Metro Transit to expand Gold Line BRT service areas in 2027

To enhance regional mobility in Minneapolis, Minn., the METRO Gold Line, a bus rapid transit (BRT) line opening in March 2025, will be extended into the city’s downtown area in 2027.  

The Gold Line will become the region’s sixth BRT line when it opens next year, providing frequent, all-day service between downtown St. Paul and Woodbury. Gold Line buses will primarily operate in bus lanes generally along the Interstate 94 corridor, serving 16 stations in St. Paul, Maplewood, Landfall, Oakdale and Woodbury. 

The Gold Line Extension will bring new, enhanced stations to Interstate 94 and Snelling Avenue, where riders can connect to the METRO A Line and METRO B Line and near U.S. Bank Stadium. In Minneapolis, the Gold Line will serve existing BRT stations on 7th and 8th streets and bring riders as far as the METRO Green Line Extension’s Royalston Avenue/Farmers Market Station.  

“Extending the Gold Line will create a true crosstown route that allows people to travel efficiently between the East Metro and some of our region’s top destinations,” said Metro Transit General Manager Lesley Kandaras.  

The Gold Line will be considered substantially complete later this year. The $505 million project is set to finish on time and under budget, with service scheduled to begin on March 22, 2025. Extending the Gold Line is estimated to cost up to $20 million, with money primarily going toward buses and station construction.  

Service improvements planned across Gold Line corridor 

When in service, the Gold Line Extension will replace Route 94, the express route operating between downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul and carrying around 800 riders each weekday. 

Metro Transit's draft service improvement plan, Network Now, calls for midday service to be added to Route 94 prior to 2027. 

Network Now also calls for new and redesigned routes to better connect communities to Gold Line stations when Gold Line service begins. A planned microtransit service, Metro micro, will improve Gold Line access by allowing residents to request shared rides in Woodbury. 

Additionally, Metro Transit is one of many partners involved in the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Rethinking I-94 project. Plans for the Gold Line Extension will be adapted as that planning effort continues and as community feedback is gathered.