Minneapolis transportation

A system of "skyways" (small, fully enclosedRichfield-Minneapolis line lies right at the northern
pedestrian bridges) link the buildings across moreedge of the Highway 62 right-of-way during that
than 60 city blocks of the downtown region,3-mile stretch).
providing a way to travel around the city withoutMinnesota State Highway 65 (Minneapolis to
being exposed to the wide temperatureLittlefork) follows Central Avenue through
extremes of the climate. The system is widelyNortheast Minneapolis, and until June 2005, it also
used by the daytime worker population andfollowed Washington, 4th, and 5th Avenues
downtown residents, who are able to movethough downtown Minneapolis. A freeway stub
around without their coats and other outdoorrunning from I-35W to 10th Avenue is still
gear all day long. The street-level foot traffic isconsidered part of Highway 65, creating a gap in
greatly reduced (especially as the outdoorthe official routing.
temperature dips) and many businesses thatMinnesota State Highway 77 (Apple Valley to
would normally be located at ground level in otherMinneapolis) ends as it enters the city from the
cities are instead brought up to the second floor.south as Cedar Avenue.
In fact, the interconnected passageways thatMinnesota State Highway 121 (Richfield to
include restaurants and retailers are sometimesMinneapolis) is a spur that connects Interstate
considered as one of the largest shopping centers35W with Lyndale Avenue in South Minneapolis.
in the Twin Cities (though most businesses in theThe city is served by air with the
skyways close down at night and on theMinneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, which is
weekend).at the southeast corner of the city off of
Historically, Minneapolis and St. Paul provided someMinnesota State Highway 5. The airport is also
of the earliest rail passages across the Mississippibordered by Saint Paul, Bloomington, and Richfield.
River, which widens downriver where the St.It is a hub and home base for Northwest Airlines
Croix River joins the Mississippi. Today, rail trafficas well as for Mesaba Airlines, Sun Country
through the city is diminished, and some of the oldAirlines, and Champion Airlines.
bridges such as the Stone Arch Bridge have beenMetro Transit runs most of the area's buses and
converted for bicycle and pedestrian use. Thesehas begun operation of a light rail system, the
link into the extensive park and trail system ofHiawatha Line, which has a daily ridership of
the city.28,800, making it the 14th busiest light rail system
Most residents of Minneapolis get around thein the country. The line opened its first and
region by car, and a number of highways snakesecond phases to the public in 2004, connecting
through the city. Minneapolis and St. Paul are thethe airport and Bloomington's Mall of America into
junction points between Interstate 94 anddowntown. A number of other rail projects
Interstate 35. I-35 splits into two parts whenincluding new commuter rail lines linking the city to
entering the metro area. The western half, I-35W,the suburbs are in the planning stages, and the
goes through downtown Minneapolis. The I-394city council has officially begun "explor[ing] the
spur connects the downtown region to westernfeasibility of bringing back a streetcar system." [5]
suburbs. Two spurs from I-94, I-494 and I-694,Some bus rapid transit lines are also likely to be
make a loop around the metro area, but do notbuilt in the coming years.
pass through the cities of Minneapolis or St. Paul.Proposed commuter and light rail lines head in
Only two U.S. highways pass through the city, butseveral directions from Minneapolis and St. Paul.
they are unmarked. Interstate 394 is largely anHiawatha_Line, Minneapolis to the Mall of America
upgraded segment of U.S. Highway 12 whichNorthstar Corridor Commuter Line, Minneapolis
comes into the city from the western and thennorth to Big Lake, MN.
joins I-94 to follow that road around downtownCentral Corridor, Downtown Minneapolis to St. Paul
and into St. Paul. U.S. Highway 52 follows
Interstate 94 north of the metro area, so it isSouthWest Transitway, Minneapolis to St Louis
considered to follow that all of the way throughPark, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie
the city today, though it had originally been routedRed Rock Corridor, Commuter Rail from
along surface streets and along University AvenueMinneapolis southeast to Hastings, through St Paul.
between Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Minnesota state highways include:Over the last twenty years, the system of
Minnesota State Highway 47 (Minneapolis tobicycle trails has expanded from a long-standing
Aitkin) enters the city from the North assystem of recreational trails, the Grand Rounds,
University Avenueto include a network of on-street bike lanes and
Minnesota State Highway 55 (Tenney to Hastings)an increasing number of commuter trails. Trails
passes through outer Minneapolis as Olsoninclude:
Memorial Highway and Hiawatha Avenue (though,The Midtown Greenway
since June 2005, it now follows I-94 aroundThe Kenilworth Trail
downtown).The Cedar Lake Trail
Minnesota State Highway 62 (Eden Prairie to FortThe West River Parkway along the Mississippi.
Snelling - known as the "Crosstown") runs alongMinneapolis is one of the most heavily-biked cities
the southeastern edge of the city as thein the country, with an average level of 10,000
Crosstown Highway (west of Chicago Ave andpeople riding daily for commuting and recreation
east of Xerxes Ave, the highway is considered as(there are significant seasonal variations, but many
part of Richfield), however, thepeople bike year-round).