Nicollet Mall to see transit changes
Thirteen express bus routes will move off Nicollet Mall this month to join the “ballet of buses” on the reconstructed Marquette and 2nd avenues in downtown Minneapolis.
The bus routes will make the transition on March 20 to the new transit corridor, where more than 65 express bus routes moved in December 2009.
In addition, Nicollet Mall will feature more hybrid buses, some free service and fewer bus stops.
Express buses join high-performing “ballet”
The reconstructed Marquette and Second avenues feature double-width bus lanes, allowing buses to leap frog each other and get through downtown faster. Additional customer amenities include more comfortable bus shelters, real-time bus departure signs and updated street design with improved lighting, trees and public art.
Double bus lanes on Second and Marquette avenues allow buses to pass each other, speeding up trips. Thirteen more express routes will shift off the mall to Second and Marquette on March 20.
“No longer is the fastest speed set by the slowest bus,” said Metro Transit General Manager Brian Lamb. “With the side-by-side bus-only lanes, buses pass one another, creating a ballet of buses through downtown.”
Service changes coming to Nicollet Mall
The new Marquette and 2nd transit corridor was one of the largest transportation enhancements envisioned in Access Minneapolis, a 10-year action plan that addresses a range of transportation options in downtown Minneapolis.
The plan also called for enhancements on Nicollet Mall, with these goals:
- Operate hybrid buses only by 2011
- Extend service to Convention Center by 2012
- Provide free bus service by 2012
In March, Metro Transit will have nearly met those three goals.
“With all express buses moving off of Nicollet Mall, there will be 35% fewer bus trips on the mall during rush hours,” Lamb said. “Of the remaining service, 71% will be operated using cleaner, quieter hybrid buses.”
On March 20, Metro Transit will extend service to the Convention Center and launch a free-ride bus service on Nicollet Mall, where select bus routes will move convention attendees and visitors between major hotels, the Convention Center and Hiawatha light rail free of charge.
Buses on mall to stop every other block
By 2011, only hybrid-electric buses will serve Nicollet Mall. As of March 20, 71% of buses on the mall will be hybrids.
In addition, customers will experience faster service on Nicollet Mall because buses will stop every other block between 5th and 13th streets, not every block like today.
Later this spring, new bus stop signs will be installed on Nicollet Mall with information about the free-ride buses and frequency of service. Regular-route schedule information will also be posted at all bus stops along the mall.
To help prepare customers for the changes, Metro Transit employees will be assigned to key locations in downtown Minneapolis the week before and week after the changes start. Brochures outlining the changes in downtown also will be available on affected bus routes.