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65-404: The Metro Orange Line is a bus rapid transit line in the Twin Cities, Minnesota operated by Metro Transit . The line operates primarily along Interstate 35W from downtown Minneapolis through Richfield and Bloomington before terminating in Burnsville, Minnesota. The Orange Line provides access to 198,000 jobs with roughly a quarter of them outside downtown Minneapolis. The route serves

130-570: A bus stop was built on the I-35W bridge over Lake Street. The Crosstown Commons section of the freeway was reconstructed from 2007 to 2010. The project extended HOV lanes north to 42nd Street and added a station located in the median of the freeway at 46th Street. Future MNDOT and Metro Transit plans to relocate the Lake St. Station to the median of the freeway. A 2007, $ 133.3 million, Federal-State Urban Partnership Agreement , designed to alleviate congestion in

195-450: A bus. While the stations do not have completely level boarding, the higher platforms reduces the gap compared to typical bus stops. Amenities at the stations would include bike parking, benches, real-time bus arrival information, heating, trash and recycling bins, a station marker, and an information kiosk. The designs call for energy-efficient LED lighting to be used at each station. New sidewalks were added in some locations, to better connect

260-466: A combination of exclusive and shared right-of-way, depending on the circumstances. Within the two Downtown Zones, trains run on surface streets in an exclusive right-of-way, without preemption . The Blue Line runs primarily alongside Hiawatha Avenue ( Minnesota State Highway 55 ), along land originally acquired for expansion of that highway, except for a brief stretch in a tunnel underneath Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport . The Green Line runs along

325-575: A common practice on some heavy rail lines such as the New York City Subway and PATH . The service gap from 2AM to 4AM was replaced by bus service . The current schedule on the Blue Line sees the first departure at 3:19AM and the last arrival at 12:50AM. On the Green Line, the first departure is at 4:29AM and the last arrival is at 12:10AM. Metro Transit also provides a shuttle service between

390-436: A mix of stations located in the center of the highway, stations near highway exits, and on-street stations. The line has features typical of bus rapid transit systems with off-board fare payment, articulated buses with extra doors, stations with improved passenger amenities, and transit-only bus lanes on portions of the route. Express bus service in the I-35W corridor has existed since the 1970s and efforts to improve transit in

455-514: A part of Minnesota Department of Transportation's larger Downtown-to-Crosstown road construction project on I-35W. In November 2018 the Orange Line secured $ 74 million in federal funding. This was the last portion of the funding to be secured for the $ 150.7 million project. A groundbreaking ceremony for construction was held in July 2019 and service began on December 4, 2021. By May 2022, weekday ridership on

520-658: A short distance before again exiting at 98th St to serve the South Bloomington Transit Center and park and ride. The route crosses the Minnesota River and enters Burnsville to serve the final pair of stops in a loop. The Heart of the City station is located near Minnesota State Highway 13 and the Burnsville Transit Station . The I-35W corridor has a long history of transit, being the first freeway in

585-543: A triangle connecting opposite ends of the Blue Line and Green Line. In December 2017, a modern streetcar system similar to systems in Portland , Kansas City , and Detroit was selected as the locally preferred alternative with an alignment along West Seventh Street and MN-5 . The next three arterial bus rapid transit lines have been proposed. The G Line, and H Line would serve the corridor, Rice Street and Robert Street corridors, and an alignment from downtown Minneapolis to

650-614: A variable-price on-street and off-street parking system, enhanced 5-1-1 service (both via phone and web interface), improvements to ferry services, and a better traffic forecasting system for the Grand and MacArthur BRT projects in Oakland . The primary project in the Seattle area is related to handling congestion on Washington State Route 520 with tolling. The freeway's floating bridges over Lake Washington need to be replaced, though replacement

715-466: Is bus rapid transit route that runs along I-35W from Minneapolis south into Richfield , Bloomington and Burnsville . The arterial BRT A, C, and D lines serve as upgrades to existing local bus routes and connect with the Blue and Green lines at certain shared stations. Together, the two light rail lines run on 21.8 miles (35.1 km) of route. There are a total of 121 stations ; five shared between

