Swifty fury builds as Metro Transit won't extend service after Minneapolis Taylor Swift show
MINNEAPOLIS – Taylor Swift fans are struggling to find ways to and from next weekend's concert after learning Metro Transit will not extend light rail and bus service after the show.
Thousands of fans say they were counting on public transportation to get them downtown and back.
"A Swifty fan since debut in 2006, I've been to every single show, every single time she has toured," said fan Kassandra Vilchis.
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For Vilchis, the excitement is building. Her favorite artist will land next weekend in Minneapolis and U.S. Bank Stadium for a stop on her world tour.
But some fans are not happy after learning there's no extended transit service to get them home after the music stops.
"Trains can't operate without operators," said Metro Transit's Drew Kerr.
Metro Transit has moved thousands into and out of downtown Minneapolis during the Super Bowl, the Final Four and other concerts.
"When we have these late nights, people coming after the service is scheduled to stop, that's where we have some challenges," Kerr said.
Metro Transit says it has 85 operators, barely enough to accommodate the existing rail schedule.
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"We are very committed to the service that's on the schedule, of course. The last trips that leave U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis here depart about 11:30 p.m., so we hope that there are people that will be able to utilize those trips," Keer said.
Swifties took to social media to vent. Some say advanced planning could have gone a long way.
"It's kind of a bummer because, you know, I could have used my bus pass, gotten on the Metro Transit, came down here early for all the like fun activities and energy, and then left after the show," Vilchis said. "You could have made a swift decision and maybe had some incentives to get people to work later."
While fans will make due, some spending extra on parking or a night at a hotel, their frustration with public transportation may take time to fade.
Metro Transit says it's hiring train operators directly instead of using the traditional route of having them drive a bus first.
Swifties can check out Minnesota Valley Transit Authority for special day-of-concert rides from the suburbs to downtown Minneapolis.