Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 11 , 2008
CITY URGES: CONSIDER TRANSIT DURING RNC
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – (Aug. 11) –ST. PAUL, Minn. – (Aug. 11) -- While some bus route detours are necessary to accommodate security measures for the Republic National Convention, public transportation remains an important option for those commuting to downtown St. Paul during the event.
That message was emphasized by St. Paul city leaders and Metro Transit officials at a news conference this afternoon that established a traffic-free boundary around Xcel Energy Center, focal point of RNC activities.
To preserve its regular service during the convention, Metro Transit will field extra buses to handle additional demand and to keep its service as punctual as possible during the event. The transit agency also will have extra staff on hand to direct customers and will have supervisors at the convention’s transportation command center to monitor activities and adjust its service if necessary.
Metro Transit will make use of its satellite bus-tracking system to monitor system performance on a real-time basis and deploy the extra buses to fill service gaps as they develop.
“Even with our best efforts, we appreciate the patience and flexibility of customers during this period of intense operations,” said Julie Johanson, deputy chief of operations. “The most current information will be available on our website at metrotransit.org or by phone at 612-373-3333,” she said.
Johanson said several St. Paul routes will detour to accommodate convention activities and the planned street closures around Xcel Energy Center. This includes routes that primarily provide rush-hour express bus service; others are all-day local routes. The routes are operated by Metro Transit, Minnesota Valley Transit and Metropolitan Council regional providers.
The detours will begin at 9 a.m., Friday, Aug. 29, and continue through end of service on Friday, Sept. 5. Specific detour information will be available on Monday, Aug. 18, at metrotransit.org/rnc, at 612-373-3333 and on signs at affected bus stops.
Metro Transit is a service of the Metropolitan Council. Customers boarded Metro Transit buses and trains 77 million times in 2007, the highest annual ridership in 25 years.
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(Editors: For information call Julie Johanson, deputy chief of operations, at 612-349-7514)
