Saint Paul, Minnesota

Saint Paul is the capital and second-largest city of the state of Minnesota in the United States. It is the county seat of Ramsey County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 287,151, although that number had decreased to 276,963 in the Census' 2004 estimates. Saint Paul and the adjacent city of Minneapolis form the core of the area known as the Twin Cities.

Transportation

Ground transportation

Most of the citizens of Saint Paul utilize a car to move throughout the region, although the bus system, provided by Metro Transit, is also used by those with and without cars. Metro Transit also operates the Hiawatha Line, a light rail transit system, which connects down and south Minneapolis with the southern suburb of Bloomington and the Mall of America. It also serves Saint Paul through coordinated buses from the train stations. The expansion of the light rail system, when it occurs, is expected to connect downtown Minneapolis to downtown Saint Paul.

Related Topics:
Car - Bus - Metro Transit - Hiawatha Line - Light rail transit - Minneapolis - Bloomington - Mall of America

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In the downtown area, buildings are connected by a skyway system in which buildings are directly connected to each other, and pedestrians may walk from one building to another without going outside. Another system of transportation gaining popularity in Saint Paul is biking, especially with the advent of additional bike lanes throughout the city and the metropolitan area. Bike trails interconnect with those of Minneapolis and other neighboring cities.

Related Topics:
Downtown - Skyway - Transport - Metropolitan area

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The layout of streets around downtown St. Paul has often drawn complaints. Jesse Ventura famously brought up the city's roadways during an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman in his days as Governor of Minnesota. Ventura drew a lot of criticism for his remark that the streets had been designed by "drunken Irishmen", although people had already been complaining about the fractured grid system for more than a century by that point. Some of the road structure comes from the curve of the Mississippi River, conflicts between leaders of different neighborhoods in the early city, and grand plans only half-realized. Outside of downtown, the roads are less confusing, but the city is also somewhat unusual in the fact that most roads are named rather than numbered. Another complaint is the changing of the name of Concord St, which is near Highways 52, one of the major highways in St. Paul. Many people are given directions to follow Concord St. until it becomes Wabasha. The problem is that at the 52 junction, Concord St. turns into Caesar Chavez, going in the direction of Wabasha. Many people become confused, and end up following Concord in the opposite direction, towards South Saint Paul.

Related Topics:
Jesse Ventura - Late Night with David Letterman - Governor of Minnesota

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Interstate Highways that serve the city are Interstate 35E running N-S, and Interstate 94 running E-W.

Related Topics:
Interstate 35E - Interstate 94

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Air transportation

The Major airport for the area is the Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Airport. Its major provider is Northwest Airlines, although low priced discount airlines are beginning to gain strength in the area.

Related Topics:
Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Airport - Northwest Airlines

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