Metro Council reduces fare on Forest Lake express bus service

Contact: Bonnie Kollodge
651.602.1357

ST. PAUL – (Sept. 25, 2009) – Customers of a popular express bus route between Forest Lake and downtown Minneapolis will pay a reduced fare beginning Oct. 1. The Metropolitan Council is letting a year-long demonstration fare on Route 288 service expire on Oct. 1, meaning commuters will pay $3 each way, rather than $4.75 each direction.

“This is great news for the commuters of this area,” said Metropolitan Council Chair Peter Bell. “We started this route in response to the I-35W bridge collapse, but it ultimately confirmed the ridership demand and market for long-term service in this part of the region.”

Route 288 began service as an emergency route to reduce congestion along the I-35W corridor following the collapse of the Minneapolis bridge in 2007. Federal emergency funding for the route ended in September 2008 when the new bridge opened.

The Council then authorized, on a demonstration basis, a $1.75 surcharge on top of the $3 regular express fare effective Oct. 1, 2008, helping to cover more of the initially higher operating costs and promote consistency with similar long-distance service in the region. Specifically, the Northstar commuter coach service, which is being eliminated with the launch of Northstar commuter rail service.

In 2008, Route 288 tallied more than 88,000 riders, averaging about 7,400 riders a month. In the first six months of 2009, the route has averaged slightly more than 4,700 riders monthly. Council officials believe the reduced ridership is due, in part, to lower ridership region-wide as a result of higher unemployment, and also because of the surcharge.

Route 288 makes six trips each weekday morning: the first to the 95th Avenue park-and-ride and the remaining five trips into downtown Minneapolis. Each weekday afternoon, it makes five trips from downtown Minneapolis. About 70 percent of Route 288 riders come from Washington and Chisago counties, with the remaining from Anoka County.

“The $3 fare will be consistent with the regional express fare,” said Arlene McCarthy, director of Metropolitan Transportation Services at the Council. “We think the new, lower fare is a better match for this service and expect it will help to draw many of the earlier customers back to the route.”

Forest Lake Council Member Susan Young said the decision to let the surcharge expire means Forest Lake commuters will no longer drive 10 miles to Blaine, where they pay a lower fare. She attributes the lower ridership numbers directly to the higher fare and said she expects residents to return to Route 288.

“This will be outstanding for Forest Lake riders,” Young said. “It’s so much more convenient for them to park in Forest Lake.” Young also noted that she expects commuters will be more likely to park in Forest Lake and patronize those businesses, which is good for the community as a whole.

In 2009, the city councils of both Columbus and Forest Lake voted to participate in the regional transit capital levy beginning in 2010. The levy finances regional transit capital projects, including park-and-rides and buses. As a result, city council members and transit customers asked that the surcharge be eliminated.

“The people who use the route love it,” said Columbus Mayor Mel Mettler.

“Transportation is a very regional thing, and it’s the right thing for our community to be a part of the larger metropolitan area.”

The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning organization for the seven-county Twin Cities area. The Council runs the regional bus and light rail system, collects and treats wastewater, coordinates regional water resources, plans regional parks and administers funds that provide housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income individuals and families. The Council board is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the governor.

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