urbanMSP

Metro Transit express routes are likely more efficient as the routes are shorter and have leaner schedules.

SW Transit routes are quite lengthy and there are some obvious service overlaps in certain hours of the day that lead to inefficiency. Plymouth routes have long local tails and an overall weak park and ride system. MVTA has the largest network of express routes of the suburban operators, but recent additions have been to pretty marginal demand locations like Rosemount, 157th St, Savage. They also inherited the overbuilt park-and-ride and express system from Scott County.

The opt-outs were created between ~1982 and 1990 because MTC was quite inefficient at the time and had little interest in suburban expansions. Suburban areas wanted buses, and the legislature allowed communities to opt-out of the MTC.

I wouldn't mind having opt-out operators if they coordinated schedules with each other and Metro Transit (for example MT Route 539 connections with MVTA Route 465 at South Bloomington, which last I checked they're scheduled to arrive at the same time but usually one arrives right after the other route has departed).

Also get rid of the invisible border between operator territories. No excuse to have Route 540 end in West Bloomington when it could easily serve EP Center and Southwest Station and then you have a nice east-west local route connecting two large shopping centers (three if you count Southdale via Route 6).

I used to make the 535/539 to 465 connection when I was a student at Normandale. It was very infuriating how the schedules didn't match.

Metro Transit and SW Transit used to run a joint-operation (Rt. 590 I think) c. 1999/2000. The route was soon cut, and became the peak-only 540. The 540 was expanded to all-day service in 2004, but was never reconnected to Eden Prairie. SW Transit instead has pursued endless iterations of connections between their service area and Edina/Bloomington.

Metro Transit changes for next Saturday generally reinstate a number of trips suspended last week, but do eliminate other trips as well.

Big changes to Route 71. Much of the route is being simplified.

Full details here: https://www.metrotransit.org/august-updates

The MVTA is proposing several service cuts and a simplification of one route.
Here's the proposed changes and a survey on it-https://mvta.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSe ... abff19b218

Metro Transit changes for next Saturday generally reinstate a number of trips suspended last week, but do eliminate other trips as well.

Big changes to Route 71. Much of the route is being simplified.

Full details here: https://www.metrotransit.org/august-updates

I don’t get this. I assumed we weren’t going to get changes again until mid September. Is this in prep of the state fair? Will we have adjustments in sept too?

Metro Transit changes for next Saturday generally reinstate a number of trips suspended last week, but do eliminate other trips as well.

Big changes to Route 71. Much of the route is being simplified.

Full details here: https://www.metrotransit.org/august-updates

I don’t get this. I assumed we weren’t going to get changes again until mid September. Is this in prep of the state fair? Will we have adjustments in sept too?

Metro Transit was always going to make changes in August, and yes these are being made in advance of the State Fair. As far as the question on September changes, no, I would not expect changes in September.

It looks like they're eliminating a lot of "school trips", is that where they're getting the hours to reinstate service elsewhere?

Metro Transit moved the September service change to August a few years ago.

Interesting changes at MVTA. A lot of the local routes are low performers with a notable exception of the 444. I hope they can restructure the 491/492 at some point and have the 495 stop at Cedar Grove.

There are going to be some changes to the State Fair service this year, mostly due to an operator shortage.

This piece from Citylab is a good read about the current state of affairs of the transit operator profession, as an aside:
https://www.citylab.com/transportation/ ... us/563555/

News of the service modifications come from a presentation for tomorrow's Metropolitan Council meeting:
https://metrocouncil.org/Council-Meetin ... ation.aspx

The reductions, namely, are:

• 960 (Downtown Minneapolis - State Fair) service reduced to 30 minute frequencies (!)
• Weekday express services starting at 9 am (instead of at 8 am)
• Dunwoody express service starts at 12 noon
• Oakdale service is weekend only
• Newport service discontinued

Last year, 66 buses were used at AM peak and 80 at PM peak, so I wonder how well these (mostly AM) reductions will help with the bus operator shortage.

Last year's info: https://metrocouncil.org/Council-Meetin ... -Fair.aspx

I just noticed that the State Fair park and ride shuttles are free. Is that new this year or were they always free?

There are going to be some changes to the State Fair service this year, mostly due to an operator shortage.

This piece from Citylab is a good read about the current state of affairs of the transit operator profession, as an aside:
https://www.citylab.com/transportation/ ... us/563555/

News of the service modifications come from a presentation for tomorrow's Metropolitan Council meeting:
https://metrocouncil.org/Council-Meetin ... ation.aspx

The reductions, namely, are:

• 960 (Downtown Minneapolis - State Fair) service reduced to 30 minute frequencies (!)
• Weekday express services starting at 9 am (instead of at 8 am)
• Dunwoody express service starts at 12 noon
• Oakdale service is weekend only
• Newport service discontinued

Last year, 66 buses were used at AM peak and 80 at PM peak, so I wonder how well these (mostly AM) reductions will help with the bus operator shortage.

Last year's info: https://metrocouncil.org/Council-Meetin ... -Fair.aspx

I just noticed that the State Fair park and ride shuttles are free. Is that new this year or were they always free?

The Metro Transit Park and Rides are still $5 Round Trip, the free ones are small parking areas closer to the fair.

The closer ones are free and paid for by the fair as a parking/traffic management solution. The reach has definitely spread in recent years, with this year's additions being two lots north of 694 in Arden Hills and White Bear Township. I wonder how much competition these lots will give to the Metro Transit paid express services from Blaine, Maplewood, and Oakdale.

The closer ones are free and paid for by the fair as a parking/traffic management solution. The reach has definitely spread in recent years, with this year's additions being two lots north of 694 in Arden Hills and White Bear Township. I wonder how much competition these lots will give to the Metro Transit paid express services from Blaine, Maplewood, and Oakdale.

Since they are free they fill up almost immediately, our ridership of State Fair Express continues to go up. I'm not sure how it will be this year yet due to the operator shortage and later starting time.

Apparently not going well on day one.

It is so nice out, more people than expected for the first day.

Would it have been too much cost or complications to get assistance from charter bus companies (example Richfield Lines) on these routes?

Will the A Line temporarily have 60-foot buses this year?

Would it have been too much cost or complications to get assistance from charter bus companies (example Richfield Lines) on these routes?

Will the A Line temporarily have 60-foot buses this year?

There are a lot of rules and regulations around doing any thing with charter companies or services due to receiving funds from the federal and state government.

Looking at the current buses running, they are all 40-foot buses. I did hear a rumor that if we would have gotten the C-Line buses in time we would have used them, but the first ones are delivering next month.

http://www.startribune.com/metro-transi ... 492005811/

Metro Transit is getting new fare boxes.
here is a couple more photos as well

While the technology is cool, $15,000 a farebox makes me think we should just make Transit free.

Or... What's the over/under on fareboxes on buses vs fareboxes at transit stations? Esp. if we do 1/4 mi stop spacing and have far fewer stops? Dunno.

Does it provide change when you don’t have exact fare? Can you pay with your phone? Or use your phone as a Go-To Card? It seems like a lot of money to just add swipeable transfers (and MAYBE credit cards in the future).