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780-421: Is also available through Metro Transit's website. Metro uses a proof-of-payment system, requiring riders to carry tickets at all times. Fares are purchased before boarding, either at ticket machines located in the stations or by scanning a Go-To card at dedicated pedestals. Tickets are valid for 2 1/2 hours after purchase. An unlimited number of transfers between Metro lines and Metro Transit bus routes, within

845-915: Is scheduled on track to begin in 2025 with opening planned for 2026. The Riverview Corridor is a transit corridor connecting Downtown Saint Paul and the Mall of America in Bloomington via the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport . The corridor serves an area from the Saint Paul Union Depot to the Mall via parts of the Metro Green Line and the Metro Blue Line , and a route running parallel to West 7th Street, which runs southwest from Downtown Saint Paul. The corridor creates

910-567: The Bruce Vento Regional Trail from downtown Saint Paul to downtown White Bear Lake, Minnesota . The project's Environmental Assessment was released in May 2021 for public comment. The project is currently in an engineering and design phase, this should be complete in 2023. Construction is expected to begin in 2024, with operation beginning in 2026. The B Line is an arterial bus rapid transit route undergoing engineering and design for

975-510: The METRO Orange Line as part of the branding of the METRO system. Identifying funds to improve the transitway was difficult despite the project drawing bipartisan support. Full funding for the project was secured in 2018. Construction was completed in 2021 and the line opened December 4, 2021. By 2040, an estimated 11,400 rides a day will be taken on the Orange Line and facility improvements along

1040-498: The Mall of America , and the Green Line, which runs from Target Field past the University of Minnesota to Union Depot in downtown Saint Paul . The BRT Red Line serves as an extension of the Blue Line across the Minnesota River , where it connects with southern suburbs at four different stations. Low ridership projections would have made the required bridge for an extension of the Blue Line economically infeasible. The Orange Line

1105-558: The Marq2 transit corridor which has contraflow bus lanes. A transit-only ramp allows for a direct connection from 12th St in downtown to the I-35W MnPASS lanes. While traveling through Minneapolis the Orange Line operates in MnPASS lanes which are HOT lanes that guarantee consistent travel times through the corridor through dynamic pricing. Stations at Lake St and 46th St are served in the center of

1170-499: The Marq2 transit corridor with two-lane busways and a system using lettered gates to allow express buses to flow through the downtown region more quickly. Gates on Marquette Avenue are lettered A, B, C, and D, while gate letters E, F, G, and H are used along Second Avenue. "NexTrip" real-time LED message signs indicating bus arrival times are also installed at each gate. Marq2 began operation in December 2009. Other UPA projects in

1235-718: The Metro Red Line and the Cedar Grove Transit Station . Additional travel time would have been especially an issue if the route was extended further to the Kenrick Avenue Park and Ride station in Lakeville in the future. Ultimately two stations in Burnsville served in a loop were approved with the design allaying Dakota County commissioner concerns. After Dakota County withdrew from CTIB causing its dissolution and

1300-537: The Saint Paul Union Depot , through downtown before terminating near United Hospital . The project will use dedicated lanes while running along I-94. Construction on the project began in October 2022 with service on the line expected to begin in 2025. The Purple Line is a planned bus rapid transit route to run largely along the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority corridor adjacent to

1365-678: The Southdale Transit Center, replacing most of route 6. Pending full project funding, E Line construction could begin as soon as 2023. The Blue Line extension (known as Bottineau LRT ) is a planned extension of the Blue Line to Brooklyn Park . After failing to come to an agreement with BNSF over colocating light rail and freight trains in the railroad's corridor, the Metropolitan Council announced they would begin to "explore opportunities to advance this critical project without using BNSF Railway right of way." New alignments for

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1430-449: The Blue Line, depending on the time of day and ridership needs. Many stations on the line were initially built to be capable of serving only one- or two-car trains, as a cost-saving measure; all of the shorter platforms were designed and built with future extension in mind and currently all stations are capable of serving three-car trains. The Green Line was built with three-car platforms at all stations. Currently three models of LRVs run in

