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Horse Cars
The Horse Car Home Page
The first method of transportation in the Twin Cities were horse cars. This system involved passengers riding in small, enclosed cabins pulled by horses; a slow and inconsistent process. Image: Joe Thompson -
Cable Cars
Two cable car lines were built in St. Paul, located on Selby Avenue and on Seventh Street. Their improved speed and favorable conditions lead to the quick extinction of the horse cars. Image: Jake Ehrlich, Jake's Design Blog -
The Streetcar Revolution
Twin Cities Streetcar Video (YouTube) Called "Tom Lowrys" in the Twin Cities in honor of the founder of the Twin City Rapid Transit Company, streetcars were the first form of electric-powered transportation. Image: Tom Weber, Minnesota Public Radio -
Electric Railways Sweep The Nation
By 1889, there were 154 electric railway systems in the United States. In the next ten years, horsecar and cable car systems would disappeared completely. Image: Matt Chaban, AN blog -
The Land of 10,000 Lakes Implements "Streetcar Boats"
The Twin City Rapid Transit Company constructed six 70-foot express boats, all of which had interiors and exteriors that resembled streetcars. These were used for tours of Lake Minnetonka, where the boats were docked, and for private gatherings. Image: 2012 vBulletin Solutions -
Introduction of Public Buses
City buses were the most popular means of public transportation in the 1940's and 1950's. Most buses were built by the GMC division of General Motors. Image: Randy C. Bunney -
Buses Bump Streetcars
The conversion from a predominantly streetcar transportation sytem to a busing system was completed in the summer of 1954. The last trolley ran on June 18th of that year.
The bus routes were mapped according to the streetcar routes so as not to confuse passengers used to taking the streetcars. Image: Copyright © Minnesota Transportation Museum, Inc -
MetroPolitan Council Makes Changes
In the 1970s, the Metropolitan Council gained power of the bus lines and turned the city bus system into a publicly-funded operation. This allowed them to make route changes and extend the bus routes throughout St. Paul and Minneapolis. Image: Wikipedia -
Steam Locomotives Install Passenger Cars
Commonly called "dinkies", steam locomotives transported passengers cars on elevated railways.
The Lyndale Railway Company operated their trains from downtown Minneapolis to Lake Calhoun and Lake Hariet, and later to Lake Minnetonka.
The smoky and unsanitary enviornment of the steam trains were never very appealing to the public. Image: Jeffrey Lant -
Hybrid Electric Buses
Go-Green Hybrid Bus Article The Metropolitan Council released their first hybrid bus in 2002. Today, there are approximately 150 hybrid buses, all of which are painted green to promote the environment-friendly message they are sending. Image: Brian Lamb -
Hiawatha Line Light Rail
Wiki Summary of the Hiawatha Light Rail The Hiawatha Light Rail, also called the Blue Line, runs from downtown Minneapolis to the southern suberb of Bloomington, and consists of 19 transit stations along the route. Image: National Contract Management Association 2012 -
The Central Corridor Light Rail
The Twin Cities is currently consumed in their latest transportation project, a light rail that will run from downtown Saint Paul to downtown Minneapolis, ultimately connecting the Twin Cities in a straight 11-mile track stretch. Image: 2012 University of St. Thomas -
University Avenue is Torn Up
Central Corridor Official Website The Central Corridor will be installed primarily on the main streets of University and Washington Avenue. The light rail is being built in the medians of those strees, which has caused severe traffic in those areas that will continue until the end of the project. Image: 2012 Ramsey County Regional Rail News -
Central Corridor Construction Progress
The Twin Cities second light rail system is nearly halfway finished. The project is estimated to be completed and ready for use in late 2015. Image: Laura Yuen for MPR News
