Transit Improvements
> West End & Route 9 Transit Plan
This plan will implement improvements and efficiencies along Routes 9 (west of downtown Minneapolis), 25 (along France Avenue), 604, 649, 675 and near the growing West End in St. Louis Park in August 2017. It will simplify Route 9's structure, improve service reliability and effficiency, and provide better connectivity between the West End and downtown Minneapolis.
> D Line
The D Line will improve existing transit service on Chicago Avenue and Fremont Avenue. Planning will occur in 2017 and 2018. The project schedule calls for stations and other improvements to be designed in 2018-2019. Construction would begin in 2020 or 2021, pending full project funding.
Rapid Bus projects
> A Line
The first line in Metro Transit's new rapid bus network opened in June 2016, with faster, more frequent service along Snelling Avenue, Ford Parkway and 46th Street. It features new buses with wider doors, and 20 enhanced stations with real-time signs and ticket machines for off-board fare payment.
> C Line (Penn Avenue rapid bus line)
Targeted for construction in 2018, the C Line will connect downtown Minneapolis, Olson Memorial Highway, Penn Avenue and Brooklyn Boulevard with Brooklyn Center Transit Center.
Highway Bus Rapid Transit
> METRO Orange LineThe METRO Orange Line will use roadway improvements, upgraded transit stations and highway Bus Rapid Transit service to provide a fast, frequent and reliable all-day route on I-35W between Minneapolis and Burnsville.
> METRO Gold Line The METRO Gold Line is a planned nine-mile dedicated Bus Rapid Transit line that will connect St. Paul, Maplewood, Landfall, Oakdale and Woodbury generally along I-94. It will be Minnesota's first BRT line that operates primarily within exclusive bus-only lanes.
> Cedar Grove Transit Station
This station on the METRO Red Line was modified and a new passenger platform added in the center of Highway 77, with an enclosed skyway connecting back to the previously constructed station area on Nicols Road.
Improving the experience while you wait for your ride
> Better Bus Stops
Metro Transit is working to add up to 150 new bus shelters and upgrade an additional 75 existing shelters with lighting and heat, focused in areas of concentrated poverty.
> Metrowide Bus Stop Improvements
Work is ongoing to update and improve the information and shelters available to customers at bus stops.
> Nicollet Mall Redesign
The City of Minneapolis is building a new Nicollet Mall. When complete in 2017, it will feature better pedestrian amenities and more green space yet allow transit to remain a critical part of this vital downtown artery.
> Downtown St. Paul Shelter Upgrades
Four key station areas in downtown St. Paul have been improved with new shelters, signage, public art, security features and bicycle amenities.
> Adopt-A-Shelter
Individuals, businesses and community groups can show neighborhood pride by caring for a nearby transit stop.
> METRO Green Line Extension (Southwest Transitway)
The proposed Southwest Transitway will link the southwest metro with downtown Minneapolis, and allowing a one-seat ride from Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Edina, Hopkins and St. Louis Park to St. Paul.
> METRO Blue Line Extension (Bottineau Transitway)This light-rail line will extend northwest from Target Field, with 11 new stations in north Minneapolis, Golden Valley, Robbinsdale, Crystal and Brooklyn Park.
> Transit Technologies
Learn about innovations that improve your trip, such as:
– NexTrip real-time bus departure information– improved information at bus stops, including stop numbers
– “smart” Park & Ride facilities– communication between buses and traffic signals
– buses that announce their location
> Go Greener Initiative
By using hybrid buses and the latest generation of clean fuels, Metro Transit is helping the Twin Cities save more than the price of gas.
> Transit Advantages
Transit works best when it can avoid general traffic congestion. Here's how Metro Transit keeps you moving.
> Metro Transit's Transit Oriented Development Office
This group helps integrates transit with walkable urban development, creating a mix of housing, retail and employment designed to allow people to live and work with transportation choices.
> West Broadway Transit Study
This study is identifying possible transit enhancements for the corridor from downtown Minneapolis to Robbinsdale and Golden Valley. The intended outcome of the study is a recommended locally preferred alternative (LPA) in the corridor.
> I-35W Transit/Access Project
Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, Metro Transit and MnDOT are proposing transit- and transportation-related improvements near I-35W, Lake Street and the Midtown Greenway, including a transit station and freeway ramp improvements.
> Nicollet-Central Transit Alternatives Study
The City of Minneapolis is studying potential transit enhancements on Nicollet and Central avenues. The study will determine the benefits, costs and impacts of a variety of transit modes and service types, including streetcar and enhanced bus options.
> St. Paul East Side Existing Conditions Report
The Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority and its partners, including Metro Transit, will engage residents and businesses in St. Paul's East Side in a conversation about transit service in that area.
> Gateway Corridor
The proposed 12-mile Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line in dedicated lanes—the future METRO Gold Line—would operate between Woodbury and Union Depot in downtown St. Paul.
> Rush Line Corridor
The Rush Line Corridor is an 80-mile travel corridor between St. Paul and Hinckley. A transit study is underway to analyze bus and rail transit alternatives between Forest Lake and Union Depot in St. Paul.
> Transportation Policy Plan
The Metropolitan Council adopted this long-range plan to slow the growth in traffic congestion and improve mobility through construction of transitways.
> Service Improvement Plan
Metro Transit has developed a 10- to 15-year comprehensive service improvement plan to expand the bus system.
> Access Minneapolis
The City's 10-year transportation plan addresses improvements for transit, bicycling and walking in downtown.
> Downtown Minneapolis 2025 Plan
This 10-point plan, developed by the Minneapolis Downtown Council, calls for a livable, green, connected, exciting and welcoming downtown with a thriving, growing transit system at its heart.