Latest news with #BLine
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
It's the end of the road for beloved bus route 21
The Brief Route 21 has been a key connection between Minneapolis and St. Paul for 70 years. Metro Transit is ending the route to make way for the B Line rapid transit bus service. The agency held a retirement party at its Nicollet Avenue garage on Friday afternoon for former bus operators and riders to share stories about their experiences on the 21. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Metro Transit says Route 21 provides 7,000 rides every weekday, making it one of the agency's busiest routes. What we know When it comes to proper sendoffs, few are as unique as this one. Like any retirement party, there are speeches, proclamations, and, of course, cake, along with going-away gifts. But instead of celebrating the years of service of a longtime employee, the center of all this attention is a workhorse who also happens to be a bus. "To our knowledge, this is the first time we have had a party for a bus route we are ending," said Lesley Kandaras, the General Manager of Metro Transit. The backstory Metro Transit is retiring the Route 21 bus line that ran down Lake Street from Uptown Minneapolis to downtown St. Paul for 70 years. It will be replaced with the new B Line rapid transit bus service that officials say will be faster and more convenient for riders. "Route 21 has touched a lot of people's lives," said Kandaras. What they're saying Well-known playwright Kevin Kling wrote a play about the route named 21A that he performed off Broadway and around the world. "It was a bus where hardship knew hardship and people were always willing to help, and it was kind of like a family on that bus," said Kling. While the 21 is headed for its last stop, regulars are just grateful they were taken for a ride. "The B-Line is going to be faster, maybe a little nicer. Nothing will ever replace the spirit and the history that is the legendary Route 21," said regular rider Liam Hanley. The 21 will begin its final trip around 1 a.m. on Saturday morning. Then the B-Line will take over its route beginning around 4 a.m.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Expect traffic headaches Saturday with protest, sports, music, I-94 closure
Cue the traffic nightmares between downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul, and the new public transit services rolling up to meet them. In light of protests, sporting events, concerts and Interstate 94 closing in both directions between Huron Boulevard and Interstate 35W this weekend, Metro Transit is bracing for a key test of its latest bus offerings: the B Line from Uptown Minneapolis to downtown St. Paul, which debuts at 4 a.m. Saturday, and the Route 94 bus, which is launching new weekend service with departures every half hour. In addition, the Gold Line from Woodbury to downtown St. Paul debuted in March. The interstate closure won't be the only event disrupting weekend traffic. There are 'No Kings' protests planned across the country against the Trump administration, including an 11 a.m. rally at St. Paul College that will lead into a noon march to the State Capitol. As many as 20,000 protesters are expected to attend. On Saturday evening, Minnesota United plays San Diego FC at 7:30 p.m. at Allianz Field in St. Paul, and Grammy-winning Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd performs at 7 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. In addition, the two-day Stone Arch Bridge Festival opens Saturday in Minneapolis, and the Minnesota Lynx take on the Los Angeles Sparks at noon Saturday at Target Center. In anticipation of heightened passenger demand, Metro Transit will run three-car trains along the Green Line on Saturday and maintain extra operators, TRIP agents and other greeters at high-traffic station platforms along University Avenue, including the Capitol/Rice Street station. 'We know we're going to have larger than usual crowds,' said Metro Transit spokesman Drew Kerr. 'All hands on deck.' All I-94 entrance and exit ramps between I-35W and Huron Boulevard were scheduled to close beginning at 9 p.m. Friday, with both directions of I-94 closing for bridge work along eastbound I-94 beginning at 10 p.m. The interstate is expected to reopen by late Sunday night, but six ramps will remain closed through mid-August, including I-35W northbound to eastbound I-94, Huron Boulevard to eastbound I-94 and eastbound I-94 to Huron Boulevard. A $16 million project to repair five I-94 bridges in Minneapolis began in October 2024 and is expected to wrap up by October of this year. More information is online at The B Line, Metro Transit's seventh bus rapid transit service, will operate from 4 a.m. to 1 a.m., with free rides from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday courtesy of Midtown Global Market. Community celebrations featuring free cookies, a kids art table and Skip Traffic, the Metro Transit mascot, are planned from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the downtown St. Paul Union Depot and the Lake and Chicago station in Minneapolis. Schedules for the B Line — which replaces the longstanding Route 21 — and new weekend service on the Route 94 are online at I-94 closing this weekend near Minneapolis-St. Paul boundary Aging Jackson Street bridge in St. Paul's North End is closed for repairs Snelling and St. Clair intersection fully reopens after construction Forest Lake detours begin as MnDOT undertakes $17M Highway 97 reconstruction project Snelling Ave. and St. Clair Ave. intersection closing intermittently
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Twin Cities transit: The B Line replaces the Route 21 on Saturday
After decades of transporting passengers from the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis to downtown St. Paul, the slow but storied Route 21 bus will be discontinued this month and replaced by a new bus rapid transit service that travels intermittently in its own lane, allows passengers to pay in advance and offers boarding from three doors. With 34 stops instead of 90 and a more direct trajectory, Metro Transit's new B Line is expected to shave time off end-to-end commutes while cementing the public transit authority's commitment to its growing network of bus rapid transit corridors. The Route 21 is Metro Transit's most popular yet slowest bus, drawing 7,000 average weekday riders along the corridor while traveling at some eight miles per hour. 'BRT is all about less stop and more go,' said Katie Roth, Metro Transit's Arterial Bus Rapid Transit project manager. The first B Line bus will roll out at 4 a.m. Saturday, absorbing passengers from the Route 21 at 42 new bus shelters equipped with electronic real-time signage, bike racks and other amenities. The B Line, which follows Lake Street and Marshall and Selby avenues before entering downtown St. Paul, will collect riders from curbs that, in many cases, have been elevated to nine inches, instead of the standard six inches, for easier boarding and dismounting. Those and other touches, including more frequent departures and traffic lights that in some cases communicate with buses to offer signal priority, are intended to speed boarding and improve overall quality of service compared to the Route 21, reducing end-to-end commutes — Lake Street and France Avenue to the St. Paul Union Depot — from 76 minutes down to 64 minutes, and Uptown to downtown travel times from 64 to 52 minutes. B Line fares on Saturday will be free from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., courtesy of Midtown Global Market. Community celebrations, featuring snacks, a Metro Transit mascot and kid tables, are planned from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the downtown St. Paul Union Depot and the Lake Street and Chicago Avenue station. Roth noted that 100,000 people living within walking distance of the line, which will service a sizable number of colleges and high schools, including Concordia University, Central High School and St. Paul College. Not all of the B Line's 34 stops mirror those of the Route 21. Unlike the Route 21, the B Line will bypass University Avenue completely, with only a single stop on Snelling Avenue at Snelling and Dayton avenues. To fill in the gap in the Midway, Metro Transit is launching a new Route 72, which will travel between the Snelling/University area and the SunRay Transit Center on St. Paul's East Side. In Minneapolis, a new Route 27 will service South Minneapolis around Lake Street and Abbott Northwestern Hospital. In downtown St. Paul, the B Line will share six stops with the Gold Line at the Smith Avenue ramp at Fifth Street, Sixth and Washington streets by Rice Park, Sixth and Minnesota streets, Sixth and Jackson streets, the Union Depot and Wacouta Street, and within the Union Depot station itself. The B Line marks Metro Transit's seventh bus rapid transit service in the Twin Cities metro, and the second of three BRT lines launching this year. The Gold Line began service from downtown St. Paul to Woodbury in March, and the E Line begins service from Westgate Station on University Avenue to the Southdale Transit Center in Edina in December. By 2035, Metro Transit anticipates having 15 BRT lines in operation. Funding for the B Line design and construction totaled approximately $74 million, including some $16 million from the Federal Transit Administration, $43 million from the state and approximately $15 million from the Metropolitan Council. St. Paul, Minneapolis, Hennepin and Ramsey counties contributed more than $25 million in additional corridor improvements, including resurfacing some 31 lane miles along Lagoon Avenue and Lake Street in Minneapolis. Construction of the B Line shelters, lanes and other amenities began in 2023, connecting the corridor with 42 new BRT platforms, 236 ADA-accessible pedestrian ramps and 12 miles of underground fiber optic cabling. An operator restroom has been installed at the Lake and France end of the line. Due to unrelated construction on Interstate 94 this year, a temporary westbound bus lane