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Metro Fares

Moscow has several fare zones where Metro fares will vary. The Moscow Metro and the MCDs are both within fare zone A, where the base rate is charged.

The easiest way to pay Metro fare is to use the Troika Card, which can be programmed for any travel frequency: from a single trip to unlimited monthly travel.

The card is available from any Metro station ticket window (the card also comes in such unusual designs as rings and bracelets) or ticket machine inside station entrance. You can load up to RUB 3,000 on your Troika card via the ticket window or machine, or on the Metro website. The card's deposit value is RUB 50 (refundable when you return the card at the Metro ticket window if you no longer need it). The fare is RUB 46 per trip with a Troika Card.

A single-trip universal (Ediniy) travel card is RUB 61, covering transfers to MCC, MCD or other surface transit services.

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Getting around and planning your itinerary in Moscow

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2018 Primetime Emmy & James Beard Award Winner

In Transit: Notes from the Underground

Jun 06 2018.

Spend some time in one of Moscow’s finest museums.

Subterranean commuting might not be anyone’s idea of a good time, but even in a city packing the war-games treasures and priceless bejeweled eggs of the Kremlin Armoury and the colossal Soviet pavilions of the VDNKh , the Metro holds up as one of Moscow’s finest museums. Just avoid rush hour.

The Metro is stunning and provides an unrivaled insight into the city’s psyche, past and present, but it also happens to be the best way to get around. Moscow has Uber, and the Russian version called Yandex Taxi , but also some nasty traffic. Metro trains come around every 90 seconds or so, at a more than 99 percent on-time rate. It’s also reasonably priced, with a single ride at 55 cents (and cheaper in bulk). From history to tickets to rules — official and not — here’s what you need to know to get started.

A Brief Introduction Buying Tickets Know Before You Go (Down) Rules An Easy Tour

A Brief Introduction

Moscow’s Metro was a long time coming. Plans for rapid transit to relieve the city’s beleaguered tram system date back to the Imperial era, but a couple of wars and a revolution held up its development. Stalin revived it as part of his grand plan to modernize the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 30s. The first lines and tunnels were constructed with help from engineers from the London Underground, although Stalin’s secret police decided that they had learned too much about Moscow’s layout and had them arrested on espionage charges and deported.

The beauty of its stations (if not its trains) is well-documented, and certainly no accident. In its illustrious first phases and particularly after the Second World War, the greatest architects of Soviet era were recruited to create gleaming temples celebrating the Revolution, the USSR, and the war triumph. No two stations are exactly alike, and each of the classic showpieces has a theme. There are world-famous shrines to Futurist architecture, a celebration of electricity, tributes to individuals and regions of the former Soviet Union. Each marble slab, mosaic tile, or light fixture was placed with intent, all in service to a station’s aesthetic; each element, f rom the smallest brass ear of corn to a large blood-spattered sword on a World War II mural, is an essential part of the whole.

metro transit trip planning

The Metro is a monument to the Soviet propaganda project it was intended to be when it opened in 1935 with the slogan “Building a Palace for the People”. It brought the grand interiors of Imperial Russia to ordinary Muscovites, celebrated the Soviet Union’s past achievements while promising its citizens a bright Soviet future, and of course, it was a show-piece for the world to witness the might and sophistication of life in the Soviet Union.

It may be a museum, but it’s no relic. U p to nine million people use it daily, more than the London Underground and New York Subway combined. (Along with, at one time, about 20 stray dogs that learned to commute on the Metro.)

In its 80+ year history, the Metro has expanded in phases and fits and starts, in step with the fortunes of Moscow and Russia. Now, partly in preparation for the World Cup 2018, it’s also modernizing. New trains allow passengers to walk the entire length of the train without having to change carriages. The system is becoming more visitor-friendly. (There are helpful stickers on the floor marking out the best selfie spots .) But there’s a price to modernity: it’s phasing out one of its beloved institutions, the escalator attendants. Often they are middle-aged or elderly women—“ escalator grandmas ” in news accounts—who have held the post for decades, sitting in their tiny kiosks, scolding commuters for bad escalator etiquette or even bad posture, or telling jokes . They are slated to be replaced, when at all, by members of the escalator maintenance staff.

For all its achievements, the Metro lags behind Moscow’s above-ground growth, as Russia’s capital sprawls ever outwards, generating some of the world’s worst traffic jams . But since 2011, the Metro has been in the middle of an ambitious and long-overdue enlargement; 60 new stations are opening by 2020. If all goes to plan, the 2011-2020 period will have brought 125 miles of new tracks and over 100 new stations — a 40 percent increase — the fastest and largest expansion phase in any period in the Metro’s history.

