Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 20, 2009
New MnPASS customers get $25 in free toll credits,
$20 in bus or train rides
MINNEAPOLIS – (July 20, 2009) –Motorists will soon be able to use MnPASS Express Lanes on Interstate 35W between Burnsville and downtown Minneapolis. The Minnesota Department of Transportation today starts signing up customers for the latest MnPASS Express Lanes, which are still under construction and will open Sept. 30. This is the first expansion of the MnPASS system since it opened on I-394 in 2005.
“Expanding MnPASS along I-35W provides motorists with an innovative solution to traffic congestion,” said Tom Sorel, Mn/DOT Commissioner. “This important partnership with Metro Transit benefits both motorists and transit riders and improves safety on one of the busiest roads in Minnesota.”
New customers who sign up between now and Oct. 31 will receive $25 in free toll credits. As an added benefit, new MnPASS subscribers are also eligible for $20 worth of transit fares with the purchase of a $20 Go-To Card, a Metro Transit pass valid on all regional buses and transit.
“The commute on I-35W is about to get a little better for all drivers and we hope people will take advantage of this $25 free toll credits promotion and the $20 transit credit by signing up now,” said Nick Thompson, Mn/DOT project manager. “The Express Lanes on I-394 have had much success, and we are looking forward to extending the benefit of faster, more reliable travel between the southern suburbs and downtown Minneapolis on I-35W.”
“In addition to the time-saving benefits, there are other advantages to Express Lanes projects,” Thompson said. “They are environmentally friendly. With less time spent idling in traffic, vehicle emissions are reduced along with the amount of gasoline people are using.
The MnPASS Express Lanes program offers solo drivers the choice to pay to access the HOV/carpool lanes. Carpools with two or more occupants, motorcycles and transit buses can use the Express Lanes for free. The new I-35W MnPASS Express Lanes will include two segments from Highway 13 in Burnsville to I-494 and from I-494 to downtown Minneapolis. On the segment from I-494 to downtown, transit vehicles, carpools and MnPASS customers will drive on a converted shoulder lane north of 42nd Street during certain times when traffic is congested. Electronic signs will alert drivers as to whether the MnPASS lanes are open or closed and provide other real-time information.
Opening a new prepaid MnPASS account takes less than 10 minutes. Customers can go to mnpass.net or call the MnPASS Customer Service Center at 1-866-EZ-RIDE4 (1-866-397-4334). Within a few days after opening the account, the MnPASS Welcome Kit will come in the mail with easy instructions on how to install the transponder in the vehicle. The $25 in free toll credits will be deposited into the user’s MnPASS account. The toll credit can be used after Sept. 30, when the new lanes open, or they can be used now on the I-394 Express Lanes.
The $25 in free MnPASS toll credits promotion is good for new accounts opened between July 20 and Oct. 31, 2009, and cannot be applied to customers who have closed an account in the last six months. This promotion does not apply to transponders added to existing MnPASS accounts. The $25 in free tolls is limited to one per household, not per transponder. The transponder will provide motorists’ access to the MnPASS Express Lanes on both I-35W and the existing lanes on I-394.
New MnPASS subscribers who open an account between July 20 and Oct. 31, 2009 are also eligible for $20 worth of bus or train fares with the purchase of a $20 Go-To Card. Once enrolled in MnPASS, customers will receive details on how they can get a Go-To Card, a transit pass that's valid on all regional buses and trains. Each time a customer rides, the fare is deducted from the pass. When the pass gets low, you can add value to it at metrotransit.org.
“The combined Mn/DOT-Metro Transit promotion focuses on commuting choices,” said Brian Lamb, Metro Transit general manager. “On some days, a fast commute in a car is necessary while on other days a fast bus ride with someone else doing the driving may be important. It’s about options.”
MnPASS is part of a coordinated effort by Mn/DOT and the Urban Partnership Agreement to reduce congestion on I-35W, Highway 77/Cedar Avenue and in downtown Minneapolis. Through a combination of transit, road pricing, technology and telecommuting, project partners anticipate that commuters will experience more transportation choices, less traffic congestion and reduced commute times on some of Minnesota’s busiest roads.
Editor’s note: See map of I-35W MnPASS Express Lanes.
