | which is at the southeast corner of the city |
| shopping centers in the Twin Cities (though | | | | off of Minnesota State Highway 5. The airport |
| most businesses in the skyways close down at | | | | is also bordered by Saint Paul, Bloomington, |
| night and on the weekend). | | | | and Richfield. It is a hub and home base for |
| | | | Northwest Airlines as well as for Mesaba |
| Historically, Minneapolis and St. Paul | | | | Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, and Champion |
| provided some of the earliest rail passages | | | | Airlines. |
| across the Mississippi River, which widens | | | | |
| downriver where the St. Croix River joins the | | | | Metro Transit runs most of the area's buses |
| Mississippi. Today, rail traffic through the | | | | and has begun operation of a light rail |
| city is diminished, and some of the old | | | | system, the Hiawatha Line, which has a daily |
| bridges such as the Stone Arch Bridge have | | | | ridership of 28,800, making it the 14th |
| been converted for bicycle and pedestrian | | | | busiest light rail system in the country. The |
| use. These link into the extensive park and | | | | line opened its first and second phases to |
| trail system of the city. | | | | the public in 2004, connecting the airport |
| | | | and Bloomington's Mall of America into |
| Most residents of Minneapolis get around the | | | | downtown. A number of other rail projects |
| region by car, and a number of highways snake | | | | including new commuter rail lines linking the |
| through the city. Minneapolis and St. Paul | | | | city to the suburbs are in the planning |
| are the junction points between Interstate 94 | | | | stages, and the city council has officially |
| and Interstate 35. I-35 splits into two parts | | | | begun "explor[ing] the feasibility of |
| when entering the metro area. The western | | | | bringing back a streetcar system." [5] Some |
| half, I-35W, goes through downtown | | | | bus rapid transit lines are also likely to be |
| Minneapolis. The I-394 spur connects the | | | | built in the coming years. |
| downtown region to western suburbs. Two spurs | | | | |
| from I-94, I-494 and I-694, make a loop | | | | Proposed commuter and light rail lines head |
| around the metro area, but do not pass | | | | in several directions from Minneapolis and |
| through the cities of Minneapolis or St. | | | | St. Paul. |
| Paul. | | | | |
| | | | Hiawatha_Line, Minneapolis to the Mall of |
| Only two U.S. highways pass through the city, | | | | America |
| but they are unmarked. Interstate 394 is | | | | |
| largely an upgraded segment of U.S. Highway | | | | Northstar Corridor Commuter Line, Minneapolis |
| 12 which comes into the city from the western | | | | north to Big Lake, MN. |
| and then joins I-94 to follow that road | | | | |
| around downtown and into St. Paul. U.S. | | | | Central Corridor, Downtown Minneapolis to St. |
| Highway 52 follows Interstate 94 north of the | | | | Paul |
| metro area, so it is considered to follow | | | | |
| that all of the way through the city today, | | | | SouthWest Transitway, Minneapolis to St Louis |
| though it had originally been routed along | | | | Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie |
| surface streets and along University Avenue | | | | |
| between Minneapolis and St. Paul. | | | | Red Rock Corridor, Commuter Rail from |
| | | | Minneapolis southeast to Hastings, through St |
| Minnesota state highways include: | | | | Paul. |
| | | | |
| Minnesota State Highway 47 (Minneapolis to | | | | Over the last twenty years, the system of |
| Aitkin) enters the city from the North as | | | | bicycle trails has expanded from a |
| University Avenue | | | | long-standing system of recreational trails, |
| | | | the Grand Rounds, to include a network of |
| Minnesota State Highway 55 (Tenney to | | | | on-street bike lanes and an increasing number |
| Hastings) passes through outer Minneapolis as | | | | of commuter trails. Trails include: |
| Olson Memorial Highway and Hiawatha Avenue | | | | |
| (though, since June 2005, it now follows I-94 | | | | The Midtown Greenway |
| around downtown). | | | | |
| | | | The Kenilworth Trail |
| Minnesota State Highway 62 (Eden Prairie to | | | | |
| Fort Snelling - known as the "Crosstown") | | | | The Cedar Lake Trail |
| runs along the southeastern edge of the city | | | | |
| as the Crosstown Highway (west of Chicago Ave | | | | The West River Parkway along the Mississippi. |
| and east of Xerxes Ave, the highway is | | | | |
| considered as part of Richfield), however, | | | | |
| the Richfield-Minneapolis line lies right at | | | | Minneapolis is one of the most heavily-biked |
| the northern edge of the Highway 62 | | | | cities in the country, with an average level |
| right-of-way during that 3-mile stretch). | | | | of 10,000 people riding daily for commuting |
| | | | and recreation (there are significant |
| Minnesota State Highway 65 (Minneapolis to | | | | seasonal variations, but many people bike |
| Littlefork) follows Central Avenue through | | | | year-round). |
| Northeast Minneapolis, and until June 2005, | | | | |