English subtitles for clip: File:World's Longest Skyway Gives Minneapolis Residents a Break From Harsh Winter.webm

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Reporter: Brad Rohles
can see downtown Minneapolis

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from the apartment
he shares with his wife.

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Like many residents
of this cold northern city

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his workday starts with warm boots,

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a heavy jacket and gloves
before he leaves home.

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And with good reason --
It's negative 10 degrees Celsius outside.

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But Minneapolis where bone chilling
temperatures are the norm in February

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is a city built for the winter.

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BR: We are in Minnesota,
so it's really cold outside sometimes.

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It can hit minus 20 degrees
and for a lot of people

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that's probably a little too cold
to be walking around in the elements.

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Rep: Downtown the sidewalks
are nearly empty,

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but Minneapolis is buzzing
with activity up in the sky.

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Welcome to the Minneapolis Skyway!

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The majority of buildings
here are connected

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by elevated and enclosed
pedestrian foot bridges,

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and it's the longest system
of skywalks in the world.

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The Skyway allows residents to walk
in climate controlled comfort

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for over 18 kilometers
across 80 full city blocks.

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BR: I think I step outside
for about 30 seconds on any given day.

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If I have to, unless I choose to

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which would be -- you know --
go by the legs, do an ice fishing.

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Rep: More importantly, the Skyway
is not just about getting to work.

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BR: It's almost like a city within a city.
That's the best way to describe it.

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It has shops, bars, restaurants,

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hotels, connect to your businesses.

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You know, you can go get
your nails done and your haircut,

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go get a beer with friends,
then grab a coffee with coworkers.

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So there are 1000 different things
that you could do within the Skyway

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and never actually step foot
outside under the sidewalk.

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Rep: Sharri Murphy, a local volunteer
for this month Super Bowl, agrees.

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Sherri Murphy: [The Skyway] makes it
convenient for everybody to get to places.

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I use the red light rail
to get downtown today,

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and then in Skyway, so I've only been
outside for about a block and a half.

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It's an easy way to do it, enjoy
the city's [?] and get to everything.

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Rep: As the temperature plummets outside
in the harsh Minnesota winter,

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Minneapolis residents like Brad and Sherri

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are happy to make the famous Skyway
their second home.

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Brian Allen, VOA news, Minneapolis