South metro bus riders could see significant changes on several local and express routes as Metro Transit looks to revamp service in conjunction with the opening of the metro area's next rapid bus line.
Proposed changes include cutting two express routes from Bloomington to downtown Minneapolis and replacing them with new shuttle services connecting riders with the Orange Line, a station-to-station bus service that will begin operating along Interstate 35W later this year.
New local service would be introduced in some places while other current local routes through Richfield, Bloomington, Edina and south Minneapolis would be restructured. In total, 11 routes would be affected under the proposed changes presented Monday to the Metropolitan Council Transportation Committee.
"It certainly is a significant change to routes in the area," said Cyndi Harper, Metro Transit's manager of route planning.
The redo is similar to one that Metro Transit did in 2014 when the Green Line opened. At that time, many bus routes were redesigned to get riders to the light-rail train by incorporating stops at or near light-rail stations. In this case, it's to streamline operations and make it easier to get to jobs and on the Orange Line, which will run from Minneapolis to Burnsville, Harper said.
With the Orange Line to provide frequent all-day service in both directions, seven days a week, Metro Transit plans to scrap express route 597 from southwest Bloomington and express route 535.
New routes operating on Lyndale Avenue, American Boulevard, Old Shakopee Road and on 98th and 76th streets would replace the local portion of both express routes, funneling passengers to Orange Line stations at American Boulevard and 76th Street.
In another change, Metro Transit is proposing a new route running from the Mall of America through Richfield and Edina.