Facts: 14 lines Opening hours: 5 a.m-1 a.m. Rush hour(s): 8-10 a.m, 4-8 p.m. Single ride: 55₽ (about 85 cents) Wi-Fi network-wide

metro transit trip planning

Buying Tickets

  • Ticket machines have a button to switch to English.
  • You can buy specific numbers of rides: 1, 2, 5, 11, 20, or 60. Hold up fingers to show how many rides you want to buy.
  • There is also a 90-minute ticket , which gets you 1 trip on the metro plus an unlimited number of transfers on other transport (bus, tram, etc) within 90 minutes.
  • Or, you can buy day tickets with unlimited rides: one day (218₽/ US$4), three days (415₽/US$7) or seven days (830₽/US$15). Check the rates here to stay up-to-date.
  • If you’re going to be using the Metro regularly over a few days, it’s worth getting a Troika card , a contactless, refillable card you can use on all public transport. Using the Metro is cheaper with one of these: a single ride is 36₽, not 55₽. Buy them and refill them in the Metro stations, and they’re valid for 5 years, so you can keep it for next time. Or, if you have a lot of cash left on it when you leave, you can get it refunded at the Metro Service Centers at Ulitsa 1905 Goda, 25 or at Staraya Basmannaya 20, Building 1.
  • You can also buy silicone bracelets and keychains with built-in transport chips that you can use as a Troika card. (A Moscow Metro Fitbit!) So far, you can only get these at the Pushkinskaya metro station Live Helpdesk and souvenir shops in the Mayakovskaya and Trubnaya metro stations. The fare is the same as for the Troika card.
  • You can also use Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Rules, spoken and unspoken

No smoking, no drinking, no filming, no littering. Photography is allowed, although it used to be banned.

Stand to the right on the escalator. Break this rule and you risk the wrath of the legendary escalator attendants. (No shenanigans on the escalators in general.)

Get out of the way. Find an empty corner to hide in when you get off a train and need to stare at your phone. Watch out getting out of the train in general; when your train doors open, people tend to appear from nowhere or from behind ornate marble columns, walking full-speed.

Always offer your seat to elderly ladies (what are you, a monster?).

An Easy Tour

This is no Metro Marathon ( 199 stations in 20 hours ). It’s an easy tour, taking in most—though not all—of the notable stations, the bulk of it going clockwise along the Circle line, with a couple of short detours. These stations are within minutes of one another, and the whole tour should take about 1-2 hours.

Start at Mayakovskaya Metro station , at the corner of Tverskaya and Garden Ring,  Triumfalnaya Square, Moskva, Russia, 125047.

1. Mayakovskaya.  Named for Russian Futurist Movement poet Vladimir Mayakovsky and an attempt to bring to life the future he imagined in his poems. (The Futurist Movement, natch, was all about a rejecting the past and celebrating all things speed, industry, modern machines, youth, modernity.) The result: an Art Deco masterpiece that won the National Grand Prix for architecture at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. It’s all smooth, rounded shine and light, and gentle arches supported by columns of dark pink marble and stainless aircraft steel. Each of its 34 ceiling niches has a mosaic. During World War II, the station was used as an air-raid shelter and, at one point, a bunker for Stalin. He gave a subdued but rousing speech here in Nov. 6, 1941 as the Nazis bombed the city above.

metro transit trip planning

Take the 3/Green line one station to:

2. Belorusskaya. Opened in 1952, named after the connected Belarussky Rail Terminal, which runs trains between Moscow and Belarus. This is a light marble affair with a white, cake-like ceiling, lined with Belorussian patterns and 12 Florentine ceiling mosaics depicting life in Belarussia when it was built.

metro transit trip planning

Transfer onto the 1/Brown line. Then, one stop (clockwise) t o:

3. Novoslobodskaya.  This station was designed around the stained-glass panels, which were made in Latvia, because Alexey Dushkin, the Soviet starchitect who dreamed it up (and also designed Mayakovskaya station) couldn’t find the glass and craft locally. The stained glass is the same used for Riga’s Cathedral, and the panels feature plants, flowers, members of the Soviet intelligentsia (musician, artist, architect) and geometric shapes.

metro transit trip planning

Go two stops east on the 1/Circle line to:

