Responding to public demand, Metro Transit is adding late-night New Year's Eve runs on its Blue and Green light-rail trains after previously announcing that the final runs would start at or before midnight Sunday.
Metro Transit extends light-rail hours on its New Year's Eve free rides
The agency added later light-rail times after business leaders and others questioned why train service was scheduled to end at or before midnight.
December 31, 2023 at 1:09AM
The agency is offering free rides on all its trains and buses from 6 p.m. Sunday to the end of service as part of its long-running Miller Free Rides partnership with Molson Coors to provide safe transportation for New Year's revelers. Fans going to the Vikings-Packers game at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday evening will be able to take advantage of the free Metro Transit rides.
Reaction to the free ride promotion had been mixed, because the Blue and Green light-rail lines had been scheduled to start their final runs from downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul no later than 12:09 a.m. Monday.
"Words cannot describe how dumb it is to have a light rail service that doesn't operate after midnight on NYE," wrote Wes Burdine, owner of the Black Hart bar, which is on the Green Line in St. Paul and will be hosting a New Year's dance party.
Metro Transit responded Saturday evening by tweaking its schedule. The final northbound Blue Line train will leave Mall of America at 12:09 a.m. Monday, while the southbound train will leave Target Field in downtown Minneapolis at 12:30 a.m.
Meanwhile, the eastbound Green Line train will leave Target Field at 12:30 a.m., and the westbound train will leave Union Depot in downtown St. Paul at the same time.
After-midnight service on Metro Transit buses varies by line. On the popular D Line, the last southbound buses will leave Brooklyn Park Transit Center at 12:33 a.m., and the last northbound buses will leave the Mall of America at 12:21 a.m.
The Minnesota Valley Transit Authority is part of the promotion, offering free rides after 6 p.m. on its regular routes between the central cities and the south metro area. The bus line also is offering $6 round trip shuttles for the 7:20 p.m. Vikings game from Shakopee, Burnsville, Eagan and Apple Valley.
Vikings fans riding Metro Transit's game-day Northstar commuter train from the northwest metro will need to pay an inbound fare but will have free access to the return train, which will leave the Target Field Station about 60 minutes after the end of the game.
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