Buses moving faster through downtown Minneapolis
More than 22,500 commuters on 65 weekday express bus routes traveling to Minneapolis from dozens of park-and-ride facilities around the region are experiencing a quicker, more convenient trip through downtown.
On Dec. 14, the newly rebuilt Marquette and 2nd avenues opened to bus traffic. The reconstructed streets feature double bus lanes, allowing buses to “leap-frog” each other and get through downtown in half or even one-third the time.
The new double bus lanes on Marquette and Second Avenue S. (shown here) allow buses to pass each other. Each route lets off passengers at designated, lettered transit stops on alternating blocks.
New transit amenities
Other enhancements in the refurbished corridor include:
- Larger, more comfortable bus shelters
- Updated street design with improved lighting, trees and public art
- New, wider sidewalks
- And, by the end of the year, real-time bus departure signs.
A second group of 13 express bus routes will move to the new transit corridor in March 2010. In total, 1,583 bus trips carrying 45,000 riders daily will benefit from the enhanced transit amenities.
A ballet of buses
“With the double-width bus lanes, buses pass one another and stop every other block instead of every block,” said Metro Transit General Manager Brian Lamb. “Rather than a conga line, we will have a ballet of buses, with travel times through downtown reduced by up to 10 minutes.”
Each block accommodates two bus stops, with routes assigned to bus stops according to a lettering system.
The reconstruction of Marquette and 2nd avenues is part of a $183.5 million federal/state Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA), a series of transportation projects aimed at improving traffic conditions by providing commuters with more travel choices on I-35W, Highway 77/Cedar Avenue and in downtown Minneapolis.
New park-and-rides
Other UPA projects that opened in December include a new park-and-ride ramp at Cleveland Ave. N. and County Rd. C in Roseville with 460 spaces, and a 550-space ramp at the park-and-ride lot at 95th St. and I-35W in Blaine.
The new Apple Valley Transit Station, located along Cedar Avenue north of 155th St., features a 500-space ramp and a 250-space surface parking lot, along with a pedestrian overpass and side platforms. The facility is scheduled to open for service on Jan. 4.
Transit signal priority
Michael Mechtenberg (right) was one of several Metro Transit staff who were out on the streets on Monday helping passengers learn the new drop-off and pick-up system.
Specially equipped buses are now communicating with approaching traffic signals and asking them to hold the green light if the bus is behind schedule. Transit signal priority systems have been installed at 27 intersections on Central Avenue in Columbia Heights and Minneapolis for Routes 10, 118 and 829.