1495-537: The East Side of Saint Paul along Como Avenue respectively. The three lines are planned to be built by 2030. There are also numerous proposals in early planning stages for routes along Interstate 394 from Minneapolis to Wayzata , Highway 169 from Minneapolis to Shakopee , Interstate 35 from Minneapolis and St. Paul to Forest Lake , Highway 36 from St. Paul to Stillwater and Highway 61 from St. Paul to Hastings ( Red Rock Corridor ). The Metro system's rail lines use

1560-681: The Green Line, 12 for the Orange Line, 4 for the Red Line, 18 for the A Line, 11 for the C Line, and 30 for the D Line. The main hub of the system is Target Field Station in Minneapolis, Mall of America Station is also a hub, and Saint Paul Union Depot is envisioned as an additional future hub. Most trains and buses run at least every 15 minutes throughout the day, with reduced schedules at night and on weekends. All stations have electronic displays that show predicted real-time departure information, known as NexTrip. Predicted real-time departure information

1625-537: The Green Line. Type II LRVs are mechanically, but not electronically, compatible with the current fleet of 27 "type I" vehicles, so while the two generations do run on the tracks at the same time and both types are able to push a malfunctioning unit of the other type, multiple-unit consists may only be assembled of one type. Type III LRVS are Siemens S700 . In 2016, Metro Transit placed an order for 27 more Siemens S70 LRVs for its planned Southwest Corridor expansion. The cars in this order were considered to be model S70 at

1690-574: The Green and Blue Lines in downtown Minneapolis , one shared at the Mall of America between the Blue, Red, and D Lines, one shared at 46th Street station between the Blue and the A Lines, one shared at Snelling Avenue station between the Green and the A Lines, the C and D lines share 3 stations in Brooklyn Center and 6 in Downtown Minneapolis. 13 Stations are exclusively for the Blue Line, 16 for

1755-633: The Lake St Station. Funding for the $ 150 million project was identified from local, state, federal, and Metropolitan Council funds including 30% from the Counties Transit Improvement Board . Project development approval for engineering and environmental work was granted by the FTA in 2014, and a decision on an additional $ 64 million in funding was expected by 2016. The corridor had 14,000 riders in 2014 with an estimated 20,000 by 2030. Routing of

1820-625: The METRO Orange Line to run from downtown Minneapolis to the "offline" (off-highway) Burnsville Transit Station , stopping at the "online" (on-highway) stations at Lake Street, 46th Street, and American Boulevard, and the "inline" (slightly off-highway) stations at 66th Street and 98th Street, with a potential extension to the Kenrick Ave Park and Ride in Lakeville that had been created with Urban Partnership Agreement funds. Plans in 2014 showed 100 buses an hour were expected to travel through

1885-595: The Metro system, at various stages of completion. These include both light rail extensions and connecting bus rapid transit services. Other Transit projects are under planning stages by other organizations in the region, these may be operated or integrated in the METRO system in the future. The Green Line extension (also known as the Southwest LRT ) is an under construction expansion of the Green Line, to run from Target Field Station to several southwestern suburbs. The project

1950-546: The Metro system. Type I LRVs are Bombardier Flexity Swifts , utilizing a low floor for accessible boarding at all stations. Metro Transit operates 27 vehicles on the lines, numbered 101 through 127. Initially painted with Metro Transit livery, all have been repainted as of 2015 to reflect the Metro system branding. During this time, Type I cars also were retrofitted with colored LCD headboards for route destination displays and other improvements. Type II LRVs are Siemens S70/Avantos . 64 vehicles were purchased, primarily to serve

2015-470: The Metropolitan Council to make up the gap. Ultimately, CTIB only contributed $ 8.6 million with Hennepin County, Dakota County, and their regional railroad authorities covering the gap. By November 2016, preliminary designs of the stations were completed and opened to public comment. With FTA approval, the Orange Line began construction in 2017, despite a lack of committed federal funding. The construction began as

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2080-472: The Minneapolis area, allowed the construction of a center high-occupancy toll lane or price-dynamic shoulder lane (for the exclusive use of buses, high-occupancy vehicles, and drivers willing to pay the dynamically priced toll) running on I-35W from Lakeville to downtown Minneapolis—a lane that could be used for the planned BRT line. Highway BRT on I-35W was included in plans for the 2030 Transportation Policy Plan in 2010. Plans released in 2012 called for

