A better bus ride doesn’t always require a major project. Sometimes, it’s a series of smaller changes that, together, make service faster, more reliable, and easier to understand.
That’s the idea behind Metro Transit’s Better Bus Routes program, which since 2018 has been improving high ridership, slower-than-average local bus routes that won't soon be replaced by new bus rapid transit service.
“Better Bus Routes is really the sum of many individual improvements: simpler routes, better spacing between stops, improved reliability and more accessible bus stops,” said Jonathan Ahn, assistant director of Routes and System Planning.
Small changes, meaningful improvements
Through the Better Bus Routes program, planners look for opportunities to remove obstacles that can slow buses down or make service harder to use. That can mean more consistently spacing stops a quarter-mile apart, simplifying routes, updating schedules, or improving bus stops with the addition of level concrete boarding pads and shelters. Often, it's a combination of all of the above.
For riders, the result is a trip that’s easier to plan and more predictable, and bus stops that are more accessible and inviting. For operators, more consistent travel times makes it easier to stay on schedule and rest between trips.
Ten routes have been improved through the Better Bus Routes program thus far – the 2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 17, 22, 61, 63 and 74. Across those routes:
• 48 shelters have been installed
• 153 ADA-accessible boarding pads have been added
• 705 bus stops with minimal boardings have been removed
Most recently, routes 14 and 74 were simplified in part through the elimination of route variations which have been replaced by new local routes. In 2025, adjustments were made to Route 7, including a streamlined routing that keeps buses on Washington Avenue in downtown Minneapolis.
Building on the work
Better Bus Routes is part a larger and ongoing effort to make service easier to use and more reliable. Complementary efforts include bus lanes, technology that gives transit vehicles a better chance of moving through signalized intersections, and the expansion of the METRO network.
And the work will continue – routes 11 and 32 are among those being considered for Better Bus Routes improvements in 2027.
“We’ll continue to identify opportunities for Better Bus Routes to meet the evolving needs of our riders and help shape a more connected, dependable transit experience for the future,” Ahn said.
The changes may not always be the biggest or most visible projects on the system. But over time, those improvements add up to something riders notice: a better ride.