Fridley Saw 9 Percent of Northstar Rides in Last 3 Months

People riding to and from Fridley Station accounted for 9 percent of all trips on Northstar Commuter Rail line in the third quarter of 2011.

That's in line with showing a bigger share for Fridley during the Minnesota Twins baseball season from April to October.

Fridley Station was the beginning or end for 18,335 trips people took in July, August and September, according to Metro Transit spokesman John Siqveland. The total number of Northstar rides for the period was 204,306.

But overall Northstar ridership figures were hurt when the caused Northstar to —including cancellation of four trains for Minnesota Twins games.

Another third-quarter development: One weekday evening Northstar train traveling from downtown Minneapolis to Big Lake no longer stops in Fridley. Metro Transit changed the schedule on Sept. 10, so trains leaving Minneapolis at 5:27 p.m. now go directly to Coon Rapids. The reason, according to Siqveland: schedule conflicts along the one track that serves Fridley (other Northstar stations have two tracks).

Metro Transit reported a 1.9 percent dip in Northstar ridership during the first nine months of the year (down to 552,000 trips). In addition to the derailment, the agency blamed that on fewer trips to Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings games and other special events.

Siquveland pointed to a 6.6 percent increase in Northstar ridership for whom he said the commuter-train line was designed: weekday commuter.

A 4.5 percent increase in bus ridership so far in 2011 helped boost total Metro Transit ridership figures: Trips on all types of buses and trains totaled 60.6 million, up 3.6 percent over the same period last year. The agency is on pace to reach 80 million rides for second time in 30 years.