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Metro B Line (Minnesota)

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The Metro B Line is an under construction bus rapid transit route in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The route will operate mostly on Lake Street in Minneapolis before crossing the Mississippi River into St. Paul and operating mostly on Selby Avenue and ending in downtown St. Paul. The route was identified in Metro Transit's 2014 Arterial Transitway Corridors Study as one of eleven local routes to be upgraded to bus rapid transit. The route will have "train-like" features to speed up service, such as signal priority, all-door boarding, further stop spacing, and specialized vehicles. Planning and design was completed in 2021, with construction beginning in May 2023. The line will join a number of Metro Transit's future Metro system lines, as well as the currently operating A Line, C Line, and D Line. Full funding for the line was secured in October 2020 with a final $35 million from the state of Minnesota.

Metro B Line
The B Line will travel on Lake Street in Minneapolis in these bus only lanes.
Overview
SystemMetro
OperatorMetro Transit
Vehicle60' Artic
StatusConstruction (Begin operation June 2025)
Predecessors21, 53
Selby-Lake Streetcar
Route
Route typeBus rapid transit
LocaleMinneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota
StartWest Lake Station
ViaLake Street
EndUnion Depot
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Construction on the line began in 2023 on the eastern portion of the line. The 2024 construction season is expected to focus on the western portion of the line with an opening in June 2025.[2]

Background

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The corridor has a long history of transit service. The Twin City Rapid Transit Company operated a streetcar on Selby Avenue and Lake Street starting in 1906.[3] Once the streetcars were replaced in the 1950s with buses, a bus route continued to operate over the route. Route 21 serves the corridor from Uptown Transit Center to the Union Depot in downtown Saint Paul. A limited stop bus, Route 53, operates during peak periods offering limited stop service along Lake Street and Marshall Avenue before traveling on I-94 to downtown Saint Paul. Average speeds for Route 21 and 53 are 10 and 13.2 miles per hour respectively, which makes Route 21 one of the slowest routes in the Twin Cities.[4]

Buses on the corridor used to travel on the National Register of Historic Places-listed Selby Avenue Bridge over Ayd Mill Road. When the bridge was replaced in 1993, buses were detoured a half mile north to University Avenue. Increased ridership led Metro Transit to leave the detour in place following completion of the replacement bridge.[5] 10,000 rides are taken on Route 21 on weekdays which makes it the second highest ridership route for Metro Transit.[4]

In May 2019 the project was estimated to cost $54 million.[6] By October 2019 $16 million in funding had been identified from a competitive federal grant for a total of $26 million.[7] The line was fully funded after $35 million was included in the state bonding bill in October 2020.[8][9]

Route

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Project construction sign on Lake Street near West River Parkway.

In 2011-2012 Metro Transit studied eleven urban transit corridors to be upgraded with enhanced bus improvements.[10] Of the eleven, Route 21 was identified between West Lake Station and Snelling Avenue Station running on Lake Street in Minneapolis and Marshal Avenue in St. Paul with stations spaced a quarter mile to a half mile apart.[11] This concept plan connected Southwest LRT, METRO E Line, Orange Line, D Line, Blue Line, A Line, and Green Lines.

Stations

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Under construction station looking west on Marshall Ave.

Stations as part of Metro Transit's aBRT (arterial bus rapid transit) service are unique to differentiate them service from local bus stops. Each station has a pylon marker that provides station identification, real time information, and audible departures. Unique shelters will have lighting, heating, emergency telephones and security cameras, and station areas will have seating, bike parking, and trash and recycling. To speed up boarding, platforms are raised 9 in (23 cm) from the pavement to facilitate near-level boarding though any door. Passengers pay before hand using Go-To card readers or ticket vending machines.[12]

At this time, only seven station pairs have been planned. West Lake Station will be constructed as part of the Southwest LRT project. The B Line will stop at or around Hennepin Avenue and Uptown Transit Station. A station at I-35W is being constructed as part of the Orange Line and 35W@94:Downtown to Crosstown projects.[13] In 2020, Hennepin County will reconstruct Lake Street between Blaisdell Avenue and 5th Avenue adding stations at Nicollet Avenue and 4th Avenue.[14] The B Line will also stop at or around Chicago Avenue and the Chicago-Lake Transit Center. The eastbound station at Midtown Station was constructed in 2017 as part of the South Minneapolis Regional Service Center, with the westbound station to be part of the Hi-Lake Interchange construction.[13][15] On Snelling Avenue, stations would be shared at existing A Line stations. Specific station locations will be identified in 2020-2021 during the engineering phase.[16]

