Metro Transit, Minneapolis police add extra resources for Twins' home opener
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins will take to Target Field for the first time this season Thursday.
Safety is top of mind for fans and their families. Metro Transit and Minneapolis police say they're ready for the big leagues.
Metro Transit says it is ready for the Twins' home opener and it is prepared to move more people on transit to and from Target Field.
New this year, are more Northstar trains. Metro Transit brought them back during last year's playoff run and learned people need this service to get to downtown Minneapolis.
"We're going to be serving most of the games here at Target Field this season. Every weekday game, every weekend game, a couple of the special ones on Independence Day and Memorial Day as well," said Metro Transit spokesperson Drew Kerr.
READ MORE: See the full Twins schedule for the 2024 MLB season
They hope more trains and buses will lead many to choose transit to get to the game.
"Blue and Green lines, these trains arrive here at the station every 15 minutes throughout the day. So if you are coming down here this is a great option. We also have multiple bus routes that serve the stadium and stadium area so wherever you are coming from in the metro there's probably a pretty good chance you can get here by transit, " Kerr said.
Fans will also notice more personnel on both Blue and Green lines.
Joining Metro Transit and community service officers are TRIP agents. They join the others to help people feel safe.
"It's been, I think, really important to add this next layer of presence to Metro Transit in terms of personnel that are out on the system helping to improve safety and security," said interim TRIP manager Leah Palmer.
According to Minneapolis police, safety downtown has improved. They say crime stats compared to this time last year show burglary, motor vehicle theft and assaults are all down. Only shots fired numbers are the same from last year to now.
"Putting more people out in more places is really at the top of our list," said Kerr.
And they hope that helps people stress less and enjoy the game more.
Minneapolis police will also have extra resources in the downtown area to keep people safe during the Twins' home opener.
