Trips on Route 94 to run every half hour on weekday evenings, weekends
In addition to the opening of the METRO B Line, improvements will be made to more than two-dozen routes on Saturday, June 14, as changes outlined in a multi-year service improvement framework are implemented.
Many of the changes are focused on expanding weekend service, a theme of plans outlined in the Network Now framework endorsed earlier this year by the Metropolitan Council.
June’s schedule changes will bring Metro Transit about a quarter of the way to realizing all the improvements identified in Network Now, which outlines service improvements to be prioritized through 2027. These changes are aimed at creating a network with more frequent, all-day service that better meets today’s travel patterns.
Highlights of the changes taking effect in June include:
- Connecting downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis, trips on Route 94 will begin running every half hour on weekday evenings and on weekends. There is currently no Route 94 weekend service; weekday services ends around 7 p.m.
- Trips on Route 2, Route 10, and the METRO A Line will operate every 10 minutes on Saturdays and Sundays. Trips on these routes now generally run every 15 minutes during the day on weekends.
- On Sundays, trips on Route 54 will run every 15 minutes along West Seventh Street and every half hour along East Seventh Street. Trips now run every 20 minutes on West Seventh Street and not at all on East Seventh Street.
- On Sundays, Route 71 will operate hourly south of downtown St. Paul on Cesar Chavez Street and Concord Boulevard to South St. Paul. There is currently no Sunday service south of downtown St. Paul.
- Also on Sundays, trips on Route 11 will run every 15 minutes; all trips will also extend to Columbia Heights. Trips now run every half hour.
- On Route 515, trips will run every 15 minutes Monday through Saturday and every 20 minutes on Sundays. Trips now run every 20 minutes Monday through Saturday and every half hour on Sundays.
To improve reliability, several changes will also be made to Route 7, which runs between North Minneapolis and Richfield. Changes include consolidating bus stops and moving buses to Washington Avenue in downtown Minneapolis and the North Loop. Concrete pads and shelters will also be added at several Route 7 bus stops, making them more accessible.
The changes are a continuation of the Better Bus Routes program that combines schedule, route, and bus stop improvements.
METRO B Line brings fast, frequent service
The most significant service improvement being made on June 14 is the opening of the METRO B Line, which will replace Metro Transit’s busiest local bus route, Route 21.
Like other bus rapid transit lines, service on the METRO B Line will be improved through the use of dedicated bus lanes, enhanced stations with ticket machines and real-time signs, and larger buses that allow for all-door boarding.
Service will be adjusted across the B Line corridor to account for the discontinuation of Route 21. Changes include:
- Operating on Selby Avenue between downtown Saint Paul and the Midway shopping area, a new Route 72 will run every 30 minutes throughout the day, all days of the week. Replacing Route 70, Route 72 will also provide service along Pacific and Burns avenues, terminating on the east end at the Sun Ray Transit Center.
- Route 27 will provide hourly service all days of the week, serving stops along Lake Street, 26th Street, and 28th Street between the Uptown Transit Center and Lake Street and Minnehaha Avenue.
- Route 38 will run every 30 minutes all days of the week, serving Lake Street stops between Lyndale and France avenues.
Service improvements enabled by hiring success
The service improvements are enabled by ongoing success in hiring bus operators. By this summer, Metro Transit expects to have more than 1,400 bus operators, about 200 more than were available at the same time last year.
Recruitment efforts are ongoing, with an emphasis on hiring staff needed to maintain buses, light rail vehicles, and facilities.
The next rounds of scheduled service changes will take effect on Saturday, Aug. 9, and Saturday, Dec. 6, when Metro Transit opens the METRO E Line, bringing bus rapid transit service to Hennepin Avenue.
Contact: Drew Kerr, [email protected], 651-387-3928