Speed limit rising to 60 mph on Crosstown and I-394

Last fall, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) raised the speed limit on Hwy. 100 through Edina and St. Louis Park.

New speed limit signs went up in October, allowing drivers to legally go 60 mph on the portion of Hwy. 100 south of Interstate 394. The change created a uniform speed limit between Interstate 494 in Bloomington and County Road 81 in Robbinsdale.

MnDOT didn't make any big announcement. Drive reader Todd noticed the change as he hopped on Hwy. 100 at Hwy. 7 and drove north toward I-394.

"A similar thing happened a few years ago when U.S. 169 through the metro changed to 60 mph," he wrote in an e-mail. "Seems like there is no mention of changes or plans like this on MnDOT's website. What other changes can we expect to metro area freeway speed limits?"

For starters, the speed limit on the Crosstown Hwy. 62 will rise from 55 mph to 60 mph this summer, said MnDOT spokesman David Aeikens. So will the speed limit on I-394 from Minneapolis through the western suburbs.

The speed limit on Hwy. 3 in the east and south metro may be going up, too. MnDOT has completed a speed study and is waiting on input from cities the highway passes through before making a recommendation, Aeikens said.

A speed study is required before any adjustment can be made.

MnDOT is also studying Hwy. 280, and this summer it plans to conduct a speed study on Hwys. 13 and 95 "because major reconstruction occurred on the two highways in 2020," Aeikens said.

Metro Transit is out with a draft plan for the B Line, a rapid bus line that would largely replace bus Route 21 and run 12.5 miles along Lake Street in Minneapolis and Selby and Marshall avenues in St. Paul.

The transit agency is accepting feedback through March 22 and will use comments to further refine plans as the agency decides on the exact routing, the number of stations and where they will be placed.

"There will be multiple iterations before it is finalized," said Katie Roth, Metro Transit's bus rapid transit assistant director.

Comments will help shape a recommended plan to be released in May. After gathering additional feedback, Metro Transit will present a final plan to the Metropolitan Council for approval.

The B Line is fully funded through a mix of federal, state and Met Council funds. The preliminary estimated cost is $65 million. Construction is slated to begin in 2023 with service starting the following year.

Metro Transit operates two station-to-station bus lines: the A Line from south Minneapolis to Roseville and the C Line from downtown Minneapolis to Brooklyn Center. The B Line would be the most challenging to build and run, Roth said.

Route 21 has Metro Transit's second-highest ridership, with about 10,000 trips taken a day. It is also one of the system's slowest routes, due to high passenger volume and traffic congestion.

The B Line is expected to make trips up to 20% faster, but Roth said the agency is looking at how it could implement treatments such as bus-only lanes or signal priority to help speed trips even more.

Comments and suggestions can be submitted through the project's website, by e-mailing bline@metrotransit.org or calling 612-373-3333.

Follow news about traffic and commuting at The Drive on startribune.com. Got traffic or transportation questions, or story ideas? E-mail drive@startribune.com, tweet @stribdrive or call Tim Harlow at 612-673-7768.