Mall management tried to keep the light rail station off their property, with a representative stating, 'LRT needs the mall more than the mall needs LRT'. Original plans for light rail service had the station and a 200-space park and ride lot located across 24th Avenue, with a skyway through the parking ramp to access the bus terminal and mall. As an alternative, the mall required teenagers to be accompanied by adults, a policy that is still in place. The mall asked Metro Transit pull bus service, to which they refused.
During this period, gangs would congregate at the transit center after mall close. The transit center first opened in 1994 along with the Mall of America and only provided bus service. The station previously hosted private shuttle services to hotels and Mystic Lake Casino until those services moved to a new charter bus terminal on the north side of the mall in 2015.Ī $25 million upgrade to the station was completed Octowith an official ribbon-cutting ceremony February 14, 2020. The station is served by Metro Blue Line and Red Line. Public transit service is provided by Metro Transit and the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority. The Mall of America station is the busiest transit center in Minnesota, with bus and light rail service linking the Mall of America to many destinations in the Minneapolis– St.