4. Komsomolskaya. Named after the Komsomol, or the Young Communist League, this might just be peak Stalin Metro style. Underneath the hub for three regional railways, it was intended to be a grand gateway to Moscow and is today its busiest station. It has chandeliers; a yellow ceiling with Baroque embellishments; and in the main hall, a colossal red star overlaid on golden, shimmering tiles. Designer Alexey Shchusev designed it as an homage to the speech Stalin gave at Red Square on Nov. 7, 1941, in which he invoked Russia’s illustrious military leaders as a pep talk to Soviet soldiers through the first catastrophic year of the war.   The station’s eight large mosaics are of the leaders referenced in the speech, such as Alexander Nevsky, a 13th-century prince and military commander who bested German and Swedish invading armies.

metro transit trip planning

One more stop clockwise to Kurskaya station,  and change onto the 3/Blue  line, and go one stop to:

5. Baumanskaya.   Opened in 1944. Named for the Bolshevik Revolutionary Nikolai Bauman , whose monument and namesake district are aboveground here. Though he seemed like a nasty piece of work (he apparently once publicly mocked a woman he had impregnated, who later hung herself), he became a Revolutionary martyr when he was killed in 1905 in a skirmish with a monarchist, who hit him on the head with part of a steel pipe. The station is in Art Deco style with atmospherically dim lighting, and a series of bronze sculptures of soldiers and homefront heroes during the War. At one end, there is a large mosaic portrait of Lenin.

metro transit trip planning

Stay on that train direction one more east to:

6. Elektrozavodskaya. As you may have guessed from the name, this station is the Metro’s tribute to all thing electrical, built in 1944 and named after a nearby lightbulb factory. It has marble bas-relief sculptures of important figures in electrical engineering, and others illustrating the Soviet Union’s war-time struggles at home. The ceiling’s recurring rows of circular lamps give the station’s main tunnel a comforting glow, and a pleasing visual effect.

metro transit trip planning

Double back two stops to Kurskaya station , and change back to the 1/Circle line. Sit tight for six stations to:

7. Kiyevskaya. This was the last station on the Circle line to be built, in 1954, completed under Nikita Khrushchev’ s guidance, as a tribute to his homeland, Ukraine. Its three large station halls feature images celebrating Ukraine’s contributions to the Soviet Union and Russo-Ukrainian unity, depicting musicians, textile-working, soldiers, farmers. (One hall has frescoes, one mosaics, and the third murals.) Shortly after it was completed, Khrushchev condemned the architectural excesses and unnecessary luxury of the Stalin era, which ushered in an epoch of more austere Metro stations. According to the legend at least, he timed the policy in part to ensure no Metro station built after could outshine Kiyevskaya.

metro transit trip planning

Change to the 3/Blue line and go one stop west.

8. Park Pobedy. This is the deepest station on the Metro, with one of the world’s longest escalators, at 413 feet. If you stand still, the escalator ride to the surface takes about three minutes .) Opened in 2003 at Victory Park, the station celebrates two of Russia’s great military victories. Each end has a mural by Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli, who also designed the “ Good Defeats Evil ” statue at the UN headquarters in New York. One mural depicts the Russian generals’ victory over the French in 1812 and the other, the German surrender of 1945. The latter is particularly striking; equal parts dramatic, triumphant, and gruesome. To the side, Red Army soldiers trample Nazi flags, and if you look closely there’s some blood spatter among the detail. Still, the biggest impressions here are the marble shine of the chessboard floor pattern and the pleasingly geometric effect if you view from one end to the other.

metro transit trip planning

Keep going one more stop west to:

9. Slavyansky Bulvar.  One of the Metro’s youngest stations, it opened in 2008. With far higher ceilings than many other stations—which tend to have covered central tunnels on the platforms—it has an “open-air” feel (or as close to it as you can get, one hundred feet under). It’s an homage to French architect Hector Guimard, he of the Art Nouveau entrances for the Paris M é tro, and that’s precisely what this looks like: A Moscow homage to the Paris M é tro, with an additional forest theme. A Cyrillic twist on Guimard’s Metro-style lettering over the benches, furnished with t rees and branch motifs, including creeping vines as towering lamp-posts.

metro transit trip planning

Stay on the 3/Blue line and double back four stations to:

10. Arbatskaya. Its first iteration, Arbatskaya-Smolenskaya station, was damaged by German bombs in 1941. It was rebuilt in 1953, and designed to double as a bomb shelter in the event of nuclear war, although unusually for stations built in the post-war phase, this one doesn’t have a war theme. It may also be one of the system’s most elegant: Baroque, but toned down a little, with red marble floors and white ceilings with gilded bronze c handeliers.

metro transit trip planning

Jump back on the 3/Blue line  in the same direction and take it one more stop:

11. Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). Opened in 1938, and serving Red Square and the Kremlin . Its renowned central hall has marble columns flanked by 76 bronze statues of Soviet heroes: soldiers, students, farmers, athletes, writers, parents. Some of these statues’ appendages have a yellow sheen from decades of Moscow’s commuters rubbing them for good luck. Among the most popular for a superstitious walk-by rub: the snout of a frontier guard’s dog, a soldier’s gun (where the touch of millions of human hands have tapered the gun barrel into a fine, pointy blade), a baby’s foot, and a woman’s knee. (A brass rooster also sports the telltale gold sheen, though I am told that rubbing the rooster is thought to bring bad luck. )

Now take the escalator up, and get some fresh air.

metro transit trip planning

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21 Things to Know Before You Go to Moscow

Featured city guides.

Moscow Metro: The Complete Guide

The Moscow Metro is busy, but easy to use

Robert Schrader

With nearly 7 million riders per day on its 16 lines, the Moscow Metro is the sixth-busiest metro system in the world as of March 2019. Riding the Moscow Metro, however, does not need to be a stressful experience. In fact, it's by far the easiest and most enjoyable way to get around Moscow, especially since many Moscow Metro stations are veritable works of art. Our guide to the public transportation will teach you how to ride the Metro and more.

How to Ride the Moscow Metro

Here is some essential practical information you need to know to easily and seamlessly ride the Moscow Metro.

  • Fares: Moscow Metro fares start at 55 rubles for a one-way ticket, which is good for five days after purchase. You'll pay more if your journey takes you outside of the central Moscow zones of A and B, though this is not the case for most tourists.
  • How to Pay: Cash is the only way to buy a one-way ticket. However, if you have Apple Pay or Samsung Pay, you can tap your phone directly at the ticket gate and enter using NFC technology. You can also use both mobile payments and credit cards to top-up your reloadable Troika card.
  • Routes and Hours: The Moscow Metro has 13 lines that snake and criss-cross the city, plus outer and inner loop lines that string them together, as well as a monorail. The Moscow Metro is open from approximately 5:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., and trains run with a frequency that can range between 1 and 7 minutes.
  • Service Alerts: Download the official MosMetro app on the AppStore or Google Play .
  • Transfers: Regardless of how you pay to enter the Moscow Metro, you can transfer to any of the core lines plus the Moscow Monorail without passing through an additional ticket gate. If you wish to transfer to bus lines, airport trains or other rail services, paying with Troika or your mobile device might be more convenient.
  • Accessibility: Although Moscow Metro is impressive and modern in many ways, it is not very accessible . Visitors who use wheelchairs should try to avoid the subway and take aboveground transportation instead.

Beautiful Moscow Metro Stations

The Moscow Metro has achieved internet notoriety — and not just because of how busy it is. Several Moscow Metro stations are distractingly beautiful, including:

  • Aviamotornaya: Brilliant gold themed to the flight of Icarus.
  • Komsomolskaya: Bright yellow ceilings and murals chronicling Russia's journey to independence.
  • Mayakovskaya: Art Deco, featuring mosaic ceilings and pink marble floor
  • Park Pobedy: Modern station (built in 2003) with colorful murals; one of the deepest metro stations in the world (276 feet below ground!).
  • Ploschad Revolutsii: Constructed in 1938 at the height of Soviet pride, this station is home to bronze statues that locals still rub for good luck.

Although it's technically legal to take pictures within the Moscow Metro, guards might approach you if you spend too long photographing a particular station, or use professional equipment like a tripod. Be as discreet as possible to avoid an uncomfortable confrontation!

Other Moscow Public Transit

In addition to the (mostly) subterranean transport offered by the Moscow Metro, Russia's capital is home to a number of aboveground transport options. This includes a large network of buses, as well as trams and "trolley buses." While these are all cheaper than the Moscow Metro, they also require some command of Russian to use; the ordinary buses are also subject to sitting in Moscow's terrible traffic.

In terms of payment, your Moscow Metro ticket isn't valid for transit to any other form of transit, though a Troika card will allow you to do so seamlessly. Likewise, while the various Aeroexpress trains (between Sheremetyevo Airport and Belorussky Station, Domodedovo Airport and Paveletsky Station and between Vnukovo Airport and Kievsky Station) feature modern vehicles and offer fast, reliable connections to Moscow's major airports, these lines are not considered to be part of the Moscow Metro system.

As noted earlier, the Moscow Metro is technically organized by "Zone," with the center of Moscow being occupied by the "A" and "B" zone. Again, you shouldn't worry too much about this. If you're hanging out in the parts of the city, you probably speak enough Russian to be able to ask a local for advice!

Taxis and Ride Sharing Apps

The bad news? It is exceedingly unlikely that a taxi drive in Moscow will speak English. The good news? Uber works in Moscow as of March 2019, which means that if you have the app installed on your smartphone (and a Russian SIM card, which you can pick up at Moscow Airport), your next Moscow ride is basically a matter of plug-and-play.

Russia also has a number of homegrown ride sharing apps, though these aren't as ubiquitous as Uber — they also don't have good English-language interfaces. If you're interested in learning more about them, in any case, be sure to visit the websites of InDriver or Taxi Maxim . Keep in mind that many of these applications require Russian credit cards, or a Russian bank account to pay for rides.

Security-wise, the technological aspect of using ride sharing apps in Russia makes them relatively safe. On the other hand, taxis have a dodgy reputation at best. If you do end up needing to take a taxi in Moscow, make sure to use a registered car. The ones waiting at the airport stands are generally legitimate; within the city limits, try and have your hotel call a taxi to be safe.

Renting a Car in Moscow

Traffic in Moscow is reliably awful, to say nothing of how difficult navigating the city's serpentine network of ring roads and one-way streets can be. However, if you do want to rent a car in Moscow (or in Russia, more generally) there are some facts you should keep in mind.

Documentation wise, it's not officially necessary to carry an International Driving Permit (IDP) — your US driver's license will work, at least if you plan to drive in Russia for less than six months. However, it might serve you well to get an IDP (you can apply at your local AAA office) for peace of mind. In Russia as in the US, you drive on the right side of the road; gas costs about 40 rubles per liter, or about $2.40 per gallon.

Another potential downfall of renting a car of Russia is the threat of interactions with Russian traffic police. While this doesn't put you in any mortal danger, there is a chance you'll have to bribe your way out of any confrontation, which outside the center of Moscow or other Russian cities will almost certainly necessitate some Russian language or body language skills.

Tips for Getting Around Moscow

Regardless of whether you take the Moscow Metro or any of the other transportation options listed here, these general tips for getting around Moscow will serve you well:

  • Moscow's city center is very walkable. Unless you're visiting on a bitterly cold day during the middle of winter, many of Moscow's attractions are close enough together that you could walk. For example, you can easily walk from Red Square to Gorky Park, Bolshoy Theatre , Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts , the Kremlin or simply along the Moskva River.
  • All roads lead to Red Square. Although Moscow is not a grid-pattern city, it is relatively organized. The majority of major roads start and end at Red Square; the rest are circular ones that connect the "spokes" from Red Square. With this basic idea in mind, it's pretty difficult to get lost in Moscow!
  • Moscow's awful traffic means that rail is usually the quickest option. Even if the physical distance between two places is shorter by car, traveling via the Moscow Metro is probably going to be quicker.
  • English signage in Moscow has greatly improved over the years. On the other hand, familiarizing yourself with the Cyrillic alphabet before your trip to Russia probably wouldn't be a bad idea. If you need to push someone out of the way (spoiler alert: you probably will!), say izvineetye (sorry) to excuse yourself.
  • Petty theft is common, especially during rush hour. Wear your backpack in front of your body, and don't keep large amounts of cash (or your smartphone!) in your back pocket. Hide any conspicuous signs of wealth to avoid being a target!

The Moscow Metro is easy to use—once you get the hang of it. After all, more than two billion trips take place across its rails every year. If it were difficult, this simply wouldn't be possible! Want to learn more about things to do in Moscow? Make sure to check out this guide to Red Square , which is both the geographical and cultural heart of Moscow (and arguably Russia).

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Watch CBS News

Metro Transit "TRIP Agents" to start riding light rail trains in bid to boost safety

By Stephen Swanson, Kirsten Mitchell

Updated on: February 22, 2024 / 5:16 PM CST / CBS Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS  — Metro Transit is expanding its contract with a private security company to add two dozen "TRIP Agents" to its light rail trains with the aim of improving the safety of its riders.

The public transport operator unveiled its Transit Rider Investment Program (TRIP) on Thursday in partnership with Allied Universal.

RELATED: WCCO rides the light rail with Metro Transit leaders amid safety concerns

Starting Friday, 24 agents clad in royal-blue uniforms will ride the METRO Green and Blue lines daily between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

"Ensuring the safety of our employees and riders is our top priority," Metro Transit general manager Lesley Kandaras said. "They will have responsibilities inspecting fares and issuing citations , but they are also receiving training to better assist our customers."

Metro Transit says the agents will also enforce its  code of conduct , help riders navigate routes and schedules, and provide information on "social service programs."  

t1-vo-12p-metro-transit-wcco4w85.jpg

The agents are also trained in de-escalation techniques, and will administer first aid, including the opioid overdose-reversal drug naloxone.

