Light Rail to TCF

[Costa Rican Gopher]

Could it be all those train stations were included because there are people who live, work, and do business in Minneapolis and St. Paul other than in the two central business districts? Get back to us after you have calculated and included in your analysis the amount of time and the total cost to drive and park your car in downtown Minneapolis or St. Paul or at the U. Your analysis should also include the projected vehicle travel times and parking fees for the next 25 years with minimal construction of freeways and downtown parking ramps. I believe a large percentage of the riders on the existing LRT between downtown Minneapolis and the Mega Mall wouldn't ever consider riding a bus anywhere or any time. I am one of them. Then do the necessary research and inform us of all the times that a major capital project in any city in America with a population of over 100,000 people didn't involve politics. Until then we have no choice but to conclude that you didn't fully think through your post. It goes without saying that Costa didn't think through his post.

Try to show some class & discuss the topic without personal attacks.

Point blank, each light rail project is different. Comparing the Hiawatha line which has critical mass due to MSP airport & the MOA to the North Star (3 trains a day total) or the unknown of the Green Line is apples to oranges at best.

I actually think the Green Line is a good idea. I think St Paul is underutilized & this will help connect the two cities again. University Ave should be a vital artery, not the run down, ghost town it had become & you can visibly see the difference on University Ave since the construction began. New businesses are popping up & the cheap foreclosures/condemned houses were gobbled up & renovated into decent rentals. In fact, rents in Frogtown went up 43% alone last year, much to the displeasure of the local community (mostly low income minorities), so it's changing quickly.

My problems with the Green Line are:

A) That it's way too slow. 40 Minutes is unreasonable when I can drive it in 15 minutes or take a bus in 26-28 minutes. Surely you can see why that will dissuade people from using it as their main source for commuting once the novelty wears off?

B) My other problem with it is how unsafe it is. Unlike the Hiawatha line that runs parallel to Hiawatha Ave, the Green Line runs right down the middle of University Ave so the street itself is much more narrow & difficult for cars to maneuver, which makes it more dangerous & will hurt businesses along the route. This design also disregards public safety. On normal train tracks there's a red flashing light & a gate goes down when a train's coming. There's a good reason for that, people are dumb! The Hiawatha line has a similar set up so people don't turn into or drive straight into the train. University Ave though has nothing of the sort as evidenced by the guy who drove right into the train a couple days ago. It's not even open yet & it's already become an issue.

Like I said, I'm in favor of the Green Line, just not the hair brained way it was designed. I'll use it to go to Gopher games, as will many others coming from the Eastern Suburbs, but realistically that's the only time it would make sense for me, as someone who lives in St Paul.

 

[howeda7]

You've seen the commercial for that trailer dealer in Sebeka too many times.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

Good one. Haven't seen that in years. Pretty sure it's not in Sebeka though.

 

[UpnorthGo4]

Try to show some class & discuss the topic without personal attacks. My problems with the Green Line are:

A) That it's way too slow. 40 Minutes is unreasonable when I can drive it in 15 minutes or take a bus in 26-28 minutes. Surely you can see why that will dissuade people from using it as their main source for commuting once the novelty wears off?

Much of what I have learned about posting in GopherHole comes directly from you and Diehard. Trying looking in a mirror some time. Forty minutes is not only not unreasonable - it is very good. How long is it going to take you to drive to the campus, park your car, and walk to the stadium. If you can do it in less than 40 minutes it won't be by much. I know I can't do it in 40 minutes no matter how early I leave for the game. Then factor in how long it is going to take you to walk to the parking lot after the game, fight through all the traffic congestion, and then drive home along with thousands of other vehicles trying to leave the campus at the same time. I once spent over an hour trying to get out of a parking ramp after a Gophers basketball game. Believe me when I say that was the last time I ever parked in a ramp at the U. Now try to imagine what traffic in the Metro Area and the cost to park your car is going to be like 10 years from now. How about 20 years from now?

