The shiny new Silver Ramp at MSP Airport's Terminal 1 partially opened earlier this month providing travelers with improved transit and rental car facilities – and Minnesota's tallest escalator.
Among the services making the move to the first floor of the ramp are:
- All rental car services
- Off-airport parking shuttles
- All bus services, including Jefferson Lines, Landline and charter buses. (Note: the MetroTransit Route 54 has not yet made the move, but is expected to sometime in early September.)
While the rental car customer service counters are located on Level 1, pick-up and drop-off of rental cars will take place on levels 2-5 of the new ramp, with expansive, well-marked lanes for vehicles. Restrooms are found on levels 1-4, and level 5 is served by the tallest escalator in the state of Minnesota.
The escalator is 55 feet tall, travels about 100 feet per minute and is capable of transporting 9,000 people per hour. By comparison, the escalator at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis – which used to be the tallest in the state – is just 47 feet tall.
Because the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced traffic at MSP, the MAC will not open the ramp for parking until demand warrants it.
