now keep doing this every single year for about 3 decades and it should reach a point where the system qualifies as the bare minimum

I remember riding the Hiawatha (Blue) line right after it opened the second section on a layover from the airport to the Mall of America. I thought it was great.

I was living in the Twin Cities for the opening of the Green Line and rode it the first day. It was a huge improvement from the University Avenue buses.

I am happy that light rail keeps expanding there. The region blunders a lot (taxpayer money for a football stadium to subsidize a New Jersey billionaire then shutting down regional rail due to lack of funds), but sometimes it can make progress.