It's all hands on deck for Metro Transit, which will be running three-car trains and operating later than usual to accommodate concertgoers all weekend long during what will be a busy, rock-and-roll filled schedule for the city.
"It's something that we've done historically for years," says Brian Funk, Metro Transit's COO. "Monday night football games and all sorts of different activities. So the biggest thing for our customers is to realize, just come out of the venue and we should have a train there for you."
Starting Saturday, trains will be coming every 12 minutes instead of 15.
"What we have heard from customers over time is that they want to spend less time waiting, have more options, not have to look at the schedule so closely," he says.
Funk says higher salaries have resulted in more than 200 new hires this year, which has also seen declining crime and increasing ridership. With a starting salary of $29 an hour, plus they can also earn a 5-7% percent bonus for working nights and weekends, they've had some success increasing rides.
Funk says it's a good weekend to take advantage of an all-day pass for just $5.
"Provides a really convenient, great opportunity without having to really spend any time trying to figure it out on the fly," Funk explained.
As usual, parking will be tight and expensive downtown so the city is encouraging concert attendees to use public transportation as much as possible.
Friday night it gets started with night one of Metallica's two-night stand in the Twin Cities at U.S. Bank Stadium. The second show is Sunday. Metallica also has a number of events scheduled for the "off day" around the city.
Wrapped around Metallica are some outdoor shows. Saturday will have Green Day, The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid and The Linda Lindas at Target Field. The weekend comes to a classic-rock close on Monday back at Target Field with Def Leppard, Journey and Steve Miller Band.