 

[supadupafly]

Much of what I have learned about posting in GopherHole comes directly from you and Diehard. Trying looking in a mirror some time. Forty minutes is not only not unreasonable - it is very good. How long is it going to take you to drive to the campus, park your car, and walk to the stadium. If you can do it in less than 40 minutes it won't be by much. I know I can't do it in 40 minutes no matter how early I leave for the game. Then factor in how long it is going to take you to walk to the parking lot after the game, fight through all the traffic congestion, and then drive home along with thousands of other vehicles trying to leave the campus at the same time. I once spent over an hour trying to get out of a parking ramp after a Gophers basketball game. Believe when I say that was the last time I ever parked in a ramp at the U. Now try to imagine what traffic in the Metro Area and the cost to park your car is going to be like 10 years from now. How about 20 years from now?

i really didn't want to interject myself into your group's little politically motivated pro-transit/anti-transit pissing match, but i think upnorthgo4 might have you guys in a proverbial "box" here. just saying. he makes some really good and valid points in this last post.

 

[AO54]

Much of what I have learned about posting in GopherHole comes directly from you and Diehard. Trying looking in a mirror some time. Forty minutes is not only not unreasonable - it is very good. How long is it going to take you to drive to the campus, park your car, and walk to the stadium. If you can do it in less than 40 minutes it won't be by much. I know I can't do it in 40 minutes no matter how early I leave for the game. Then factor in how long it is going to take you to walk to the parking lot after the game, fight through all the traffic congestion, and then drive home along with thousands of other vehicles trying to leave the campus at the same time. I once spent over an hour trying to get out of a parking ramp after a Gophers basketball game. Believe when I say that was the last time I ever parked in a ramp at the U. Now try to imagine what traffic in the Metro Area and the cost to park your car is going to be like 10 years from now. How about 20 years from now?

The 40 minutes is from one downtown to another on a typical day, not the 7 times a year you have to park a mile away to get a free spot before gopher games. This also isn't a New York or Chicago subway train. They simply can't put enough cars together to handle even 5% of the crowd leaving the game at once. There will be a lot of people waiting a significant amount of time to be able to catch a train.

You're not taking the train to "save time".

 

[Golden_Sloth]

A) That it's way too slow. 40 Minutes is unreasonable when I can drive it in 15 minutes or take a bus in 26-28 minutes. Surely you can see why that will dissuade people from using it as their main source for commuting once the novelty wears off?

Where are you getting your time figures? The fastest bus route I could find according to metro-transit website was 39 min:

http://www.metrotransit.org/TripPla...50&minimize=Time&accessible=False&xmode=BCLTX

I also think 15 minutes is an exaggeration for driving time. You might be able to make it in 15-20 minutes in the middle of the night, but there's no chance you can go from downtown Minneapolis to downtown St. Paul in under a half hour during rush hour.

You're also only looking at one route. I take the Hiawatha line to work regularly, and the Green Line will save about 15 minutes over the bus I currently transfer to to get to my office. So, for me at least, it will indeed be a lot faster than the bus system.

As for the safety aspect, I'd be shocked if more than a dozen people are seriously injured in the first 5-10 years. It's not very hard to avoid a metro car. You'd have to run a red light and ignore the flashing lights and blaring horns to get in one's way.

 

[Deleted_User]

In San Diego, the lines stops are often. Yet, the time between stops is short and the cars zoom off to the next one. I love the lines and the destinations worth traveling on the lines. If the lines don't stop in town often, then it discourages ridership. There are affects in both directions that make it less desirable. Somehow the rail gets used and people adjust to the daily commute.

 

[UpnorthGo4]

The 40 minutes is from one downtown to another on a typical day, not the 7 times a year you have to park a mile away to get a free spot before gopher games. This also isn't a New York or Chicago subway train. They simply can't put enough cars together to handle even 5% of the crowd leaving the game at once. There will be a lot of people waiting a significant amount of time to be able to catch a train.

You're not taking the train to "save time".

Yes, I am. I go to many Twins and Timberwolves games. I always take LRT because it is far more convenient and faster for me to do so. And I also save money to boot when I consider the cost of gas and parking in a downtown ramp. After the games I have never had to wait more than 10-15 minutes to get on a train. That is the absolute maximum. It takes me significantly more time to walk to the parking ramp, get to my car, get out of the ramp, and fight through the downtown traffic congestion. As the years go by it is going to take me more and more time for me to drive the games as the the metro area roads become more and more crowded. Meanwhile, the travel times for the LRT will remain the same.

