Public Transit News / Current Events (MN only)

[twincitizen]

Holy crap! http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/217086261.html

A westbound Route 17 bus crashed near Lake & Excelsior this morning, injuring 6 passengers. Apparently the driver became unconcious and veered off the road.

Also, did anyone else notice that Drew Kerr, formerly the transit reporter for F&C, is now the spokesman for Metro Transit? Congrats Drew (I bet he lurks UrbanMSP a bit)

[mulad]

Yeah, I had meant to mention Drew moving to Metro Transit at one point but never got around to it. I think he writes or assists on a lot of the posts on the Metro Transit blog as well.

Hmm, it sounds like Megabus moved back to the stop a block away from the Metrodome LRT station, so the Strib regurgitates a story about complaints from nearby businesses. They had been in a windswept parking lot in St. Paul's Midway neighborhood for a while. Makes me wonder if there can be some happy medium between a fully-enclosed station like at the Hawthorne Ramp versus a parking lot/alley with nothing more than a bus stop sign which isn't even nailed down... Apparently porta-potties have been added, though.

The blog post mentions that they were turned down from using Hawthorne, but I'm scratching my head over that -- Megabus vehicles are double-deckers and don't fit over there, though they might have been able to set up some sort of curbside arrangement.

http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/217109431.html

[lordmoke]

The stop in DT Minneapolis never went away- they simply added a second stop in St. Paul. Flaws aside, as someone who can't really afford to travel much via more "traditional" options, I will be very upset if the outcome of this situation causes Megabus to abandon Minneapolis as a destination.

[Andrew_F]

First time riding the mpls-chi route since the STP stop was added. It's like greyhound-- basically no one uses the second stop.

[MSPtoMKE]

The schedules for the August service change have been posted:
https://www.metrotransit.org/these-rout ... nge-aug-24

In addition to the usual service increases related to the start of school, highlights include:

~Route 2: 20 minute service Sundays between 10am and 6pm
~Route 10: All weekday midday trips serve Northtown, increased service weekday evenings and Saturdays
~Route 17: 15 minute service on Sundays between 1 and 6 pm
~Route 21: Improved weekday evening service
~Route 54: Increased pm peak service to every 12 minutes (posted about earlier, but I assumed more 12 minute service than this?)
~Routes 62, 64, 68, 74: 30 minute service until midnight 7 days per week, as well as a few other improvements (discussed earlier)
~Route 65: Weekend service improved to every 30 minutes
~Route 87: New weeknight service until 10 pm, new Saturday service 9am to 7pm (the description says hourly, but the schedule shows every 30 mins)
~Restructured west suburban service, including new Route 614 in Minnetonka
~Minor improvements to Routes 717 and 721

[Tom H.]

I wonder if the Route 16 note "Schedule times will be adjusted due to the end of major construction on the METRO Green Line (Central Corridor)" could mean that buses will soon return to Washington Ave/Mall through campus?

[MSPtoMKE]

I think they have factored in time in the schedule to account for construction delays, and now that construction has mostly wrapped up, the scheduled travel times will speed up a little. I am sure they wouldn't end the detours at a time other than a service change, they affect too many routes.

[FISHMANPET]

Not really, it effects the 2, 3, 16, 50, and campus express routes. That's pretty simple. When they shutdown Washington Ave they didn't do it at a service change.

[talindsay]

No insider knowledge but I think the buses will go back on to Washington sooner rather than later. Now that LRT testing is beginning, there's no real reason to keep them off Washington.

[twincitizen]

If it was happening anytime soon, don't you think it would be listed as part of this service change? I'm guessing it won't happen before the December pick if it isn't happening now. That's too bad they can't make the switch before the U of M school year begins.

EDIT: December pick confirmed.

[mulad]

If it was happening anytime soon, don't you think it would be listed as part of this service change? I'm guessing it won't happen before the December pick if it isn't happening now. That's too bad they can't make the switch before the U of M school year begins.

EDIT: December pick confirmed.

Weak. I guess my main thought is that they may want to keep buses off of the transit mall until they have a good idea of the vibration/EMI characteristics of the train itself, possibly including vibrations from normal foot traffic. There's also the construction at the Sally's site, but that would only require detouring for a block or two, only for westbound buses. Having buses run on Harvard/Delaware/Oak or Walnut/Delaware/Oak might not be so great -- then again, buses typically get delayed a lot turning left from Washington onto Oak, so it might even out...

Not really, it effects the 2, 3, 16, 50, and campus express routes. That's pretty simple. When they shutdown Washington Ave they didn't do it at a service change.

Just being pedantic, but the 3 has been on its normal route for quite a while now -- it turns on/off of Washington Ave at Pleasant Street.

~Route 54: Increased pm peak service to every 12 minutes (posted about earlier, but I assumed more 12 minute service than this?)
[...snip...]
~Route 87: New weeknight service until 10 pm, new Saturday service 9am to 7pm (the description says hourly, but the schedule shows every 30 mins)

Bummer about the 54 improvement. And yay on the 87 getting more service! I didn't expect that until the Green Line began regular operation.

[Tcmetro]

Metro Transit investing in St. Paul service?!?

[Tcmetro]

Metro Transit's latest blog post about Route 19. Apparently it is the 10th most popular bus route, and could see Arterial BRT upgrades as early as 2017.

https://www.metrotransit.org/route-19-b ... enn-avenue

[UptownSport]

BBC has an article on 'Hyperloop', supersonic ground transport.
Some are evidently taking it seriously.


http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23666173

[twincitizen]

^I think the hyperloop is definitely worthy of its own thread. That should foster some interesting discussion.

Let's keep this thread to transit news and happenings relative to currently operating transit lines in the Twin Cities.

[mattaudio]

Another subsidy of suburban ridership and car storage, this time in Vadnais Heights:
http://finance-commerce.com/2013/08/met ... -and-ride/

I wonder if this will be express service to Mpls or St. Paul.

I still think there's an opportunity for interlining some of these services with the 94, increasing frequency between the downtowns and ensuring a one seat ride for east metro commuters who work in either downtown.

[Tcmetro]

Map and schedule for Metro Transit Route 865 beginning in fall 2014, connecting Bethel, Ham Lake, Blaine, and Downtown Minneapolis.

http://metrocouncil.org/Council-Meeting ... bined.aspx

[UptownSport]

BBC: Testing resumes after Maglev extension;
They're talking more than 15 years, and aimed at export.
Sad to say, We'll still be discussing choo-choo's that are no faster than express steam locomotives.

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23887070

[twincitizen]

Bill Lindeke of Streets.MN made Metro Transit's "Good Question" series: https://www.metrotransit.org/good-quest ... ve-nextrip

[UptownSport]

Article on how our driving (busses take a hit here, if you read it as I did) contributes to traffic jams.

http://m.startribune.com/local/?id=225734591&c=y
I had no idea what signs meant, assumed it was similar to signs on off ramps suggesting a speed to negotiate ramp.

Adding center Lake st stops (as at 46th) will speed up traffic.