The
Metropolitan Council is asking the public for a "catchy and clever" name for the area's new regional transit system, which includes light rail and bus rapid transit routes, some of which are still in early development stages.
Although there are no specific rules for the name game, Arlene McCarthy, who is the director of Metropolitan Transportation Services, says it needs to allude to the "premium service here in the Twin Cities."
The system she's referencing includes the
Hiawatha Light Rail Transit line, the planned
Central Corridor Light Rail Transit line and bus rapid transit along I-35W South, Cedar Avenue and "other high-demand corridors in the future," according to a prepared statement.
These routes are set apart from other public transportation modes because they offer frequent, all-day service, predictable arrival times, special lanes, and enhanced vehicles and stations, she says.
McCarthy says the council wants to hear about what kinds of ideas resonate with people, adding that the
Minnesota Wild hockey team underwent a similar christening process some years ago.
One example of a transit-specific name is in San Francisco, where there's BART, or Bay Area Rapid Transit. But another approach might be to look at the region more broadly, without using an acronym, she says.
Additionally, because the branding is about the public, she says, "we want the public to identify with the system name," she says. "Who better to ask than those who use the system?"
The deadline for submissions is March 18 and the council is accepting them on its
website, via email, regular mail, phone, and fax.
A group of marketing and communications specialists from various government offices, businesses, and chambers of commerce will sift through submissions in May and June, she says.
Source: Arlene McCarthy, director, Metropolitan Transportation Services
Writer: Anna Pratt