 

[AO54]

Yes, I am. I go to many Twins and Timberwolves games. I always take LRT because it is far more convenient and faster for me to do so. And I also save money to boot when I consider the cost of gas and parking in downtown ramp. After the games I have never had to wait more than 10-15 minutes to get on a train. That is the absolute maximum. It takes me significantly more time to walk to the parking ramp, get to my car, get out of the ramp, and fight through the downtown traffic congestion.

I have too, 50,000 gopher fans is a lot different than 10,000 Twins/Timberwolves fans. I can easily get out of one of the main parking ramps for wolves games and onto the freeway at night. You're not fighting rush hour traffic on a Saturday on the freeways.

 

[husker70]

There will be trains every 10-15 minutes leaving the downtown Target station going east on the new green line past TCF. One way from the south using the blue and green lines should take about an hour.

My concern was riding the Northstar line coming from the northwest (Fridley) and it appears that will not work for a 11:00 am or night game as there are just three trains scheduled on Saturdays. Unless they add another train which will be very difficult to fit in with all the train/freight traffic on the BN rail.

I could come from the east on the green line as trains will come by every 10-15 minutes and park in the Snelling area but I don't mind the 10 minute walk to TCF from where I park free.

My point was to illustrate an Alum flying in for game. When he arrives at Minneapolis Airport, does he have a plan? Does he have somewhere to search for the timetables for the light rail? If they come up with no service is he to assume they run every 10 minutes? I just saying make it easy for every fan who choses light rail to find a way to use it. If they ever get southwest light rail built it would service some of the biggest hitters in the Twin Towns and if they go all the way to Chanhassen I can save time, hassle, parking. Right now my choices are drive to game and park or drive to the Mall of America and catch the light rail.

 

[Bayfieldgopher]

My point was to illustrate an Alum flying in for game. When he arrives at Minneapolis Airport, does he have a plan? Does he have somewhere to search for the timetables for the light rail? If they come up with no service is he to assume they run every 10 minutes? I just saying make it easy for every fan who choses light rail to find a way to use it. If they ever get southwest light rail built it would service some of the biggest hitters in the Twin Towns and if they go all the way to Chanhassen I can save time, hassle, parking. Right now my choices are drive to game and park or drive to the Mall of America and catch the light rail.

Here is what came up when I did a google search on "transportation to TCF on gameday" and I selected the UM Transportation Shuttle link. It was easy to find. I your scenerio, I will assume any UM alum is capable of doing the same and have a plan.

I would think that the UM will update their web page sometime this Summer to include the Green Line and also with their season ticket info package. And the Metro Transit webpage will have the Green Line schedule posted. There has to be kiosk's at MSP with the light rail info.



**********
Additional Transportation Options
For those who would rather avoid driving to campus on game days, there are a number of transportation choices.

Bus/Light Rail
Metro Transit offers fast, frequent service to TCF Bank Stadium on several bus routes. Or take the train to Downtown East-Metrodome Station where you can catch a #16 bus for a short ride to the stadium. Visit Metro Transit for personalized trip planning.

 

[Ski U Master]

I took it for a whirl. I plugged in Airport Hilton in Bloomington wanting to arrive at TCF Bank Stadium at 11:00 AM on 09/20/2014. The game time has not been set, but tailgating should be available for the San Jose State game. The result was there is no service at 11:00 AM.

You're searching for a time 4 months out, might be a limitation on the system for how many months in advance you can search. Obviously the Hiawatha Line is running on Saturday morning and the 16 bus is running so there is a way.

 

[dpodoll68]

You're searching for a time 4 months out, might be a limitation on the system for how many months in advance you can search. Obviously the Hiawatha Line is running on Saturday morning and the 16 bus is running so there is a way.

In addition, he's also complaining about being unable to see schedules for a service that doesn't even exist yet.

 

[Spoofin]

Much of what I have learned about posting in GopherHole comes directly from you and Diehard. Trying looking in a mirror some time. Forty minutes is not only not unreasonable - it is very good. How long is it going to take you to drive to the campus, park your car, and walk to the stadium. If you can do it in less than 40 minutes it won't be by much. I know I can't do it in 40 minutes no matter how early I leave for the game. Then factor in how long it is going to take you to walk to the parking lot after the game, fight through all the traffic congestion, and then drive home along with thousands of other vehicles trying to leave the campus at the same time. I once spent over an hour trying to get out of a parking ramp after a Gophers basketball game. Believe me when I say that was the last time I ever parked in a ramp at the U. Now try to imagine what traffic in the Metro Area and the cost to park your car is going to be like 10 years from now. How about 20 years from now?

Chances are pretty good you'll wait in line another 40-min to get on the train after the game. Ever bus to St. Paul after Gopher games? Ever take the light rail home from a Twins game? Same thing here. If we are going to look at this in a time-sense (rather than in a money-sense) then let's not pretend grabbing the train home is going to be anything short of painful.

 

[pointman99]

My point was to illustrate an Alum flying in for game. When he arrives at Minneapolis Airport, does he have a plan? Does he have somewhere to search for the timetables for the light rail? If they come up with no service is he to assume they run every 10 minutes? I just saying make it easy for every fan who choses light rail to find a way to use it. If they ever get southwest light rail built it would service some of the biggest hitters in the Twin Towns and if they go all the way to Chanhassen I can save time, hassle, parking. Right now my choices are drive to game and park or drive to the Mall of America and catch the light rail.

Hopefully, they just haven't add that line to their site. If it's at all like the timing of the Hiawatha Line it'll be about 40-45mins if the transfer is smooth.

 

[Costa Rican Gopher]

Much of what I have learned about posting in GopherHole comes directly from you and Diehard. Trying looking in a mirror some time. Forty minutes is not only not unreasonable - it is very good. How long is it going to take you to drive to the campus, park your car, and walk to the stadium. If you can do it in less than 40 minutes it won't be by much. I know I can't do it in 40 minutes no matter how early I leave for the game. Then factor in how long it is going to take you to walk to the parking lot after the game, fight through all the traffic congestion, and then drive home along with thousands of other vehicles trying to leave the campus at the same time. I once spent over an hour trying to get out of a parking ramp after a Gophers basketball game. Believe me when I say that was the last time I ever parked in a ramp at the U. Now try to imagine what traffic in the Metro Area and the cost to park your car is going to be like 10 years from now. How about 20 years from now?

More insults & finger pointing.

If you're going to contrast all my posts, it's important to read & comprehend them. If you had read & understood my posts you'd know that I never said 40 minutes was unreasonable for the occasional football game. In fact, I said I'd use the Green line personally for precisely that purpose. What I actually said is that 40 minutes is unreasonable for a daily train commute, when much faster options are available.

 

[Costa Rican Gopher]

i really didn't want to interject myself into your group's little politically motivated pro-transit/anti-transit pissing match, but i think upnorthgo4 might have you guys in a proverbial "box" here. just saying. he makes some really good and valid points in this last post.

He didn't even understand the point I was making, much less put anyone in a box.

I'm talking about 40 minutes from DT STP to DT Mpls on the Green line being unreasonable for daily commuting when faster options are available. He's talking about the occasional trip for a football game. If you read my posts, you'd note that I agree with him. For the occasional football game it's a great option.

 

[Costa Rican Gopher]

Where are you getting your time figures? The fastest bus route I could find according to metro-transit website was 39 min:

http://www.metrotransit.org/TripPla...50&minimize=Time&accessible=False&xmode=BCLTX

I also think 15 minutes is an exaggeration for driving time. You might be able to make it in 15-20 minutes in the middle of the night, but there's no chance you can go from downtown Minneapolis to downtown St. Paul in under a half hour during rush hour.

You're also only looking at one route. I take the Hiawatha line to work regularly, and the Green Line will save about 15 minutes over the bus I currently transfer to to get to my office. So, for me at least, it will indeed be a lot faster than the bus system.

As for the safety aspect, I'd be shocked if more than a dozen people are seriously injured in the first 5-10 years. It's not very hard to avoid a metro car. You'd have to run a red light and ignore the flashing lights and blaring horns to get in one's way.

- According to MTC trip planner, 4th St & Minnesota St in DT STP to 4th St & Nicollet Mall = 24 minutes on the 94C Express bus.
http://www.metrotransit.org/TripPla...rt&minimize=Time&accessible=False&xmode=BCLTX

- I drove from the Lexington exit on 94 in STP to 5th St exit in DT Mpls in under 15 minutes on a regular basis for years. During rush hour it still only takes me about 15 minutes. All you have to do is stay in the far right lane after the Cretin/Vandalia exit & avoid the 35W back up. Anyone who makes this commute regularly should know how to do this.

