Green Line (Minneapolis)

Konka has existed in Minneapolis since 1875, and since the late 1880s, it has been converted to electric traction. In 1921, the city had a developed tram network with a total length of 870 kilometers and a fleet of 1,021 wagons ^[5] . Including one of the lines, called the "interurban" ("Interurban"), since December 1890 connected Minneapolis with St. Paul ^[6] . In the thirties of the XX century, mass construction of roads began in the United States, and public transport appeared a competitor - a mass car. Because of this, the Minneapolis tram began to incur losses and was eventually closed . Almost all the roads were dismantled in the 1950s. However, over time, the need for rail public transport again became apparent. In the early 1980s, light rail was offered as such for Minneapolis and several of its routes were developed, including the so-called “Central Corridor” ^{[7] [8] [9]} . This decision was finally approved in June 2006 ^[10] .

Passenger traffic on the Blue Line already existing at that time (then the “Hiawatha Line”) exceeded forecasts, which was typical for the LRT systems built in the USA recently ^[11] . This led to some delays in the design of the line, as local authorities were forced to revise forecasts of passenger traffic before sending documentation to the Federal Administration for Passenger Transportation ^{[* 1]} . Ultimately, this forecast was 43,000 passengers daily by 2030. With such a passenger flow, the construction of the line seemed profitable , which was a prerequisite for obtaining federal funding ^[12] . By the summer of 2009, consideration of the draft line was fully completed and approved ^[13] .

The line was built from the end of 2011 to August 2013 ^{[2] [14]} .

Due to the construction of the line, the number of parking spaces on the avenue along which it was laid decreased. The owners of the stores located on it complained about this ^{[15] [16] [17]} , one restaurant indicated the construction of the line as a reason for its closure ^[18] .

The then-President of the United States, Barack Obama , who paid a visit to Minneapolis and drove several stops along the line, praised the line under construction in 2014 ^[19] .

47 Siemens Avanto wagons, known as S70 in the USA, were purchased for the line ^[20] . The first cars were delivered in October 2012 ^{[21] [22]} . Compared to the Bombardier Flexity Swift cars on the Blue Line, these cars are slightly lighter and have better heating and sound insulation systems for greater passenger comfort. They are also equipped with LED rather than fluorescent interior lighting, and rear-view cameras instead of rear-view mirrors ^[23] . The types of wagons are partially compatible: they use one track and one type of wagon can tow a faulty wagon of another type, but the trains, due to the incompatibility of the electronics, can only be composed of the same type of wagons ^[23] .

The line operates around the clock, seven days a week. During peak hours and daytime, on weekdays, trains run every 10 minutes, in the evening and on weekends and holidays every 15 minutes, at night (from 1:00 to 5:00) once an hour ^[24] .

Depending on the time of day, the cost of one trip on the line is from $ 3 to $ 1.75. Within the allocated tariff zones of Minneapolis and St. Paul, the tariff is $ 0.50 ^[25] . Between the three stations located on the campus of the University of Minnesota , for its students and teachers provides the possibility of free travel ^[26] .

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