110-420: The Metro Green Line (formerly called the Central Corridor) is an 11-mile (18 km) light rail line that connects the central business districts of Minneapolis and Saint Paul in Minnesota as well as the University of Minnesota. An extension is under construction that will extend the line to the southwest connecting St. Louis Park , Hopkins , Minnetonka and Eden Prairie . The line follows
220-459: A bus rapid transit (BRT) option, wherein buses run on semi-dedicated transitway, and a light rail transit (LRT) option using light rail vehicles (LRVs). In May 2006 the CCCC concluded its study by publishing a Draft Environmental Impact Study, which concluded that LRT was the best option for the corridor. After a period of public meetings and public comment, the CCCC recommended on June 6, 2006, that
330-518: A busway or transitway , is a trolleybus , electric bus and public transport bus service system designed to have much more capacity , reliability , and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes roadways that are dedicated to buses , and gives priority to buses at intersections where buses may interact with other traffic; alongside design features to reduce delays caused by passengers boarding or leaving buses, or paying fares . BRT aims to combine
440-621: A "BHLS" (stands for Bus with a High Level of Service ). The term transitway was originated in 1981 with the opening of the OC Transpo transitway in Ottawa , Ontario , Canada. Critics have charged that the term "bus rapid transit" has sometimes been misapplied to systems that lack most or all the essential features which differentiate it from conventional bus services. The term " bus rapid transit creep " has been used to describe severely degraded levels of bus service which fall far short of
550-457: A 2010 budget of $ 3.5 million and generated $ 1.3 million in revenue (37% farebox recovery ratio). Route 16 carried about 5 million passengers, with weekday ridership averaging 16,880 and Saturday and Sunday ridership averaging 12,082 and 7,110, respectively. Route 50 carried about 1.5 million riders over the course of the year, with weekday ridership averaging 6,886. Metro Transit also provides weekday express bus service along Interstate 94 between
660-629: A bicyclist was stuck and killed by a light rail train at the Raymond Avenue Station, the tenth fatality since the line opened. The 11th fatality occurred on May 29, 2024, when a bicyclist was struck and killed by a Green Line train near the Minnesota State Capitol and the Rice Street station during the afternoon rush hour around 4:15PM. The 12th death happened shortly after 3:30 p.m. on July 23rd, 2024, when
770-466: A combination of exclusive and shared right-of-way, depending on the circumstances. Within the two Downtown Zones, trains run on surface streets in an exclusive right-of-way, without preemption . The Blue Line runs primarily alongside Hiawatha Avenue ( Minnesota State Highway 55 ), along land originally acquired for expansion of that highway, except for a brief stretch in a tunnel underneath Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport . The Green Line runs along
880-595: A common practice on some heavy rail lines such as the New York City Subway and PATH . The service gap from 2AM to 4AM was replaced by bus service . The current schedule on the Blue Line sees the first departure at 3:19AM and the last arrival at 12:50AM. On the Green Line, the first departure is at 4:29AM and the last arrival is at 12:10AM. Metro Transit also provides a shuttle service between
990-428: A low-noise, low-emissions "hush mode" (in which the diesel engine operates but does not exceed idle speed ) when underground. The need to provide electric power in underground environments brings the capital and maintenance costs of such routes closer to those of light rail, and raises the question of building or eventually converting to light rail. In Seattle, the downtown transit tunnel was retrofitted for conversion to
1100-527: A male runner, was struck and killed on October 8, 2018, around 4:30 p.m., near Hamline Avenue; he died at the hospital. A seventh person, a male pedestrian at the Stadium Village station near the University of Minnesota, was run over and killed by a departing train early on April 20, 2019, after he fell between two of its cars. On August 30, 2019, the eighth fatality, a female pedestrian,
1210-740: A pedestrian transit mall and have opposed using the Washington Avenue bridge, citing traffic concerns, along with the age of the bridge, when other bridges upriver could be used to cross the Mississippi River: the 10th Avenue Bridge , the new I-35W bridge or the Northern Pacific Bridge Number 9 . This last option was preferred by the University of Minnesota , which feared traffic disruption and vibration at some of their research facilities from use of