- From the Xcel to Lexington is 5 minutes on top of the previous 15 minutes. Nicollet Ave is 20 minutes if you drive agressively, even at rush hour if you know the route. Ofv peak hours I routinely make DT STP to DT Mpls in just over 15 minutes. If it takes you more than 30 minutes, you're not doing it right.

- You're just pulling numbers out of thin air, but let's say these were accurate. You make it sound like a dozen serious injuries from the lack of basic safeguards over 5-10 years is an acceptable number? Do you think Metro Transit thinks that's an acceptable number?The fact that we had someone crash into the train just the other day, just proves the point. By your logic, why even have crossing gates at RR crossings? Surely people can see/hear the train coming & not drive in front of it right?
http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_25737670/truck-collides-light-rail-train-at-st-paul

 

[AO54]

http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2014/05/metro_transit_not_sweating_report_indicating_green_line_lrt_is_slower_than_bus.php

pretty sure the marathon runners can make it between the downtowns in less than 70 minutes

 

[Ski U Master]

http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2014/05/metro_transit_not_sweating_report_indicating_green_line_lrt_is_slower_than_bus.php

pretty sure the marathon runners can make it between the downtowns in less than 70 minutes

Transit times being higher than expected in the test phase is not news, that's what the testing phase is for. Hiawatha Line experienced the same issues with signal timing when it was being built/tested, although those issues mostly presented problems for commuters on Hiawatha Ave.

 

[Costa Rican Gopher]

"That is a concern, and that's (70 minutes) without even stopping to pick up passengers," said St. Paul City Council Member Dave Thune. "It's certainly not what was planned to be competitive, if the old buses were faster." [video]http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_25763618/metro-transit-looks-speed-up-green-line-trips[/video]

 

[Golden_Sloth]

- According to MTC trip planner, 4th St & Minnesota St in DT STP to 4th St & Nicollet Mall = 24 minutes on the 94C Express bus.
http://www.metrotransit.org/TripPla...rt&minimize=Time&accessible=False&xmode=BCLTX

- I drove from the Lexington exit on 94 in STP to 5th St exit in DT Mpls in under 15 minutes on a regular basis for years. During rush hour it still only takes me about 15 minutes. All you have to do is stay in the far right lane after the Cretin/Vandalia exit & avoid the 35W back up. Anyone who makes this commute regularly should know how to do this.

- From the Xcel to Lexington is 5 minutes on top of the previous 15 minutes. Nicollet Ave is 20 minutes if you drive agressively, even at rush hour if you know the route. Ofv peak hours I routinely make DT STP to DT Mpls in just over 15 minutes. If it takes you more than 30 minutes, you're not doing it right.

- You're just pulling numbers out of thin air, but let's say these were accurate. You make it sound like a dozen serious injuries from the lack of basic safeguards over 5-10 years is an acceptable number? Do you think Metro Transit thinks that's an acceptable number?The fact that we had someone crash into the train just the other day, just proves the point. By your logic, why even have crossing gates at RR crossings? Surely people can see/hear the train coming & not drive in front of it right?
http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_25737670/truck-collides-light-rail-train-at-st-paul

The problem is, you're comparing apples to oranges with all of your time figures.

If you can get from union depot in St. Paul to the light rail station at 5th & Nicollet during rush hour in 15 minutes, as you stated in the original post I replied to, I will send you a check for $100. Same if you can make the trip by bus in under 28 minutes.

Take a video of your trip and post it on youtube for proof. Easy $100 right?

 

[Costa Rican Gopher]

The problem is, you're comparing apples to oranges with all of your time figures.

If you can get from union depot in St. Paul to the light rail station at 5th & Nicollet during rush hour in 15 minutes, as you stated in the original post I replied to, I will send you a check for $100. Same if you can make the trip by bus in under 28 minutes.

Take a video of your trip and post it on youtube for proof. Easy $100 right?

I said 15 minutes when it's NOT rush hour.

From the article linked....

"On Interstate 94, a driver can make the trip between the two downtowns in as little as 15 minutes in light traffic."

Regardless, we're splitting hairs. The point is that it is significantly faster via bus or driving than via light rail.

 

[Dr.Don]

Green Train now leaving. Be under it!!!

 

[supadupafly]

Green Train now leaving. Be under it!!!

this!