Metro B Line station locations and connecting routes
Station[17] Neighborhood(s)[18][19] City Connections[20]
West Lake Street Cedar Isles Dean, West Maka Ska Minneapolis Route 17, Metro Green Line
Lake & Dean/West Bde Maka Ska Cedar Isles Dean Route 17
Lake & East Bde Maka Ska Lagoon & East Bde Maka Ska Cedar Isles Dean, East Bde Maka Ska Route 17
Lake & Hennepin Lagoon & Hennepin East Isles, Lowry Hill East, South Uptown, East Bde Maka Ska Routes 6, 17, 23, Metro E Line
Lake & Lyndale Lowry Hill East, Whittier, Lyndale, South Uptown Route 4
Lake & Nicollet Whittier, Lyndale Route 18
Lake & I-35W Whittier, Phillips West, Central, Lyndale Metro Orange Line
Lake & 4th/5th Phillips West, Central Route 11
Lake & Chicago Phillips West, Midtown Phillips, Powderhorn Park, Central Route 5, Metro D Line
Lake & Bloomington Midtown Phillips, East Phillips, Powderhorn Park Route 14
Lake & Cedar East Phillips, Corcoran, Powderhorn Park Route 22
Lake Street/Midtown East Phillips, Longfellow, Corcoran Metro Blue Line
Lake & Minnehaha Longfellow Route 7
Lake & 31st Ave Longfellow
Lake & 36th Ave Longfellow Route 9
Lake & 44th Ave Cooper
Marshall & Otis Union Park Saint Paul
Marshall & Cretin Union Park Route 63
Marshall & Cleveland Union Park Route 87
Marshall & Fairview Union Park
Snelling & Dayton Union Park Metro A Line
Selby & Hamline Union Park
Selby & Lexington Union Park, Summit-University Route 83
Selby & Victoria Summit-University
Selby & Dale Summit-University Route 65
Selby & Western-Arundel Summit-University
John Ireland & Marshall Summit-University
Smith Ave Ramp Smith & 5th St Downtown Saint Paul Metro Gold Line, many downtown bus routes
6th St & Washington St Rice Park Downtown Saint Paul Metro Gold Line, many downtown bus routes
6th St & Minnesota 5th St & Cedar Downtown Saint Paul Metro Green Line, Metro Gold Line, many downtown bus routes
6th St & Jackson 5th St & Robert St Downtown Saint Paul Metro Gold Line, Metro G Line, many downtown bus routes
Union Depot & Sibley Union Depot & Wacouta Downtown Saint Paul Metro Green Line, Metro Gold Line, many downtown bus routes
Saint Paul Union Depot Downtown Saint Paul Metro Green Line, Metro Gold Line, many downtown bus routes

Selby Avenue extension

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An existing A Line station that will serve the B Line at Snelling & Dayton station in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

In early 2019 project staff identified the possibility of extending the line past Snelling Avenue into downtown St. Paul via Selby Avenue.[21] Six routing options between Snelling Avenue and Lexington Parkway are under consideration. Of the six options, all would connect to the METRO A Line, while only two would connect to the METRO Green Line. In downtown, the B Line would share enhanced stations with the Metro Gold Line before terminating at Union Depot.[22]

On October 28, 2019, it was publicly announced to the Transportation Committee of the Metropolitan Council that the route would extend past Snelling Avenue into downtown St. Paul. The recommended alignment does not have the route jog north of I-94 to connect to the METRO Green Line and Midway district of St. Paul. The rationale behind the decision was that more trips destined for the Lake Street-Marshall segment originated on Selby Avenue and downtown St. Paul than in Midway. The rationale also avoids congestion and delays that happen north of I-94, enabling more reliable travel times. Additionally, the B Line would have a direct north-south connection with the METRO A Line at Snelling & Dayton, which would fill the gap to the Midway district and METRO Green Line.[23][7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "B Line Project - Metro Transit". www.metrotransit.org. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  2. ^ Roth, Katie (September 25, 2023). "Arterial BRT Projects Update". Metropolitan Council Transportation Committee. Metro Transit. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  3. ^ Diers, John W.; Isaacs, Aaron (2007). Twin Cities by trolley : the streetcar era in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-4358-5.
  4. ^ a b Melo, Frederick (January 2, 2020). "Metro Transit's new B Line will extend to downtown St. Paul, a victory for transit advocates". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  5. ^ Lindeke, Bill (April 16, 2019). "From streetcar to BRT: The return of the Selby-Lake transit corridor?". MinnPost. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  6. ^ Moore, Janet (May 8, 2019). "Ecolab CEO, St. Paul mayor and others tout proposed B Line rapid bus". Star Tribune. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Thomas, Dylan (October 28, 2019). "Met Council gets behind a faster ride for St. Paul commuters". Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  8. ^ Moore, Janet (October 22, 2020). "Two Twin Cities rapid bus lines win state funding". Star Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  9. ^ Melo, Frederick (October 26, 2020). "One of St. Paul's busiest bus routes will get a major upgrade". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  10. ^ "ABRT Study - Metro Transit". www.metrotransit.org. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  11. ^ "Lake Street" (PDF). www.metrotransit.org. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  12. ^ "BRT Station Characteristic". www.metrotransit.org. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  13. ^ a b "B Line Library - Metro Transit". www.metrotransit.org. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  14. ^ "Lake Street Reconstruction Phase 4 Project Fact Sheet" (PDF). Hennepin County. November 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  15. ^ "Hiawatha-Lake Interchange Study". www.minneapolismn.gov. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  16. ^ "B Line Fact Sheet" (PDF). Metro Transit. April 29, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  17. ^ "METRO B Line Corridor Plan". Metro Transit. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  18. ^ "Minneapolis Neighborhood Map". City of Minneapolis. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  19. ^ "Saint Paul District Council and Ward Lookup". stpaul.maps.arcgis.com. City of Saint Paul. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  20. ^ "Schedules & Maps". Metro Transit. August 2022. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  21. ^ "The B Line rapid bus may replace Route 21 from Uptown Minneapolis to downtown St. Paul". Twin Cities. April 15, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  22. ^ "B Line Open House Boards" (PDF). www.metrotransit.org. June 6, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  23. ^ Roth, Katie (October 28, 2019). "METRO B Line Update and Preliminary Recommendations".
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