Minnesota State Fair shuttle bus: Visitors at the Minnesota State Fair are facing long waits for shuttle buses as record crowds put extra pressure on transportation services.
The Minnesota State Fair shuttle bus service has become a major concern for some visitors, especially those trying to return to their cars after spending the day at the fairgrounds.
Katy Born from Plymouth said the line for a shuttle back to Hopkins Crossroad was much longer than she had seen before. She had parked in an overflow lot and said the wait was difficult to deal with.
The large crowds appear to be a major reason for the problem. More than 155,000 people attended the fair on opening day Thursday, according to figures shared by the fair. Attendance increased to more than 204,000 on Friday.
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With so many people leaving around the same time, shuttle lines became especially long.
Riders Report Long Waits | Minnesota State Fair shuttle bus
Some visitors said they had never experienced shuttle lines this long at the fair.
Rupesh Patel from Blaine, who has attended the event for about 20 years, said this was the longest wait he could remember.
Complaints also spread on social media. Some visitors said they waited for hours to get a shuttle, while others reported parking far from the main fairgrounds.
One woman said she waited in a shuttle line for about three hours and ended up parking in a ditch.
Born said she understood that finding enough drivers can be difficult, but she believes more park-and-ride options and additional drivers could help visitors get to the fair more easily.
Some Shuttle Locations Worked Better
Not every location experienced the same level of trouble.
Several riders said the University of Minnesota shuttle locations worked well. However, visitors using the Blaine and Cottage Grove locations reported longer waits.
Some parking lots also filled up early, making the situation harder for people arriving later in the morning.
The heavy demand has created challenges for Metro Transit, which operates additional services for the State Fair during the event.
Metro Transit Responds to the Problems
Metro Transit said it is aware of the delays and is working to increase transportation capacity where possible.
The agency said it has been watching traffic at park-and-ride locations and adding resources when available. The record attendance has created unusually high demand for transportation.
Metro Transit also explained that some of the delays were caused by unexpected problems.
At the Blaine park-and-ride location, two separate incidents involved passengers becoming sick on buses. Those buses had to be removed from service for cleaning, creating temporary gaps in service.
Cottage Grove also faced problems after a traffic accident on Interstate 94. Some buses had to take a different route through downtown Minneapolis, which increased travel times in both directions.
Metro Transit said it adjusted its service as quickly as possible in response to those problems.
Arriving Early May Help | Minnesota State Fair shuttle bus
For some visitors, getting to the fair early appears to be the best way to avoid the worst shuttle crowds.
Keith Daniels, who traveled from Atlanta, Georgia, said he arrived around 9 a.m. and found that the line was already long, but it moved fairly quickly.
He also said the parking lot can fill up quickly, so having a plan before leaving for the fair is important.
Daniels and his group made sure to arrive early and use the shuttle before the crowds became heavier.
A Busy Fair Creates a Transportation Test
The strong attendance is good news for the Minnesota State Fair, but it also puts pressure on the transportation system.
For visitors, long shuttle waits can take away from the experience, particularly after spending several hours at the fair and then facing another long line to get back to their vehicles.
Metro Transit says it is continuing to monitor the situation and add capacity when resources are available.
For those planning to attend, arriving early and checking shuttle and parking options before heading out may help make the trip easier.
As the Minnesota State Fair continues, the transportation system will be under pressure to keep up with the crowds and move visitors safely and efficiently.
