Northstar Ridership Down in 2012

UNDATED -- Ridership on the Northstar Commuter Rail Line dropped in 2012 compared to the year before.

New figures released by Metro Transit in the Twin Cities shows about 3,100 fewer Northstar riders, or about a half-percent lower than in 2011.

Metro Transit says a 13% reduction in the number of riders traveling to special events downtown was offset partly by an increase in the core weekday commuters. For the year, commuter ridership was up 4%.

A fare reduction in August caused a big jump in ridership over the remaining months of 2012. Higher-than-projected numbers from the newly-opened Ramsey station also contributed to the weekday numbers.

Overall, 700,276 rides were reported on Northstar in 2012.