TRIP Agents will work in concert with Metro Transit police officers and its community service officers (CSOs), who have been tasked with checking fares and issuing citations since December. CSOs will soon transition to working on buses.

Since January, Andy Baseman with Mental Health Minnesota has worked to change the conditions on the light rail. It's one of 10 community groups on the mission.

"I've got that space in my heart and I've got the ability and know how and I like to show people we don't have to be a statistic," Baseman said.

Baseman said he used to be part of the problem — he's a recovering meth addict, sober for three-and-a-half years — and now he's here to help solve it.

RELATED: Man who died on light rail train in St. Paul remains unidentified nearly a month later

Metro Transit said the TRIP program is part of its 40-point action plan to boost light rail safety and security. The plan also includes beefing up police and CSO recruitment efforts, partnering with 10 local community groups to provide support for riders in need of social services, and adding more security at high traffic stations.

Other tactics include the posting of "Your Role As Rider" signs at all transit stations, and playing  audio recordings of children reminding riders that smoking isn't allowed through PA systems at stations and on trains.

Metro Transit Police Chief Ernest Morales announced earlier this month crime on light rail trains increased by 25% between 2022 to 2023 , but reports of crime were starting to trend downward. Ridership increased by 15% during the same time period.

A WCCO crew rode on both the METRO Blue and Green lines last spring and witnessed open drug use . Weeks later, while interviewing Morales, a WCCO crew saw his approach to public safety firsthand when a woman in the midst of a mental health crisis approached him and expressed her desire to end her life.

"We can send you to a hospital, get you somewhere warm where they'll feed you, but I definitely don't want you out here with those thoughts in your head," Morales told her. "One thing I won't assist you with is harming yourself. I can't allow that to happen."

RELATED: Crime increased on light rail from 2022 to 2023, Metro Transit police chief says, but signs of improvement showing

The woman eventually agreed to accept the help of fellow first responders who came to the scene.

"We can't force individuals to seek services, and this is a frustrating situation when we want to help," Morales said. "We need more services for the homeless population, but especially mentally-incapacitated individuals." 

Earlier this month, a WCCO crew rode with Morales on a train just days after a man was robbed and shot in the stomach on a train in St. Paul.

"I want people to feel comfortable, I want people to feel safe, and that's the overall goal," Morales told WCCO's Pauleen Le. "Numbers are impressive, but perception is reality."

  • Metro Transit

Stephen Swanson is a web producer at WCCO. A 20-year station veteran, Stephen was a floor director for a decade before moving to the newsroom, where he focuses on general assignment reporting.

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CBS Minnesota

Metro Transit ridership grows in 2023, but officials say they need help to continue the trend

MINNEAPOLIS —  Metro Transit officials are looking to expand routes and bring on new employees, after an increase in ridership over the past year.

In 2023, the transportation operator provided nearly 45 million rides, as ridership grew 16% from 2022, according to the Metropolitan Council.

The home opener for Minnesota United means big numbers of riders, looking for a convenient trip to Allianz Field.

Loons fan Peter Rodeheffer likes not having to find, and pay, for parking.

"I actually live just a couple stops down, so it's mostly just really convenient for me. I don't have to worry about paying for parking because it's usually more expensive," said Loons fan Peter Rodeheffer.

"In general, when we have special events, sporting events, we do see people use transit because it's a convenient option to get there," said Lesley Kandaras, General Manager for Metro Transit.

Kandaras was out riding the rail Saturday, ahead of the Loons opener.

The 16% jump in riders last year was due to the addition of more staff, she said.

"In 2023, we were able to hire additional operators, which allowed us to bring additional service back, so we know that people can't take transit if we're not providing a trip that's convenient for them," said Kandaras.

Last year, the Metropolitan Council said Metro Transit provided nearly 45 million rides, with close to 15 million of those on light rail.

In that year, more than 136,000 people took Metro Transit each week, on average, with Metro Transit bus service at 90% of what it was pre-pandemic. 

"As we continue to increase service options, we anticipate that will continue to help us grow ridership," said Kandaras.

But to continue growing in 2024, Kandaras says they need to hire more people.

"We need people to operate our vehicles, to maintain our system, to keep things clean and safe, so we're looking for a variety of people," said Kandaras.

This all comes as Metro Transit is trying to make a safer, more enjoyable experience for riders.

Last month, Metro Transit announced the addition of two dozen Trip Agents, to boost safety and have more people inspecting fares and educating riders.

The agents started field training last week, so people on light rail should start spotting them soon, Kandaras said.

Metro Transit is kicking off its "Take Pride in Your Ride" campaign, with a first initiative of reducing the number of people who smoke on trains.

