Getting Around Twin Cities
Getting around a large, metropolitan area can often be daunting, especially if you are new to the area. The Minnesota and Twin Cities governments in partnership with private entities have implemented numerous improvements over the years to make traveling easier on visitors and residents.
The average driving time to work in Minnesota is one of nation's lowest at only twenty-one minutes.
The Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) is second only to Denver in the number of non-stop markets served per capita. Several airlines serve 131 nonstop markets from MSP, including 116 domestic and 14 international markets. While Northwest Airlines operates a major hub at MSP, travelers can choose from just about any of the major national airlines. MSP served over 35.6 million airline passengers in 2006. There are also many smaller airports located in the Twin Cities area.
Metro Transit operates the largest bus service in the Twin Cities area offering over 118 bus routes. The Hiawatha Line light rail is a series of 17 stations that connect the areas three most popular travel destinations: Mall of America in Bloomington, the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, and downtown Minneapolis. Metro Transit also offers resources to those who carpool, bike, or walk. Some Twin Cities suburbs also have their own bus service.
If you travel by car, you can hop on any of the numerous highways and interstates meandering through Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and the surrounding suburbs. The major road arteries in the area include I-94 that runs east and west, bypass I-494 and 694 that create a loop around the metro area, and I-35 (East side) and 35W (West side) that run north and south through the east and west sides. The Minnesota Department of Transportation regulates both traffic and weather throughout the Twin Cities area with video traffic cameras. This allows the MN DOT to notify authorities of any issues and to warn travelers of both weather problems and heavily congested roads.
Another program that has achieved outstanding results and received many accolades is the FIRST program (stands for Freeway Incident Response Safety Team). These bright green FIRST trucks patrol the freeways looking for accidents, stranded motorists, or other incidents. FIRST personnel are often the first on scene to help quickly clear crashes, move stalled vehicles out of traffic lanes, change a flat tire, or clear debris from the roadways. This program has brought many sighs of relief from stranded motorists in addition to helping keep congestion and secondary accidents to a minimum. Another benefit of the FIRST program is that they can assist State Troopers with accident scenes and also allow them to tend to other high priority law enforcement duties.
Minneapolis is considered one of the most walkable cities in the US with more than 7 miles of skyways. These climate-controlled and glass-enclosed walkways sit one story above street level and link office buildings and attractions together. Minneapolis residents and visitors can walk to work, restaurants, theatres, and more without even having to worry about the weather.