 

[Ski U Master]

"That is a concern, and that's (70 minutes) without even stopping to pick up passengers," said St. Paul City Council Member Dave Thune. "It's certainly not what was planned to be competitive, if the old buses were faster." [video]http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_25763618/metro-transit-looks-speed-up-green-line-trips[/video]

People need to stop drawing comparisons and results from preliminary testing, it's absurd. Signaling and traffic pattern timing will be improved and the operators will be more familiar with the accel/decel zones. It's like drawing conclusions from the spring game. Once revenue service starts and it's still this bad then complain all you want, but keep in mind this is not an express route whose purpose was to link commuters in downtown St. Paul with jobs in downtown Minneapolis or vice versa. It is a corridor to primarily serve one of the densest transit corridors in the metro and to spur development along University Ave.

 

[Gopherdrummer]

People need to stop drawing comparisons and results from preliminary testing, it's absurd. Signaling and traffic pattern timing will be improved and the operators will be more familiar with the accel/decel zones. It's like drawing conclusions from the spring game. Once revenue service starts and it's still this bad then complain all you want, but keep in mind this is not an express route whose purpose was to link commuters in downtown St. Paul with jobs in downtown Minneapolis or vice versa. It is a corridor to primarily serve one of the densest transit corridors in the metro and to spur development along University Ave.

Agree with your points. I will also add that even prior to any construction, it took well over an hour to get from the U to downtown St. Paul via the 16 on University Ave. during rush hour. Sure, there are express buses that would get you there faster. But as said a few times here, this is a corridor to serve University Ave. So comparatively the current bus situation isn't ideal.

The Green Line should be able to reduce that time simply because the trains don't need to navigate around cars between traffic lights. The safety issues are alarming and hopefully they sort those out

 

[UpnorthGo4]

Chances are pretty good you'll wait in line another 40-min to get on the train after the game. Ever bus to St. Paul after Gopher games? Ever take the light rail home from a Twins game? Same thing here. If we are going to look at this in a time-sense (rather than in a money-sense) then let's not pretend grabbing the train home is going to be anything short of painful.

You don't have to wait 40 minutes for a train after the game unless you want to. As I stated in an earlier post, I have never waited more than 10 to 15 minutes for a train after a Twins, Vikings, or Wolves game. Furthermore, I have never left a game early to catch a train. or cut in line ahead of other riders.

 

[UpnorthGo4]

More insults & finger pointing.

If you're going to contrast all my posts, it's important to read & comprehend them. If you had read & understood my posts you'd know that I never said 40 minutes was unreasonable for the occasional football game. In fact, I said I'd use the Green line personally for precisely that purpose. What I actually said is that 40 minutes is unreasonable for a daily train commute, when much faster options are available.

And if you are going to criticize my posts you need to take the time to understand and address all the points I made. My main point was that for me riding the train to Twins, Vikings, and Wolves games is both cheaper and faster than driving my car. I wasn't addressing the experience of everyday commuters other than to say that many people are willing to pay to ride LRT who wouldn't ride a city bus for free. I am one of them.

It won't be cheaper or faster for me to ride the train to Gophers games because I found a place within a 20 minute walk where I can park for free and can make a quick exit from the campus without dealing with traffic congestion. But I am going to ride the train to the Gopher games anyway because I like the shared experience it offers fans. The pre-game anticipation and post-game celebration with other fans if the Gophers win is an important part of the whole experience of a Big 10 football game.

The final point I made in my original post is that the amount of time and cost for people to commute and park in the two downtowns or at the U is only going to get worse in the future because freeway capacity in the Twin Cities Metro Area is never going to keep up with population growth. LRT is not being planned for the current highway and street capacity and public transportation system but what will exist 20 or 30 years from now. Right now commuting times and parking costs are tolerable for most people who work downtown but that most likely will not be the case in 10 or 20 years. Downtown employees are going to need a viable public transportation system and LRT is going to be a much needed piece of that system.

 

[Spoofin]

You don't have to wait 40 minutes for a train after the game unless you want to. As I stated in an earlier post, I have never waited more than 10 to 15 minutes for a train after a Twins, Vikings, or Wolves game. Furthermore, I have never left a game early to catch a train. or cut in line ahead of other riders.

Simply not true. You can not stay to the end of a Twins or Vikings game and then get in line for the light rail and be aboard in 15-minutes. Unless maybe you are cherry picking a game that is a blowout and 70% of fans have left early.