2145-425: The Orange Line passed 1,000 rides a day, double the ridership served by the bus route it replaced, Route 535. Weekend service, which did not exist on Route 535, was serving 300-400 rides a day. The Orange Line has many bus rapid transit features although it lacks some features considered needed for a true bus rapid transit system such as dedicated lanes throughout. From downtown Minneapolis, the Orange Line operates in

2210-550: The Orange Line through the Southtown Center area created issues during rezoning and redevelopment plans in 2015. An opening date of 2019 was still expected in 2015 with updated ridership estimates showing 11,400 Orange Line rides and 26,500 corridor rides by 2040. There were concerns about the final routing in Burnsville and if traveling off I-35W to serve the Heart of the City would add too much time for riders, with comparisons made to

2275-483: The Red Line opened in mid-2013, and the first phase of the Green Line (also known as the Central Corridor) in mid-2014. Expansion is planned to upgrade existing transit corridors and to construct new transitways. The current Metro system consists of seven Lines. There are two light rail lines: the Blue Line, which runs from Target Field in downtown Minneapolis under Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport to

2340-671: The Transportation and Safety fee) are provided a Universal Transit Pass through their U-Cards. This allows Student-IDs to be used for unlimited rides on all regular route transit busses, Light Rail and Bus Rapid Transit, as well a reduced fare on the Northstar Line commuter rail . Staff at the Twin Cities Campus may be eligible for a Metropass , this pass allows all the same benefits as the Universal Transit Pass, without

2405-552: The Twin Cities to have express bus service, starting in 1968. 14 routes used I-35W by 1972. Ramp metering that allowed buses to bypass the delay was brought to the corridor in 1974. Beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s light rail was studied but nothing was done. A commuter rail line that was proposed between Minneapolis and Northfield was halted in 2002 by the Minnesota Legislature banning public money from going to studies of

2470-436: The Twin Cities' Lake Street/Marshall Avenue corridor, running from Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis' Uptown neighborhood to downtown Saint Paul along Selby Avenue . This line will largely replace route 21 and will connect with ten current or planned METRO Lines, Station design is complete with beginning of construction anticipated in 2023. The E Line is an arterial bus rapid transit route undergoing engineering and design for

2535-556: The Twin Cities's Hennepin Avenue corridor. Metro Transit's 2012 rapid bus study identified a route that would run from downtown Minneapolis to a future Lake Street station on the Metro Green Line extension. However, after further study in the spring of 2019, Metro Transit recommended a route from the Green Line's Stadium Village stop, through Dinkytown to Hennepin Avenue , and then south via Hennepin, 44th Street, and France Avenue to

2600-431: The addition of five new routes. Ultimately a driver shortage prevented all changes from being implemented upon opening day on December 4, 2021. Minnesota Valley Transit Authority added a route to serve the Orange Line in Burnsville at the Heart of the City station. Preliminary designs of the stations were completed by November 2016. All stations are ADA accessible and include higher curbs to facilitate easier boarding to

2665-433: The corridor funded as part of the project will benefit 26,500 rides a day. The Orange Line's northern terminus is a pair of stops at 3rd St in downtown Minneapolis. The first four stops at 3rd St, 5th St, 7th St, and 11th St are on paired one-way streets, Marquette Ave and 2nd Ave. The two streets were redesigned for transit improvements in 2009 as part of an Urban Partnership Agreement that brought contraflow bus lanes to

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2730-475: The corridor through light rail or bus rapid transit have been worked on for nearly as long. Bus rapid transit was identified for study in the early 2000s and several transit facility improvements in the corridor were made by 2009 through grants by the federal government. The project was known as the I-35W Bus Rapid Transitway until July 2011 when the Metropolitan Council officially renamed the project

2795-470: The corridor was reevaluated and redesigned similarly to how service changed when the Metro Green Line opened in 2014. An initial service redesign was presented to the public in January 2021 for public comment with a final plan sent to the Metropolitan Council for approval in May 2021. The final proposal increased transit service hours 20% on weekdays. Changes were proposed for 11 existing routes, complemented with

