Metro Gold Line begins passenger service in Minneapolis
In Minneapolis, the Metro Gold Line began service March 22. The first of three Metro Transit bus rapid transit (BRT) lines that will open in 2025, the Metro Gold Line will provide frequent all-day bus service across a 10-mile stretch of the Interstate 94 corridor, significantly expanding access to jobs, housing and other opportunities. The Gold Line is the first BRT line in Minneapolis to operate primarily on a dedicated guideway.
"Today, the Twin Cities region leads the nation in many quality-of-life measures," said Metropolitan Council Chair Charlie Zelle. "As a region, we are building one of the nation's premier transportation systems, and the Gold Line represents a significant step forward in our shared commitment to creating a prosperous, equitable and resilient metropolitan area with abundant opportunities for all residents."
The Metropolitan Council notes the Gold Line serves St. Paul, Maplewood, Landfall, Oakdale and Woodbury, Minn. There are around 93,000 jobs and more than 41,000 residents within a half mile of Gold Line stations and more than 16 percent of all households within a half mile of Gold Line stations do not have access to a vehicle.
“At Metro Transit, we are dedicated to connecting people, strengthening communities and improving lives,” said Metro Transit General Manager Lesley Kandaras. “The Metro Gold Line and all the improvements that will follow advance that mission.”
According to the Metropolitan Council, the Gold Line opened on time and within its $505 million budget. The project involved building 16 stations, as well as a dedicated road for buses, bridges and underpasses, including construction of a new bridge connecting Oakdale and Woodbury, Park & Rides and trails.
The Metropolitan Council notes the Gold Line features a fleet of 60-foot buses, including five electric buses that will enter service later this year. Also opening later this year is the Metro B Line, which will connect to the Gold Line at Union Depot, and the Metro E Line. The Metropolitan Council says the new lines will grow the region’s Metro Transit network to more than 120 miles, putting 38 percent of the region’s households with no vehicle access, 30 percent of the region’s renter households and 28 percent of the region’s total jobs will be within a half mile of a Metro Transit station.
According to the Metropolitan Council, Gold Line trips will run every 10 minutes during most of the weekdays, every 15 minutes on weekends and every 30 minutes early mornings and nights. In part to help people get to and from Gold Line stations, the on-demand rideshare service, Metro micro, expanded to the Woodbury area in January. The council notes plans call for extending the Gold Line to Minneapolis in 2027.
The council says that in Woodbury, a new Washington County Service Center will open later this year across from the Gold Line’s Woodlane Station. The center will serve as a hub for people seeking assistance with job searches, among other services.
“A lot of good, qualified people don’t have transportation,” said Manager of Workforce and Veteran Services Division with the Washington County Community Services Department Rick Roy. “I will suggest to employers that they state in their job postings their proximity to the Gold Line. This is a big workforce development issue.”
From 2018 to 2023, the Metropolitan Council notes more than $805 million in permitted development occurred along the Gold Line corridor. Another $1.2 billion in potential development is being tracked.
“The Gold Line is the type of transformative transportation investment that Ramsey County is proud to support. Providing frequent, top-tier transit service from Woodbury to Union Depot is an important connection to this regional transportation hub,” said Ramsey County Commissioner Rafael Ortega
“The Gold Line will help Washington County employers attract and retain workers by offering an affordable and reliable option for employees to get to and from jobs,” said Washington County Commissioner Michelle Clasen.
