Metro Transit officials gathered Monday with community and business leaders to commemorate the one year mark of the METRO Green Line’s light rail service, which has seen ridership far exceeding projections and seeds of economic development begin to blossom.
While the 11-mile stretch of track has served more than 11.1 million riders in its first year and there has been about $3 billion in development along the Green Line corridor since construction began, Metro Transit General Manager Brian Lamb said the line is about more than numbers.
“The Green Line is about improved access to jobs,” Lamb said, citing a recently released Accessibility research from the University of Minnesota, which indicated the line gave improved access to about 2,000 jobs. “It’s also about access to entertainment and this week we celebrate with all of our businesses up and down the Green Line.”