2860-453: The corridor, including new route 535, an all-day highly frequent bus route between Downtown Minneapolis and South Bloomington Transit Center. Metro Transit's future plans in the restructure report show possible expansion of Route 535's service from just weekdays to everyday service, and route extensions to the University of Minnesota, and south to Burnsville Transit Station. About 20–30 years ago

2925-476: The failure to secure funding from the state during the 2016 legislative session, concerns about the financial viability of the line were questioned. $ 45 million for the project was expected to come from CTIB and $ 12 million from the state. The line drew bipartisan support from cities and elected officials, partially due to lower costs compared to light rail projects like the Southwest LRT . CTIB reduced its contribution which required Dakota County, Hennepin County, and

2990-592: The fare reduction on the Northstar Line. As of January 2023, cost of this pass is $ 83 per month. This will reach a break even point after between 26 and 33 trips per month. Passengers at Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport can use the Blue Line between the Terminal 1-Lindbergh station and Terminal 2–Humphrey station free of charge. These two stations are served 24/7. Several expansion projects are planned for

3055-517: The first line (the present Blue Line ) along Hiawatha Avenue (initially named the Hiawatha Line ) in south Minneapolis, which opened in 2004. In 2011, in anticipation of the opening of the Red Line and Green Line , and in order to help passengers better identify with each of the routes, Metro Transit announced that the system would be rebranded and each line assigned a unique color. The first phase of

3120-638: The freeway to serve stops at 66th St before rentering the freeway. The route travels off the freeway to serve stations and a park and ride at Knox Ave and 76th St near the Best Buy Richfield headquarters. The transit-only Knox Avenue transitway travels underneath I-494 to the American Blvd station located near Southtown Center and the Penn-American district in Bloomington. The route re-enters I-35W for

3185-461: The highway eliminating the need to exit and re-enter the freeway. While serving stations at 76th St and American Blvd the line travels on a transit-only tunnel under I-494 which allows for a direct path between two activity centers in Richfield and Bloomington. Buses on the Orange Line are diesel articulated with three doors and wider aisles. The buses are branded to match the METRO system. Service on

3250-485: The idea was eventually abandoned due to opposition from the Minnesota Legislature. For the next few decades, there were repeated proposals to build light rail along several corridors, particularly the University Avenue corridor between downtown Minneapolis and Saint Paul (the present Green Line), but the idea of light rail only gained steam in the late 1990s. In 1999, the Minnesota Legislature approved funding for

3315-489: The line. The state legislature mandated MnDOT study bus rapid transit on the corridor in 2003. In January 2005, the Minnesota Department of Transportation released their plans to improve transit service on the corridor. They chose that BRT using existing and proposed HOV lanes would be the best option. This came just a month after Metro Transit did a complete restructure of I-35W bus services, adding better service to

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3380-461: The local public transit company: Metro Transit . The five lines connect Downtown Minneapolis and St Paul with Bloomington , Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport , Roseville , Richfield , Burnsville and Brooklyn Center . Prior to August 17, 2019, service along the entire length of the Green Line operated 24/7 , the only one of 22 light rail systems in the United States to do so, but

3445-546: The median of University Avenue in an exclusive right-of-way, except for a brief stretch of the Washington Avenue Transit Mall where its tracks are shared with buses. The Blue Line's at-grade crossings are protected by automated grade crossing gates; the Green Line's crossings move in regular traffic, with signal priority but no preemption. Since the completion of three-car station extensions in winter 2010, Metro Transit operates one-, two- and three-car trains on

3510-508: The most aggressive plans to mitigate congestion were to be selected. Five participants were announced in August 2007, which included the regions listed above as well as New York City , but New York eventually failed to meet the terms of the agreement they had struck, and was removed from the program. The UPA is focused on using what it calls "the 4Ts" to reduce traffic congestion : tolling , transit , telecommuting , and technology . In Miami,

