The latest sign of progress on what will become the region’s first arterial Bus Rapid Transit Line, the A Line, arrived this week near the corner of Snelling and University avenues.
The shelter installed Wednesday on the northbound side of Snelling Avenue is the largest of the BRT shelter types that will be used at 20 station locations along the A Line, which will provide faster, more frequent service between the Rosedale Transit Center and the METRO Blue Line’s 46th Street Station when it opens this year. About 700 people board or get off a bus at this location today.
Each BRT shelter will include on-demand heat, emergency phones, schedules and route maps. Off-board ticket vending machines and pylons featuring predicted real-time departure information will also be installed at each stop in the coming months.
Heavy station platform construction is nearly complete at all stops and around 20 shelters have now been installed. Shelters will not be available for use by customers until the A Line opens to ensure the safety of customers and to prevent damage to shelters prior to A Line launch. In most cases, the stations will be served both by the A Line and regular route buses.
BRT buses also began arriving in December. Like the stations, the vehicles are distinct from regular route service, with unique branding and features that will make service more efficient.