D Line - Chicago-Fremont/Emerson Rapid Bus

[Trademark]

I'm pretty disappointed in Metro Transit's communication of the D Line not stopping at most of the old 5 bus stops. While I know that they did put rider alert signs out at the stops but many were ripped out, and the ones I seen where only in English. And especially from 14th Street to Lake there were plenty of Hispanic and Somali people who were very confused and angry at the bus for passing them by. Trying to wave down the bus, and sometimes walking into the street.

Transit ambassadors/supervisors should be driving that route and letting people know when they are waiting at those stops that the 5 only runs once per hour and that they need to walk to get to the D Line. I would hate for someone to show up an hour late to their job because they were expecting the bus they've relied on for years to pick them up there.

[Trademark]

Also after speaking to an operator, he told me that the C-Lines transit signal priority was cut back and the D-Line has very little transit signal priority? Does anyone know if that's true? And if so why aren't more people talking about it.

Transit signal priority was one of the cornerstones of aBRT. I would hate to see it gets phased out due to lack of public pressure.

[Trademark]

I've been hyping up the D Line to my friend, telling him that it will make his commute 30% faster. He calls me after work today pissed off, saying he's gonna get a car as soon as he can afford it because of his experience at Xerxes avenue and 56th avenue station. He said he saw mice, human turds, trash everywhere, and he experienced a ghost bus that caused him to have to wait for 25 minutes for his next bus to show up.

He was genuinely excited for it too. I told him that 90 new drivers are in training through Metro Transit. They can't get through training soon enough. This operator shortage will turn many people off of our transit system forever.

[grant1simons2]

I'm sorry, but this is day 1 of the route. It will likely get better. Also mice, turds and trash is my new metal band name.

[alexschief]

Xerxes and 56th has been a C Line stop for years, I assume your friend works somewhere other than downtown Minneapolis, because otherwise both the C and the D Lines work for him. If he works south of downtown and misses a D, catching a C will at least bring him downtown where it's more pleasant to transfer.

Anyway, I rode the D Line up to Sammy's Avenue Eatery and down to Midtown Global Market on Saturday. It was refreshingly normal. The novelty of the aBRT product is gone now, what remains is simply much better bus service. I think that ultimately (by 2040 at the latest) aBRT bus service will be seen as Metro Transit's default, covering most of the major routes in the cities and a majority of bus ridership. Commuter-style service will be its own thing, and what local-style routes remain will be stop consolidated anyway.

[Trademark]

Xerxes and 56th has been a C Line stop for years, I assume your friend works somewhere other than downtown Minneapolis, because otherwise both the C and the D Lines work for him. If he works south of downtown and misses a D, catching a C will at least bring him downtown where it's more pleasant to transfer.

Anyway, I rode the D Line up to Sammy's Avenue Eatery and down to Midtown Global Market on Saturday. It was refreshingly normal. The novelty of the aBRT product is gone now, what remains is simply much better bus service. I think that ultimately (by 2040 at the latest) aBRT bus service will be seen as Metro Transit's default, covering most of the major routes in the cities and a majority of bus ridership. Commuter-style service will be its own thing, and what local-style routes remain will be stop consolidated anyway.

He stays over North Minneapolis. I told him about the driver shortage, and the fact that it should get better as soon as this class graduates. That's just one example though, most others don't have a transit supporter friend who knows about the driver shortage, and will just say screw this and get a car if they are able. It only takes most people a couple of bad experiences to form a bias in someone's mind unless they're consciously questioning that bias.

After talking with an operator he told me that he's hoping the Union pushes to reduce the amount of years someone has to have their license before driving (5 Years consecutive, last 3 years spotless record), and shorten the probation period from 6 months to 3 months because the 3 strikes and your out (any absence within the first 6 months is a point, 3 points and your fired) gets rid of a lot of potential operators. When your down 300 operators, you have to become less strict in your hiring practices.

Overall though, the D Line is a great route and much better then the 5. I just want to see Metro Transit communicate to the many people we passed at the old 5 stops who were angry with the bus drivers for passing them and to learn this lesson before more aBRT lines open. And they need to be more insistent on signal priority. Hopefully one day, we'll be celebrating the opening of the Q Line.

[Mdcastle]

The mice, turds, and trash were part of the opening day glitches?

[Bakken2016]

Also after speaking to an operator, he told me that the C-Lines transit signal priority was cut back and the D-Line has very little transit signal priority? Does anyone know if that's true? And if so why aren't more people talking about it.

Transit signal priority was one of the cornerstones of aBRT. I would hate to see it gets phased out due to lack of public pressure.

That operator is very incorrect. Almost all signalized intersections along the D Line except downtown Minneapolis have TSP. The BRT team is working on fine tuning it still.

