Light Rail Transit in the Twin Cities

When I returned from my trip to Los Angeles I decided to take public transportation home. Taking the bus home from the airport used to be a pretty easy deal. But now that the Twin Cities have light rail, it’s not quite as easy.

Light rail runs from the Mall of America to the airport and on up to Minneapolis. And they’ve integrated the bus system and light rail to the point that only one bus now stops at the airport, instead of the several dozen that used to. Instead they moved them on up the light rail line, which means you have to take the light rail up to a new transit hub to find your bus. It basically adds an extra transfer. Now I know why light rail ridership has been so high.

Continue reading Light Rail Transit in the Twin Cities

Back in L.A.

I’m still recovering from my trip to L.A., more so in getting back to speed at home than anything else. It was a good trip, a quick but productive meeting and a chance to relax a little bit and hang out with some friends. Though I didn’t have much sightseeing planned, I did get to visit Manhattan Beach before my flight left. It was foggy and a little cold, but it was still the ocean. Somehow seeing something, even if it meant leaving by 6 a.m. to avoid most of the traffic, made the short trip a little more normal.

The other shot is the view from Brad’s office, the guy I work with in L.A. That’s the Foursquare Angelus Temple with the big dome in the foreground and downtown Los Angeles in the background. Nice view, huh? I can see a playground from my window, if I lean back.