Effective Saturday, August 16, Metro Transit will increase service on numerous routes as it continues to recover from COVID. This is the start of implementing the Network Now makeover of the route structure, emphasizing frequency improvement, especially during weekday middays and on weekends. The goal is to make the service more convenient seven days a week.
Here are the highlights:
Route 6 service to southeast Minneapolis, Dinkytown and the University of Minnesota will double. Throughout the bus era, half the Route 6 trips have terminated in downtown, with half continuing to southeast. This will increase the frequency from 30 to 15 minutes. This is a prelude to the METRO E Line Bus Rapid Transit’s (BRT) more frequent service to southeast Minneapolis, which will replace most of Route 6 later this year.
Route 18 on Nicollet Avenue will improve to every 10 minutes from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. It’s currently every 15 minutes.
Route 61 on East Hennepin and Larpenteur avenues and Arcade Street will get first-time Sunday service, with buses running every 30 minutes. On weekday evenings, service will run later and more frequently. Saturday frequency will double to every 30 minutes and run later. The only reduction is the elimination of the rush-hour trips through the Minneapolis Industrial Park (Hoover Street Northeast and Industrial Boulevard).
Route 68 on Jackson and South Robert streets to South St. Paul will improve on weekdays from every 20 minutes before 2 p.m. to every 15 minutes. Saturdays will improve all day from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes.
Route 80 on White Bear Avenue, linking the Sun Ray and Maplewood Mall transit centers, will see weekday evening service extend from 7 to 10 p.m. and Saturday evening service from 6 to 8.p.m. Sunday frequency will double from 60 minutes to 30 minutes.
Route 223, which provides a link to two important north suburban transit centers (Rosedale Center and Maplewood Mall), is getting first-time Saturday service. In addition to serving employees and shoppers, the enhanced route makes the network more complete. Six routes now connect at Maplewood Mall Transit Center. Nine meet at Rosedale Transit Center.
Routes 534, 538, 539 and 546 that feed the Metro Orange Line in Bloomington are getting increased frequencies:
- Route 534 feeding Lyndale Avenue, Southtown Shopping Center and Penn Avenue is doubling from 60 to 30 minutes and adding first-time Saturday and Sunday service, also every 30 minutes.
- Route 538 to Southdale Center and Mall of America via 86th Street will double from 60 to 30 minutes.
- The weekday evening service on Route 539 from Mall of America to Normandale Community College will double from 60 to 30 minutes.
- Route 546, which spans Normandale Village (anchored by a Lunds & Byerlys) to the I-35W 98th Street Station, will see additional 30-minute frequency trips during the weekday midday and evening.
A new Metro micro dial-a-ride will be based at the South Bloomington Transit Center. As explained in a Streets.mn podcast episode last May, Metro micros serve a 2-square-mile area, bridging the first-mile/last-mile gap near major transit centers. South Bloomington Transit Center is served by the Orange Line and Routes 18, 534, 539, 546 and 465.
Suburbs to the south, west and north will see further improvements.
- Route 537 between Southdale and Normandale Community College is doubling from 120-minute to hourly service.
- Route 645 on the I-394 corridor midday is doubling from 60 minutes to 30 minutes between downtown Minneapolis and County Road 73 in Minnetonka.
- Route 716 serving Robbinsdale and Brooklyn Park will get first-time Sunday service.
Some rush-hour commuter expresses that were suspended during COVID are coming back, as a nod to the growing number of employers requiring at least some in-person office work. Others are being beefed up.
Route 134 from Highland Park in St. Paul to downtown Minneapolis will be revived, bringing back a one-seat ride for commuters.
Other additions include:
- Route 250 from downtown Minneapolis to the 95th Avenue Park & Ride in Blaine is getting 60-minute midday service and some additional rush-hour trips.
- Route 673 between Minneapolis and Minnetonka via I-394 will add rush-hour trips.
- Route 760 is adding trips between Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center.
- Route 765 is reviving its reverse commute between Minneapolis and Target’s Brooklyn Park campus.
- Route 768 between Minneapolis and Brooklyn Park is adding rush-hour trips and all-day 60-minute service.
- Route 850 between Minneapolis and Coon Rapids is adding all-day 60-minute service; previously, midday service was provided every 90 minutes by the slower Route 852.
- On September 15 another new Metro micro dial-a-ride will be based at Northtown Transit Center in Blaine, which is served by Routes 10, 25, 804, 805, 824, 852 and 860.
Not all changes are additions. Commuter express Route 761 between Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center, which was down to a single daily round trip, is being eliminated.
On September 2, Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) is making these improvements:
- Route 420 between Apple Valley and Rosemount is being extended east to Dakota County Technical College.
- Route 436 from the Eagan Transit Station to the Blue Line 46th Street & Minnehaha Station will add a mid-trip diversion via MSP Airport Terminal One.
- Commuter express Route 460 from Burnsville to downtown Minneapolis will extend some trips to serve the MVTA Savage Park & Ride.