Public Transit News / Current Events (MN only)

[mattaudio]

Isn't the Ford building a few blocks too many out of the way to really serve the area? I don't think it's that bad to transfer at Ford Pkwy & Cleveland.

[fehler]

With transfer-Cleveland, transfer-Snelling, and transfer-Fort Road all coming to this point, I think a better designed (and forward thinking) plan could be made for all the buses before they drive the neighborhood absolutely mad. Even if its just to knock down a stripmall and reconfigure its parking lot.

[mattaudio]

If the buses from Minneapolis and the buses from St. Paul interlined, there would be fewer buses and fewer layovers

[twincitizen]

Check out all of the various bills that were referred to Frank Hornstein's Transportation Finance Committee: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/status ... mmittee=GO

Just about every pet transit and road project ever. Lots of transit though.

Northstar extension to St. Cloud
Foley Northstar Station
Northtown Yard improvements to increase Northstar speeds
NLX
Southwest LRT
Orange Line BRT Stations at Lake and American Blvd
and so much more!

[gpete]

A lot of those bills were probably heard for possible inclusion in the bonding bill...although it sounds like we might not get a bonding bill this year...

[VAStationDude]

http://metrotransit.org/routes-change-may-18

Highlights from May 18 schedule changes

- Hiawatha Line is being completely rebranded as the Blue Line.

- Blue Line frequencies reduced to every 10 minutes during rush hour and three car trains operated weekdays during rush hour and mid-day.

- Route 3 - Improved Saturday frequencies.

- Route 4 - Weekday afternoon buses will serve Northeast our Southwest Minneapolis only and duplicate service between 14th Street and Washington Avenue. (Great idea - Hennepin Avenue buses get overloaded downtown)

- Route 5 - Improved Saturday frequencies

- Route 19 - Improved weekday frequencies

- Route 63 - 30 minutes frequencies on Sunday instead of every 60

- Route 84 - Improved Sunday frequencies

My take on the 63 and 84 is that Metro Transit is improving service on two important Green Line feeder buses hoping to build a little ridership before the Green Line opens next Summer.

[twincitizen]

While I am one of the small percentage of riders that does take the 4 from LynLake all the way to NE or SE Como with some regularity, the good definitely outweights the bad in that situation. Southbound 4s frequently run late in the PM peak and get extremely overloaded. Starting them downtown will be a huge benefit to on-time performance and having fewer crush loads between the river and MCTC. In a perfect world (for me) the southern leg of the 4 would still hit Old St. Anthony, doing a loop around Hennepin NE & 1st Av NE.

The rumor was that they were going to split the route off entirely, but it seems they found a compromise that should be functionally better. It is kind of stupid to have two non-contiguous Route 4s operating though, especially when the branch letters don't mean anything.

For the southern branches, why K and F?? Shouldn't it be Lyndale and Penn??

[MNdible]

For the southern branches, why K and F?? Shouldn't it be Lyndale and Penn??

Preach it!

[Tcmetro]

I used to be a daily commuter on the NE branch of the 4 (c. 2005), and I remember that peak service was usually bunched. I think the 141 has probably been a huge help, but I think splitting the segments during rush hour will help even more. I think the drivers will be happy as well, some of those runs from 82nd St to New Brighton approach 100 minutes in run time.

Another change is the moving of the NB 14's to 4th St. I guess North Loop riders will now have better service with both the 7 and the 14 on the same street.

[woofner]

Another change is the moving of the NB 14's to 4th St. I guess North Loop riders will now have better service with both the 7 and the 14 on the same street.

Baby steps I guess. Still, it seems odd that a transit planner would find it acceptable to route a one-way pair two blocks apart. Why can't the SB 14 run on 4th St too?

Edit: and why turn at 5th rather than Chicago? Are they trying to avoid convenient LRT connections?

[woofner]

Another good change for the 4:
"Buses will no longer enter the Southtown Mall parking lot. Buses will instead travel on American Blvd. and Penn."

Several times I've tried to catch the bus around there and would have taken either the 4 or the 535, but basically had to choose one or the other, and never was sure where to wait. Walking through the Southtown parking lot somehow manages to suck worse than walking in Bloomington in general.

[UptownSport]

Got this email today, don't know if it's been covered or not:

(Partial Quote)

MnDOT closing Park and Portland Avenue bridges for reconstruction May 6

Beginning Monday, May 6, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) will start the reconstruction of the Park Avenue and Portland Avenue bridges over Interstate 94 just south of downtown Minneapolis. This project will require both bridges to be closed from Monday, May 6 until early August.

Drivers in Minneapolis will also encounter overnight weeknight and weekend delays and detours on Interstate 94 and Interstate 35W as MnDOT crews close the roadway to redeck the Park Avenue and Portland Avenue Bridges spanning the two freeways.

http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projec ... dportland/

[mulad]

Not quite sure where to put this, but it looks like Megabus has moved from their stop near the Metrodome LRT station over to a parking lot at St. Anthony & Pascal in Saint Paul (just southeast of University & Snelling).

[ECtransplant]

Shouldn't Minneapolis or St. Paul be coordinating with them to have them at the Interchange or Union Depot?

[MNdible]

That would require Megabus to actually pay for facilities to serve their passengers, which isn't part of their business model.

[web]

yeah business model = public stop on public street...aka free

[ECtransplant]

True, but can't one of the cities find a spot closer to the rest of the transportation system for them to pick up and drop off? 'Twould benefit both Megabus and the cities

[MSPtoMKE]

There were complaints from the businesses near where it used to stop near the Metrodome. People would come in to use the bathrooms or get out of the rain, but not buy anything. I seem to remember an article saying Minneapolis was trying to work with Megabus to find a better location, but perhaps they were unable. I guess Snelling and University is about equidistant to each downtown, but it still seems an odd place to stop. I assume they will continue to serve the stop on the U campus?

I liked the old stop location under the 4th St. Garage. It was a little hard to get at since it was on the other side of I-394, but it did have inside waiting space that was otherwise underutilized. I do recall some friends from out of town used it and had some trouble finding it since 4th doesn't go through.

[NickP]

I do know Megabus uses the South Station Bus Terminal in Boston, so it is possible to make them serve existing facilities. However, I'm not sure how the city of Boston worked this out.

[ECtransplant]

If Megabus used one of the parking lots next to Union Depot, then Megabus passengers could use the Depot's bathrooms and other facilities while also making it easier for Megabus's customers to get to/from the stop. Am I missing something on why this isn't the obvious place for them?

Edit:
Is there something new with the Central Corridor here preventing Megabus from using these lots? I'm talking about right here: