Megabus moves stop in St. Paul to Union Depot

Starting next week, Megabus will pick up and drop off St. Paul passengers at the Union Depot in downtown rather than at the Midway Shopping Center.

The low-fare express bus company will move its St. Paul stop starting Wednesday to the renovated train station, at 214 E. 4th St. in the city's Lowertown district.

That means passengers will be able to wait inside for the bus rather than outside in the shopping center's parking lot.

"We are pleased to offer a more convenient, sheltered location in St. Paul for customers departing/arriving to the area," said Megabus spokesman Mike Alvich.

Metro Transit, Minnesota Valley Transit Authority and Jefferson Line buses already provide service at Union Depot. Amtrak will move its Twin Cities terminal there later this winter, and Green Line light-rail trains will stop outside the depot starting in June.

Megabus began service to St. Paul last May, seven years after it began making stops in Minneapolis. From the Twin Cities, the bus goes to two locations in Madison, Wis.; Milwaukee and Chicago.

The bus service changed its downtown Minneapolis stop in November from a site near the Metrodome to a parking garage on the other side of downtown. The bus now stops in Ramp C at 318 3rd Av. N., between Washington Avenue and Target Field. The company started searching for a new spot when the city asked it to stop curbside pickups.

Megabus offers express bus service for fares as low as $1, and provides service from several hubs in the United States and Canada. For more information, go to www.megabus.com.

KEVIN DUCHSCHERE