Chart of the Day: Top 10 Metro Transit Bus Routes by Ridership, 2014

Metro Transit released some 2014 ridership data today. Here are their top ten bus routes, by ridership.

Source: Metro Transit

Kind of crazy how it drops off after the first few routes. The busiest route, Route 5, is more than twice as busy as the fourth busiest route, Route 6. Route 16 still holds on with just a half year of real ridership–much of the route was discontinued after the Green Line opened. Also conspicuous is the lack of St. Paul routes on the list–I would imagine a huge chunk of the Route 3 ridership is within the University of Minnesota and Como neighborhoods in Minneapolis.

So, looking at these routes with lots of proven, existing ridership, how are we investing in them for the future?

A Very General Key:

• Route 5: Emerson & Fremont in North Minneapolis, Chicago Avenue in South Minneapolis (N-S)
• Route 21: Lake Street in Minneapolis, Marshall & Selby in St. Paul (E-W)
• Route 18: Nicollet Mall & Avenue in Minneapolis (N-S)
• Route 6: Hennepin Avenue in South Minneapolis (N-S)
• Route 10: Central Avenue in Northeast Minneapolis (N-S)
• Route 3: Downtown Minneapolis to University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Como Avenue in St. Paul (E-W)
• Route 16: University Avenue between Downtown Minneapolis and Downtown St. Paul (E-W) Note: Greatly reduced service after Green Line opened June 2014)
• Route 19: Penn Avenue in North Minneapolis (N-S)
• Route 17: Northeast Minneapolis to Nicollet Mall & Avenue to Uptown to St. Louis Park (N-S)
• Route 4: Johnson Street in Northeast Minneapolis to Lyndale Avenue in South Minneapolis to Richfield (N-S)

You can check out the details of all the routes on Metro Transit’s website here.

The numbers: