Minneapolis area’s Metro Transit begins construction on two BRT lines
In Minneapolis, Minn., construction on two new bus rapid transit lines (BRT) is underway that will significantly improve service in Edina, Minneapolis and Saint Paul and strengthen connections to existing and future Metro Transit light-rail lines.
“Everyone benefits when we invest in better bus service,” said Metro Transit General Manager Lesley Kandaras. "Riders get to their destinations faster and more reliably, streets become safer and less congested and access expands to jobs, entertainment, shopping and other destinations.”
During the coming months, crews working on the Metro Transit B Line and Metro Transit E Line will build enhanced stations, paint bus lanes and make traffic signal adjustments that help buses spend less time waiting at red lights, among other improvements.
The B Line is scheduled to open in June 2025, largely replacing the region’s busiest local bus route, Route 21. Construction began in 2023 on the east end of the route, along Marshall and Selby avenues in Saint Paul. This year’s construction will be focused along West Lake Street.
The E Line will open in December 2025, largely replacing Route 6 and operating on France, Hennepin and University avenues. Construction in the coming months will be focused largely along France Avenue and in Linden Hills.
According to Metro Transit, nearly 220,000 people live within a 10-minute walk, bike or roll of B Line and E Line stations and more than one in 10 households on the corridors do not have access to a vehicle.
Partner coordination maximizing construction benefits
Metro Transit has worked closely with the city of Minneapolis and Hennepin County to get the most benefits and limit construction impacts. The city is leading efforts to rebuild Hennepin Avenue South while Lake Street will see a range of improvements funded by both the city and county, including new bike lanes in some places, aimed at making the corridor safer for all users.
On the east end of the E Line corridor, the county is making improvements to portions of Hennepin Avenue East and First Avenue Northeast and University Avenue and Fourth Street Southeast.
“Wherever possible, roadway and transit improvements should be complementary both in terms of the final product and during construction,” said Katie Roth, director of arterial BRT projects at Metro Transit. “We and our local partners are doing everything we can to make the most of these generational investments while limiting impacts on those directly impacted by construction today.”
B Line, E Line advance regional Metro Transit network
Including the Metro Gold Line, Metro Transit will open three BRT lines in 2025. Five BRT lines are now in service and plans call for a network of 12 BRT lines across the region. Metro Transit says that with 12 BRT lines in service, 625,000 residents (20 percent of the regional population) would live within a half-mile of a BRT station. Many of those lines will intersect and connect to existing or planned light-rail stations.
“We’re building an integrated system of fast, frequent and reliable transitways that only gets stronger with each additional line,” said Nick Thompson, deputy general manager of capital projects for Metro Transit.