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#17327874092301320-466: A pedestrian was struck and killed near the intersection of University Avenue and Syndicate Street. The Minnesota Metro Green Line had a causal impact of improving people's access to health care by providing reliable public transportation. Researchers from the University of Minnesota , Harvard Medical School , and the Urban Institute conducted a Difference in differences study and found that
1430-449: A result, less forced ventilation will be required in tunnels to achieve the same air quality. Another alternative is to use electric propulsion, which Seattle 's Metro Bus Tunnel and Boston 's Silver Line Phase II implemented. In Seattle, dual-mode (electric/diesel electric) buses manufactured by Breda were used until 2004, with the center axle driven by electric motors obtaining power from trolley wires through trolley poles in
1540-455: A shared hybrid-bus and light-rail facility in preparation for Seattle's Central Link Light Rail line, which opened in July 2009. In March 2019, expansion of the light rail in the tunnel moved busses back to surface streets. Bi-articulated battery electric buses cause no problems in tunnels anymore but provide BRT capacity. A BRT system can be measured by a number of factors. The BRT Standard
1650-578: A short while longer in Minneapolis, until November 28. However, due to fragmentary service elsewhere in Minneapolis, streetcars continued to use the tracks along University Avenue to reach the shops at Snelling Avenue in Saint Paul until June 1954. The route 16 bus was developed to replace the streetcar, and followed the route of the modern-day Green Line. Other parallel service included freeway express service on route 94 and limited-stop service to
1760-419: A static map, featuring services like trip planning, live arrival and departure times, up-to-date line schedules, local station maps, service alerts, and advisories that may affect one's current trip. Transit and Moovit are examples of apps that are available in many cities around the world. Some operators of bus rapid transit systems have developed their own apps, like Transmilenio. These apps even include all
1870-537: A station at the north/western terminus of the Blue and Green Lines. The two light rail lines share trackage through downtown. The eastern terminus of the Green Line is a street level station in front of the Saint Paul Union Depot , considered one of the great architectural achievements in the city and formerly one of the main points of departure for area train riders up until passenger rail service in
1980-480: A total daily ridership), in the developing world this capacity constraint (or rumor of a capacity constraint) was a significant argument in favor of heavy rail metro investments in some venues. When TransMilenio opened in 2000, it changed the paradigm by giving buses a passing lane at each station stop and introducing express services within the BRT infrastructure. These innovations increased the maximum achieved capacity of
2090-548: A triangle connecting opposite ends of the Blue Line and Green Line. In December 2017, a modern streetcar system similar to systems in Portland , Kansas City , and Detroit was selected as the locally preferred alternative with an alignment along West Seventh Street and MN-5 . The next three arterial bus rapid transit lines have been proposed. The G Line, and H Line would serve the corridor, Rice Street and Robert Street corridors, and an alignment from downtown Minneapolis to
2200-419: Is bus rapid transit route that runs along I-35W from Minneapolis south into Richfield , Bloomington and Burnsville . The arterial BRT A, C, and D lines serve as upgrades to existing local bus routes and connect with the Blue and Green lines at certain shared stations. Together, the two light rail lines run on 21.8 miles (35.1 km) of route. There are a total of 121 stations ; five shared between
2310-586: Is a risk of a dangerous gap between bus and platform , and is even greater due to the nature of bus operations. Kassel curbs or other methods may be used to ease quick and safe alignment of the BRT vehicle with a platform. A popular compromise is low-floor buses with a low step at the door, which can allow easy boarding at low-platform stops compatible with other buses. This intermediate design may be used with some low- or medium-capacity BRT systems. The MIO system in Santiago de Cali, Colombia, pioneered in 2009
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#17327874092302420-421: Is also available through Metro Transit's website. Metro uses a proof-of-payment system, requiring riders to carry tickets at all times. Fares are purchased before boarding, either at ticket machines located in the stations or by scanning a Go-To card at dedicated pedestals. Tickets are valid for 2 1/2 hours after purchase. An unlimited number of transfers between Metro lines and Metro Transit bus routes, within
2530-585: Is less complex than rail maintenance. Moreover, buses are more flexible than rail vehicles, because a bus route can be altered, either temporarily or permanently, to meet changing demand or contend with adverse road conditions with comparatively little investment of resources. The first use of a protected busway was the East Side Trolley Tunnel in Providence , Rhode Island . It was converted from trolley to bus use in 1948. However,
2640-897: Is scheduled on track to begin in 2025 with opening planned for 2026. The Riverview Corridor is a transit corridor connecting Downtown Saint Paul and the Mall of America in Bloomington via the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport . The corridor serves an area from the Saint Paul Union Depot to the Mall via parts of the Metro Green Line and the Metro Blue Line , and a route running parallel to West 7th Street, which runs southwest from Downtown Saint Paul. The corridor creates
2750-459: Is today over 18.5 miles long. The OC Transpo BRT system in Ottawa , Canada, was introduced in 1983. The first element of its BRT system was dedicated bus lanes through the city centre, with platformed stops. The introduction of exclusive separate busways (termed 'Transitway') occurred in 1983. By 1996, all of the originally envisioned 31 km Transitway system was in operation; further expansions were opened in 2009, 2011, and 2014. As of 2019,
2860-570: The BRT Standard promoted by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and other organizations. Compared to other common transit modes such as light rail transit (LRT), bus rapid transit (BRT) service is attractive to transit authorities because it does not cost as much to establish and operate: no track needs to be laid, bus drivers typically require less training and less pay than rail operators, and bus maintenance
2970-581: The Bruce Vento Regional Trail from downtown Saint Paul to downtown White Bear Lake, Minnesota . The project's Environmental Assessment was released in May 2021 for public comment. The project is currently in an engineering and design phase, this should be complete in 2023. Construction is expected to begin in 2024, with operation beginning in 2026. The B Line is an arterial bus rapid transit route undergoing engineering and design for
3080-490: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The Metropolitan Council, which operates Metro Transit, submitted numbers showing that a light rail line would carry 43,000 passengers daily by the year 2030. The FTA agreed that the line would be cost-effective at this level, a key requirement for obtaining federal funding. In April 2008, Governor Tim Pawlenty initially vetoed $ 70 million in funding for
3190-603: The Federal Transit Administration has increased the Cost Effectiveness Index such that buildout of one station is now feasible. On January 25, 2010, the FTA announced that the three "infill" stations will be built. Upon opening, all five stations between Snelling and Rice Street were built - Hamline Ave, Lexington Pkwy, Victoria St, Dale St, and Western Ave. Many businesses along the line were opposed to its development because of reduced access for automobiles. Under
3300-624: The Indonesian capital city . Bus rapid transit is a mode of mass rapid transit (MRT) and describes a high-capacity urban public-transit system with its own right of way , vehicles at short headways , platform-level boarding, and preticketing. The expression "BRT" is mainly used in the Americas and China; in India, it is called "BRTS" (BRT System); in Europe it is often called a "busway" or
3410-522: The Interurban line. Streetcars became practical along the route with the advent of electrification , and full service began along the route on December 9, 1890. In the 1950s, a decision was made to convert the streetcar system to buses . Streetcar service along the Interurban line ended in Saint Paul on October 31, 1953, and the route was the last to carry passengers in the city. Service continued
Metro Green Line (Minnesota) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3520-937: The MIO in Cali since November 2008, Metrolinea in Bucaramanga since December 2009, Megabús in Pereira since May 2009. This design is also used in Johannesburg 's Rea Vaya . The term "station" is more flexibly applied in North America and ranges from enclosed waiting areas ( Ottawa and Cleveland ) to large open-sided shelters ( Los Angeles and San Bernardino ). A unique and distinctive identity can contribute to BRT's attractiveness as an alternative to driving cars, (such as Viva, Max, TransMilenio, Metropolitano, Metronit, Select) marking stops and stations as well as