[Trademark]

Also after speaking to an operator, he told me that the C-Lines transit signal priority was cut back and the D-Line has very little transit signal priority? Does anyone know if that's true? And if so why aren't more people talking about it.

Transit signal priority was one of the cornerstones of aBRT. I would hate to see it gets phased out due to lack of public pressure.

That operator is very incorrect. Almost all signalized intersections along the D Line except downtown Minneapolis have TSP. The BRT team is working on fine tuning it still.

Glad to here that!!!!! Thanks for the info!!

[BigIdeasGuy]

Also after speaking to an operator, he told me that the C-Lines transit signal priority was cut back and the D-Line has very little transit signal priority? Does anyone know if that's true? And if so why aren't more people talking about it.

Transit signal priority was one of the cornerstones of aBRT. I would hate to see it gets phased out due to lack of public pressure.

That operator is very incorrect. Almost all signalized intersections along the D Line except downtown Minneapolis have TSP. The BRT team is working on fine tuning it still.

From an outsiders perspective TSP seems like something no matter how much time you spend planning for there is always going to be a good amount of fine tuning and adjusting once you actually implement it in the real world.

[kellonathan]

As a tidbit to this discussion, buses are programmed to ask TSP permissions only when there's a delay that's more than one minute. If the buses are running on-schedule, or ahead of schedule, they won't ask for priority when approaching the signals.

[Trademark]

As a tidbit to this discussion, buses are programmed to ask TSP permissions only when there's a delay that's more than one minute. If the buses are running on-schedule, or ahead of schedule, they won't ask for priority when approaching the signals.

Ya, I remember hearing that when I was talking with someone from Metro Transit awhile back. I'm just glad to hear that TSP didn't get cut back.

It's those subtle little steps like TSP, and building in future aBRT stops when other construction is occuring in the area like Lake Street and 35W getting ready for the B Line that give me faith in Metro Transit. I just hope that as many of the new training class as possible can stick around, to give the city the service it deserves.

[StandishGuy]

I dunno. My bus, the #23, has now been cut back to once an hour at off peak times and weekends. This is abysmal bus service, which is nearly unusable. So, I'm not so excited about anything Metro Transit is doing right now including the D Line. The #23 is a major cross town route and I'm still shocked that the schedule was cut so substantially. I don't see how Metro Transit recovers ridership when they make transfers from routes like the D Line so bad.

[J. Mc]

I was in Highland Village this morning around 9:30 for a couple errands and it just seemed weird not seeing many buses. Ford and Cleveland area was a cluster hub just 4-6 years ago with the 23, 46, 70, 74, 84, 87, 134, and A Line. Now it's just the 74, 87, A Line. I'll admit, some of the consolidations that have happened in the last year or so have made sense. Tagging the old 84 (St Paul Ave) and then 46E (Cleveland) branch south of Ford onto the 87 does make for a much better through ride for folks traveling to W. 7th from the U or Cleveland. I'm guessing some of those sort of changes will stay even when service eventually returns to how it was, er I mean, gets improved for a better rider experience! (need the p.r. spin right? )
That said, I hope in addition to higher route frequency they can also bring back some overlapping along major corridors and more one seat/two seat connectivity. Right now it's really feeling as though significant portions of the system are turning into a 'there for those who need it but if you have a car why would you use this' service.

Edit: sorry, just realized this is the D line discussion so am OT on this, I was indirectly replying/agreeing with the last couple comments thinking this was a different thread...

[Bakken2016]

https://twitter.com/MetroTransitMN/stat ... 97568?s=20

METRO D Line has reached 1 million rides in just four months after opening!

[Qhaberl]

That's so awesome! Can't wait to get up to the Twin Cities again to check it out. Is there anyway I might find out boardings by time of day? I would be curious to know how many people are riding it on weekends and evenings.


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[Qhaberl]

Also curious to know what intersections the D line is using transit signal priority? Those of you who have taken it, have you noticed speed increases?



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[COLSLAW5]

I rode the D line from downtown to south minneapolis, never rode the 5 before but it just seemed to flow better down the street and not get hung up at lights. Not sure if that is the far side boarding or TSP but it felt like it was quicker.

[Qhaberl]

Have they kept any of the local five routes going down Chicago so that a person with a disability wouldn't have to walk three blocks to get to the bus stop? Just curious.


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[Bakken2016]

Have they kept any of the local five routes going down Chicago so that a person with a disability wouldn't have to walk three blocks to get to the bus stop? Just curious.


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Yes, the route 5 runs from Brooklyn Center Transit Center to Chicago & 56th St Station. When the Osseo Rd Construction is done, and the new Osseo & 47th Ave Station is open, the 5 will end there instead. It currently runs once an hour, the hope is to bump up to 30 min frequency once more operators are hired.