Who’s loving the new METRO B Line? Employers, their employees and customers, that’s who.
Julian Ocampo owns two restaurants and a commercial building along the METRO B Line, including Los Ocampo restaurant at the Marshall & Cretin Station in St. Paul. He’s noticed many of his employees and customers using the station.
“The B Line helps our business in multiple ways,” Julian said. “Our employees have affordable and accessible transportation to and from work. It helps our customers get to our restaurant. And it gives our restaurant more exposure to a plethora of people every day who pass by the restaurant.”
One of Ocampo’s employees is high school student Jacob Lopez, who rides Route 54 from Maplewood and transfers to the B Line in downtown St. Paul to get to and from his job as a host. “It’s more comfortable than Route 21, and it’s faster,” Jacob said.
Replacing Route 21, the B Line opened in June with service on Lake Street, Marshall Avenue, and Selby Avenue. To improve speed and reliability, the B Line uses bus lanes, off-board fare payment, all-door boarding, and technology that lets buses request green lights.
More than a quarter-million rides have been taken through the end of July, when average weekday ridership topped 8,400.
Farther west on the B Line corridor, Salvation Army Social Services Manager Steffi Villagomez takes the METRO Blue Line or Route 14 from downtown Minneapolis and transfers to the B Line a few times a week to get to work and medical appointments.
She appreciates the B Line's speed and reliability and seeing so many others along for the ride. "It’s a good busy,” Steffi said.
Don Blyly owns Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore and Uncle Edgar’s Mystery Bookstore one block south of the Lake & Minnehaha Station. He notices the B Line being used by employees and customers alike.
“I commute with the B Line almost all the time,” a store employee said. "It’s working out for me very well.”