Attaining a long-term goal several years ahead of time could be considered quite an accomplishment. How about reaching it 13 years earlier than projected?

That’s what Metro Transit did last year when ridership on the Minnesota agency’s Green Line continued to greatly exceed expectations. The 11-mile light-rail line between the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul averaged nearly 41,000 rides per weekday — a mark Metro Transit initially didn’t expect to reach until 2030.

Green Line ridership has exploded since the route opened in June 2014, setting records each successive year. Annual ride totals rose from 12.4 million in 2015 to 12.7 million in 2016 to 13.1 million in 2017, with last year’s count rising 3.5 percent year over year. All told, the line has logged 44.7 million rides through 2017.

And there are no indications ridership soon will plateau or erode, says Metro Transit General Manager Brian Lamb. Another increase — and another annual record — is expected in 2018, and the rider count likely will continue to rise the next several years, he says.