3575-648: The new design; as a result, all of Metro Transit's type III LRVs (301–327) are now Siemens model S700. The first two S700 vehicles arrived in May 2020. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Media related to Metro Transit (Minneapolis-Saint Paul) at Wikimedia Commons Other transit in the United States: 44°59′5″N 93°16′54″W  /  44.98472°N 93.28167°W  / 44.98472; -93.28167 Urban Partnership Agreement The federal Department of Transportation sent out requests for cities willing to participate in December 2006. The cities with

3640-467: The primary UPA project is the "95 Express" program, which added high-occupancy toll lanes to Interstate 95 that can be used by registered carpools, hybrid cars , and buses , in addition to toll-paying customers using SunPass . Ramp metering was also installed. The UPA projects in Minneapolis extend from the city's central business district south along Interstate 35W . In downtown, a project rebuilt Marquette Avenue South and Second Avenue South into

3705-524: The region were largely related to building the I-35W Bus Rapid Transitway . This included several stops and park and ride facilities. I-35W also includes HOT lanes which use the MnPASS system. The other lanes of I-35W also received dynamic active traffic management signage which gives suggested speed limits which attempt to calm the flow of congested traffic. Projects in San Francisco include "SFpark",

3770-403: The route was expected to be every 10 minutes during rush hours and every 15 minutes in off-peak times with larger headways during early mornings and late evenings. Due to a bus driver shortage, the Orange Line opened with 15-minute headways all day during weekdays with less frequent service during early mornings and evenings. Buses come every 30 minutes on Saturdays and Sundays. Transit service in

3835-439: The same fare level, are allowed within this period. Within the two Downtown Zones of Minneapolis and St. Paul, tickets are 50¢; otherwise they follow normal Metro Transit fares: (Rush hour is classified as Monday - Friday, 6-9 am & 3-6:30 pm) In addition, passes are available for various lengths of time or numbers of trips at appropriate discounts. All University of Minnesota undergraduate and graduate students (that pay

3900-518: The southern portion of route were presented for public comment in March 2021. The F Line is an arterial bus rapid transit route undergoing engineering and design for the Twin Cities's Central Avenue corridor, running from Downtown Minneapolis to Northtown Mall in Blaine, replacing much of route 10. The Line is currently undergoing planning, with engineering and design from expected in 2023-2024, construction

3965-521: The stations serving the Lindbergh and Humphrey terminals of MSP Airport during the overnight service gap on the Blue Line. In the 1970s, roughly contemporaneous with the construction of Washington D.C. 's Metro system and San Francisco 's Bay Area Rapid Transit , the newly formed Metropolitan Council contemplated the creation of a similar mass transit for the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, but

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4030-506: The stations to the surrounding neighborhoods. Metro (Minnesota) Metro (styled as METRO ) is a transit network in Minnesota serving the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul . It also provides service to some suburban areas. As of 2022, the system consists of two light rail lines ( Blue and Green Lines) and five bus rapid transit (BRT) lines ( Orange Line , Red Line , A , C , and D Lines) all of which are operated by

4095-535: The streets. The Marq2 transit corridor serves 80 percent of express bus trips to downtown Minneapolis from regional park and ride facilities. From downtown, buses connect directly to the I-35W MnPASS lanes on a ramp constructed for only transit vehicles that will serve 700 weekday bus trips. While traveling along the MnPASS lanes, the route serves two stops located in the center of the highway at Lake St and 46th St. After passing Minnesota State Highway 62 , buses exit

4160-432: The time the order was placed, but in 2019/20 were retroactively rebranded as model S700 by Siemens. These used a modified center- truck design that allowed sideways-facing seating in the center section, for better passenger flow. In 2018, Siemens adopted a new model number, S700 , for S70 LRVs that used the new center-section design, and in 2020 it retroactively applied the new designation to all previous S70 LRVs built to

4225-506: Was given federal approval in November 2018, and ground was broken on construction on November 30, 2018. Completion of the project is expected in 2027, at an expected cost of over US$ 2 billion. It will be the largest infrastructure project in state history. The Gold Line is an under construction bus rapid transit route to run along Interstate 94 from Woodbury to downtown Saint Paul along Mounds Boulevard. Once in downtown it would travel from

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