"Just hopefully providing a better customer experience for everyone," she said.

Metro Transit ridership grows in 2023, but officials say they need help to continue the trend

IMAGES

  1. Metro Transit Launches New Online Trip Planner

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  2. Plan a Multimodal Trip with Transit+

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  3. King County Metro Transit Trip Planning

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  4. Trip Plan Results

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  5. Dc Metro Map Trip Planner

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  6. Transit App with EZfare

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COMMENTS

  1. Trip Planner

    We were unable to plan atrip between thoselocations. Try adjustingyour trip settings. Youcan also contact TransitInformation for help byphone at 612-373-3333. Edit my tripStart over. Contact us. 612-373-3333. About Metro Transit. About Us. Transit Improvements.

  2. Trip Planner

    Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Open Mobile Menu. Manage Your SmarTrip Account. Get a SmarTrip Card. Service. Rail; Bus; ... Your 2023 Metro Report. ... Trip Planner Live Chat agents available Monday-Friday 7am-7pm, excluding holidays FROM (has ...

  3. King County Metro Transit

    Metro Online. Trip Planning. From: Address; ... Bus Rapid Transit Streetcar/Monorail. Ferry/Water Taxi. Route Preference: Preferred start route: Preferred end route: Get Trip Plan. Go to the King County home page.

  4. Trip planner

    Bridges & Tunnels. Long Island Rail Road. Metro-North Railroad. Other agencies and departments. Planned Service Changes. Careers. Elevator & Escalator Status. Projects. Safety and Security.

  5. About Trip Planner

    About Trip Planner. Discover how our Trip Planner can help you find the quickest routes, real-time departures, and essential transit information. Tools for trip planning + How to ride Parking + Metro winter guide Mobile and web apps Bikes and transit + Getting to local sports SchoolPool Rider safety.

  6. Rider tools

    Text your stop ID to 62550 to receive the next departure times of transit at your stop. For trip planning assistance, call Metro customer service at 206-553-3000, Monday through Friday, 6 am to 6 pm. If you need an interpreter, we can still help! Press 1 to be connected to someone who speaks your language. Hearing-impaired riders can dial WA ...

  7. Scheduling Trips

    BUS & RAIL TRIP PLANNER. As an alternative to Metro Mobility, you can plan trips via fixed-route bus or train using Metro Transit's interactive Trip Planner tool. Through 2024, Metro Mobility certified riders will be able to board any Metro Transit regular route bus or train for free. When boarding a bus or train platform, simply touch your Metro Mobility ID on the Go-To card reader for your ...

  8. King County Metro Transit

    Trip Planning; Route Schedules; Next Departures; Closest Stop; Metro Online. Route Schedules. Date: Enter a route: Get Schedule. Go to the King County home page. Desktop Version ...

  9. Moscow

    Yandex Metro offers an interactive Moscow metro (underground, subway, tube) map with route times and trip planning that accounts for closed stations and entrances.

  10. Moscow Metro

    The card's deposit value is RUB 50 (refundable when you return the card at the Metro ticket window if you no longer need it). The fare is RUB 46 per trip with a Troika Card. A single-trip universal (Ediniy) travel card is RUB 61, covering transfers to MCC, MCD or other surface transit services. Lost and Found. Any items found in the halls of ...

  11. How to get around Moscow using the underground metro

    But since 2011, the Metro has been in the middle of an ambitious and long-overdue enlargement; 60 new stations are opening by 2020. If all goes to plan, the 2011-2020 period will have brought 125 miles of new tracks and over 100 new stations — a 40 percent increase — the fastest and largest expansion phase in any period in the Metro's ...

  12. Moscow Metro: The Complete Guide

    Routes and Hours: The Moscow Metro has 13 lines that snake and criss-cross the city, plus outer and inner loop lines that string them together, as well as a monorail. The Moscow Metro is open from approximately 5:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., and trains run with a frequency that can range between 1 and 7 minutes. Service Alerts: Download the official ...

  13. Where to?

    Freeway Service Patrol. Rideshare. Fares. Prices. Prices are for a one-way trip on Metro bus and rail and include 2 hours of FREE transfers. Regular Ride. $1.75/Ride. Learn More.

  14. NexTrip

    Trip Planner NexTrip Alerts Find a Park & Ride Find a Stop or Station. Schedules & Maps Fares Fares Go-To Card Pass Programs Store Citations. More Carpool & Vanpool Transit Link Guaranteed Ride Home Bicycle Commuter Programs News & Events. ... Metro Transit is a service of the Metropolitan Council.

  15. INFO-Web Transit Information

    Metro Online offers bus, vanpool, carpool, bicycle and related information for the Seattle-King County area. Trip planner, bus passes and timetables are available.

  16. Metrorail

    Metrorail. Metrorail provides safe, clean, reliable transit service for more than 600,000 customers a day throughout the Washington, DC area. The system is the second busiest in the United States, serving 98 stations in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. The Metrorail system has six color-coded rail lines: Red, Orange, Silver ...

  17. Home

    We were unable to plan a trip between those locations. Try adjusting your trip settings. You can also contact Transit Information for help by phone at 612-373-3333. Edit my trip Start over Real-time Departures. By route; By stop # Real-time departures by route ... Metro Transit is a service of the Metropolitan Council.

  18. Trip Planner

    Use our Trip Planner to reach your important destinations on Metro Transit. If you need assistance or would like one of our Transit Information Experts to create your personalized trip plan, contact: Metro Transit Information | Monday‑Friday | 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Phone: 314‑231‑2345 | Text: 314‑207‑9786. Web Chat: Click on the red chat ...

  19. Schedules and Maps

    Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Open Mobile Menu. Manage Your SmarTrip Account. Get a SmarTrip Card. ... Metro's trip planning tools provide instant itineraries and service alerts for trips on Metrorail and Metrobus. ... Trip Planner. Directions, times, & fares. Timetables. Timetables. Schedules & service details. Maps. Maps ...

  20. Metro Transit "TRIP Agents" to start riding light rail trains in bid to

    Metro Transit said the TRIP program is part of its 40-point action plan to boost light rail safety and security. The plan also includes beefing up police and CSO recruitment efforts, partnering ...

  21. Metro Mobility ADA Service Area Changes

    Riders in these areas will still have access to Metro Mobility service. For customers who have booked a trip to or from an affected area, after Sept. 3 some of those trips could go on standby. With standby trips, you book as usual, but a reservationist will contact you the day before your ride to confirm your trip and give you your pickup time.

  22. Trip Planner

    Plan a Trip. From: To: ... (602) 253-5000 or AZ Relay 711. Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Valley Metro email notices Flicker. Home ; Trip Planner ; Maps & Schedules ; Fares ; Rider Alerts ; How to Ride ; News & Events ; ADA Paratransit Trip Reservation ; About Valley Metro ; Inside the Ride Blog ; Contact Us ; Careers ; Transit Education ...

  23. Metro Transit

    Trip Planner NexTrip Alerts Find a Park & Ride Find a Stop or Station. Schedules & Maps Fares Fares Go-To Card Pass Programs Store Citations. More Carpool & Vanpool Transit Link Guaranteed Ride Home Bicycle Commuter Programs News & Events. ... Metro Transit is a service of the Metropolitan Council.

  24. MDT

    Miami-Dade Transit Mobile Services provides Metrorail estimated times of arrival and schedules, Metrorail and Metromover station information, Metrobus route information and schedules, and contact phone numbers. Trip Planner. Plan Your Trip ... Trip Planner. Plan Your Trip. Origin: Destination:

  25. Bring on the blossoms: Metro gets ready for the petals ...

    Be sure to load enough value on the card to pay for all trips you plan to take. Consider purchasing our 1-day, 3-day, or 7-day passes for unlimited travel on rail or bus. On weekends and after 9:30 p.m., Metrorail fare is just $2 for any one-way trip, and Metrobus is free when transferring to/from rail with the transfer discount.

  26. Metroplex Region

    Metropolitan Statistical Areas (metro areas): associated with at least one UA with a population of at least 50,000. ... Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) are federally mandated policymaking organizations created to coordinate transportation planning in urbanized areas. Two MPOs coordinate transportation planning in the Metroplex region ...

  27. About the New Trip Planner

    New Features. Plan a trip by typing in an address, choosing a landmark or clicking a point on a map. Multiple modes of travel can be included (such as, Local & Express Bus, Rapid Transit, Water Taxi and Rail. Find out the next departure times for a specified stop. Display and print a route schedule for a specific day.

  28. Metro Transit ridership grows in 2023, but officials say they ...

    Last year, the Metropolitan Council said Metro Transit provided nearly 45 million rides, with close to 15 million of those on light rail. In that year, more than 136,000 people took Metro Transit ...

  29. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority

    Bus & Metro. $2.00 - $2.50. Regional Rail. $3.75 - $10.00. Help. Call Support. Live Chat Offline ... (Transit only): $6, good for 8 trips; Neighborhood Flex Pass (Transit & Regional Rail up to Zone 2 Station: $10, good for 10 trips ... plan a trip, and provide some feedback using this link. Survey participation helps us identify and fix ...