has been installed on Marshall Avenue between Wilder and Cretin avenues, eliminating access to 40 parking spots between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays. The temporary measure is in response to changes in traffic patterns, but will be lifted before the end of the year, according to Metro Transit. Some building owners have complained they received late written notice of the changes, which arrived on Monday, even though they take effect this week. • The B Line travels 13 miles from France Avenue and Lake Street in St. Louis Park to the downtown St. Paul Union Depot off Fourth Street. • Serving 34 stations, some of which are shared in St. Paul with the new Gold Line to Woodbury. • It had a $74 million design and construction budget. • B Line buses will travel in dedicated bus lanes on intermittent portions of Lake Street and Lagoon and Marshall Avenues, and in downtown St. Paul. Most of the bus-only lanes are westbound. • The B Line is Metro Transit's seventh bus rapid transit service and the second of three BRT lines launching this year. For more information, visit Ex-Metro Transit employee claims religious discrimination in lawsuit Jerome Johnson: A new era for Riverview mobility Cops, service providers increasing presence on St. Paul's University Ave., Green Line Alternatives to defunding: Who goes to help when police aren't needed? Metro Transit seeks feedback by Friday on 17 potential BRT routes
Axios
11-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
The notoriously slow 21 bus is finally being replaced
The slower-than-molasses 21 bus route that runs from downtown St. Paul through Uptown Minneapolis is about to be replaced with faster service. Why it matters: Saturday's opening of the B Line along Marshall Avenue and Lake Street marks the near-midway point of Metro Transit's plan to have 15 bus-rapid-transit lines in operation by 2035. How it works: A third of the 13-mile route has red-painted lanes for buses (as well as bikes and vehicles turning right), plus pre-pay boarding stations, fewer stops and priority at traffic lights. Metro Transit expects those enhancements will speed up service by 20%. The 21 is the slowest local bus route in the metro. With an average speed of 8 mph, 5K runners often top that pace, Katie Roth, director of arterial bus rapid transit, said. Follow the money: The two-year project cost $74 million, with roughly $43 million coming from the state, $16 million from the Federal Transit Administration and $16 million from local and regional sources. Parking loss was minimal as previous Lake Street redesigns removed on-street spaces, Roth said. The project also removed general traffic lanes on some of the busiest streets in the metro. Zoom out: This is Metro Transit's seventh BRT route and it replaces the system's busiest local route, with 7,000 average daily riders. In December, the E Line will replace the 6 route from Southdale Center to the University of Minnesota on France Avenue, Hennepin Avenue and University Avenue. What they're saying: The B Line will not only connect to the E Line, but eight other bus rapid transit or light rail lines, including the new Green Line extension in 2027, Metro Transit general manager Lesley Kandaras said. "So it's not just about opening the B line itself, but improving connectivity throughout our transit system," she said. What we're watching: How much the only slightly speedier service lures more riders, as Metro Transit is still nowhere near its pre-pandemic ridership levels.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Metro Transit B Line to bring faster travel through Minneapolis, St. Paul
Metro Transit B Line to bring faster travel through Minneapolis, St. Paul originally appeared on Bring Me The News. Metro Transit has identified Lake Street as one of the slowest places to get through in the Twin Cities, especially during rush hour. To combat that, Metro Transit is unveiling a new bus rapid transit route aimed at making trips 20% faster for riders — and it will debut this weekend. Metro Transit's B Line will open to the public on Saturday, marking the culmination of two years of construction and the official retirement of Route 21. The goal of the new rapid route is to shave time off commutes reducing stops, getting riders on buses faster, us taking advantage of bus-only lanes. The public transit agency says it picked the Lake Street corridor for rapid transit because of its popularity. Prior to the pandemic, Route 21 was the second-busiest bus route, with an average of 10,000 daily rides. The route brings customers through Minneapolis to downtown St. Paul along Lake Street, Marshall Avenue, and Selby Avenue. Travelers who frequent the ride will notice a difference not only with the route, but also on the actual buses as Metro Transit will be using buses with more doors and bigger aisles to reduce crowding. Opening day celebrations are scheduled for this Saturday at Union Depot in St. Paul and at Lake & Chicago. All B Line rides will be free Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
