Two more Twin Cities rapid bus lines gain funding from state

Minnesota lawmakers have committed $57.5 million to build more rapid bus lines serving the Twin Cities, a burgeoning network seen by some as a national model for improving local bus service.

The $7 billion-plus transportation funding bill signed Saturday by Gov. Tim Walz included money for the future E and F lines, two of the eight rapid bus lines that Metro Transit has in the works.

The $60 million E Line would largely replace busy Route 6, which runs between the University of Minnesota and the Southdale Center in Edina with service in downtown and Uptown Minneapolis. The state money fully funds the line and puts it on track to begin passenger service in 2025.

The $80 million F Line would largely replace Route 10, connecting downtown Minneapolis with Northtown Mall in Blaine along Central and University avenues. Construction is slated to begin in 2025.

Passengers on rapid buses pay before boarding, eliminating lines at the farebox, and the buses have signal priority at intersections. Stations are heated in cold weather and feature real-time scheduling information. The result, according to Metro Transit, is a speedier and more pleasant passenger experience on some of the Twin Cities' busiest transit corridors.

However, unlike bus-rapid transit lines with dedicated lanes, these buses operate in traffic and are subject to traffic congestion — as well as the Twin Cities' famed potholes.

The new funding was approved with little fanfare. Rep. Frank Hornstein, DFL-Minneapolis and chairman of the House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee, said the success of current rapid bus lines helped make the case at the State Capitol for expansion.

"We really are a national model for this mode of transportation," Hornstein said.

The first rapid bus project, the A Line, debuted in 2016 and links the 46th Street Blue Line light rail station in Minneapolis to Rosedale, largely along Snelling Avenue in St. Paul. Ridership surged by a third along the corridor after the A Line began service.

The C Line began service in 2019 mainly along Penn Avenue, linking downtown Minneapolis with the Brooklyn Center Transit Center.

Art Guzzetti, vice president of mobility initiatives and public policy for the American Public Transportation Association, said Metro Transit's rapid buses have "the right combination of features" that provide a convenient, fast and comfortable ride.

"The scale of the [Metro Transit rapid bus] rollout is impressive," Guzzetti said, noting it comes "at a time when we're trying to get people back on transit after the pandemic."

Overall, Metro Transit ridership remains down by 62% from pre-pandemic levels. But the decline on rapid bus and local bus routes was less severe than other modes.

Metropolitan Council Chairman Charlie Zelle said in a statement that the state funding is "an important step forward as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"All day long, fast and frequent service on bus rapid transit ensures that people have access to work, school, shopping and entertainment, whether they're working from home, going to the office or using a hybrid schedule," Zelle said. "That reliable service, with a bus coming every 10 to 15 minutes, ensures that transit will help lead our economic recovery."

The D Line along current Route 5 between Brooklyn Center and the Mall of America is under construction, with service expected to begin in 2022. The B Line, mostly replacing Route 21 between Uptown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul, is expected to open in 2024.

The remaining two projects include the G Line, along Rice and Robert streets, and the H Line, serving Como and Maryland avenues, both in the east metro.