Metro Transit provides nearly 376,000 State Fair rides

During the Minnesota State Fair's 12-day run, Metro Transit provided nearly 376,000 express and regular route rides to and from the fairgrounds, a 29% increase compared to last year's State Fair ridership.

This year's ridership growth can partly be attributed to expanded State Fair Express Bus service. Thanks to successful hiring efforts, Metro Transit provided State Fair Express Bus service to and from six Park & Rides, including newly added sites in Maple Grove and Maplewood.

About 100 extra buses were in operation every day of the fair while operators, maintenance staff and others helped board customers, collect fares, clean vehicles and facilities, and monitor operations.

During the fair, Metro Transit also supported several large special events, including four consecutive concerts at U.S. Bank Stadium and Target Field, and maintained the reliable regular route service people use every day for a variety of trip purposes.

"These busy past few weeks underscore just how important transit is to our community," Metro Transit General Manager Lesley Kandaras said. "Thank you to everyone who rode with us, and to all the staff who came together to provide convenient, reliable and environmentally sustainable transportation during one of the busiest times of year."

Through the end of July, Metro Transit has provided more than 27.3 million rides, a 9% increase compared to the same time last year.

Note: Preliminary ridership figures indicated 331,000 rides were provided to the 2024 State Fair. These numbers were updated after additional after further review.