Metro Transit using three-car light rail trains on a busy Saturday in the Twin Cities after finishing pilot program

It was game on times two Saturday night in downtown Minneapolis.

“I’m excited,” declared Derrick Williams, a Vikings fan from Blaine. “Always good to come to a game, the atmosphere, everything. A good night, looking forward to it.”

Vikings and Twins fans were gearing up for a pair of games that started just 10 minutes apart, around 6 p.m.  

Some were walking, but others rode on the light rail.

“Even with one event, it can be crowded, but with the Twins and that, too, you don’t know,” noted Steve Pepera, from Farmington. “Two events, what it’s going to end up like.”

The Minneapolis Downtown Council estimates with two simultaneous games, plus events at the Orpheum and Guthrie Theaters, more than 70,000 people were there.

A Twins spokesperson says at Target Field, there was an attendance of 21,781 people.

Those numbers are a kind of test for Metro Transit.

“I think for people who like the train, it’s a good option,” says Williams’ wife Clarinda. “If it’s convenient for you. I think with COVID restrictions, it’s a little bit safer.”

Between July 9 and Friday, Metro Transit ran two-car trains on the Blue and Green Lines.  

It’s part of a bigger plan to address safety concerns, to make the cars cleaner, and to enhance more interaction between riders and Metro Transit Police.

“Little bit of a wait, but other than that, cars are clean, and at the beginning, not too many people,” Pepera says.

It wasn’t busy just in Minneapolis.

The Minnesota United and the St. Paul Saints also had games Saturday night.

A United spokesperson says the game at Allianz Field was a sell-out, with 19,829 people.

So the Green Line had plenty of riders.  

On a Saturday with so many activities, Metro Transit opted to use three-car trains.

There is a caveat though: wait times between trains increased from 12 to 15 minutes.

Moving forward, the agency says it will look at projected ridership to decide whether to permanently reduce its trains to two cars or go back to three.

“I think two cars probably during game time, even if it’s just a Vikings game, any game, two cars is not enough,” declares Shawn Pierce, a light rail rider from Farmington. “I think three cars, trial by error and see how it goes.”

Riders who spoke with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS say on these busy mega-event weekends, the train ride home can get crowded.

They say after a long evening, it’s something they’d like to avoid.

“I don’t enjoy it,” say Jan Bromenschenkel, from Mendota Heights. “You know I’ve got bad knees, but it’s too crowded. That was really nice when I saw the put-together car tonight.”

The Vikings and Twins both have home games scheduled for Sept. 11 and the Sept. 25.

The times will be staggered though, so likely there won’t be as many people coming downtown all at the same time.

Metro Transit says using three cars versus two will be on a case-by-case basis. Jeff Meussner, visiting from Detroit, says he liked riding on the light rail — as long as the system gets people where they need to go, efficiently.

“If you can move people faster, that’s a good idea if they can keep up the same service,” he says.