3630-510: The Mall of America , and the Green Line, which runs from Target Field past the University of Minnesota to Union Depot in downtown Saint Paul . The BRT Red Line serves as an extension of the Blue Line across the Minnesota River , where it connects with southern suburbs at four different stations. Low ridership projections would have made the required bridge for an extension of the Blue Line economically infeasible. The Orange Line
3740-545: The Metropolitan Council select LRT as the locally preferred alternative for the corridor and apply for preliminary engineering to begin. On June 28, 2006, the Metropolitan Council concurred with the CCCC's decision and officially selected LRT as the locally preferred alternative. Metropolitan Council manages all transit, waterway, and other public resources for the seven-county area surrounding
3850-558: The Saint Paul Union Depot , through downtown before terminating near United Hospital . The project will use dedicated lanes while running along I-94. Construction on the project began in October 2022 with service on the line expected to begin in 2025. The Purple Line is a planned bus rapid transit route to run largely along the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority corridor adjacent to
3960-625: The Southdale Transit Center, replacing most of route 6. Pending full project funding, E Line construction could begin as soon as 2023. The Blue Line extension (known as Bottineau LRT ) is a planned extension of the Blue Line to Brooklyn Park . After failing to come to an agreement with BNSF over colocating light rail and freight trains in the railroad's corridor, the Metropolitan Council announced they would begin to "explore opportunities to advance this critical project without using BNSF Railway right of way." New alignments for
4070-435: The 15,000 to 25,000 range. Research of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) shows a capacity ranking of MRT modes, based on reported performance of 14 light rail systems, 14 heavy rail systems (just 1-track + 3 2-track-systems "highest capacity") and 56 BRT systems. The study concludes, that BRT-"capacity on TransMilenio exceeds all but the highest capacity heavy rail systems, and it far exceeds
4180-449: The Blue Line, depending on the time of day and ridership needs. Many stations on the line were initially built to be capable of serving only one- or two-car trains, as a cost-saving measure; all of the shorter platforms were designed and built with future extension in mind and currently all stations are capable of serving three-car trains. The Green Line was built with three-car platforms at all stations. Currently three models of LRVs run in
4290-725: The Central Corridor Management Committee passed a resolution to include below-ground infrastructure for the Hamline, Victoria and Western stations "with the understanding that, if the CEI increases or other dollars are made available by mid-summer 2008, the first claim on those dollars would be one of the infill stations." The Metropolitan Council has included this infrastructure work in their Draft Environmental Impact Statement and has also committed to building one station if any funds become available. As of 2009,
4400-650: The Central Corridor project received a Record of Decision from the Federal Transit Administration. The FTA found the project to have fully and accurately completed its environmental documentation with the publication of the Final Environmental Impact statement earlier in the summer, thus clearing the project for final design. The first construction began in late 2010, including work in downtown St. Paul and near
4510-469: The Central Corridor project, along with other items, from the state budget. The funding was part of a state-local package of $ 227 million necessary to get federal transportation funds, and the future of the project was in doubt until May 18, 2008, when a revised bonding bill including the $ 70 million for the Central Corridor was passed in the Legislature and signed into law by the governor. In August 2009
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4620-542: The East Side of Saint Paul along Como Avenue respectively. The three lines are planned to be built by 2030. There are also numerous proposals in early planning stages for routes along Interstate 394 from Minneapolis to Wayzata , Highway 169 from Minneapolis to Shakopee , Interstate 35 from Minneapolis and St. Paul to Forest Lake , Highway 36 from St. Paul to Stillwater and Highway 61 from St. Paul to Hastings ( Red Rock Corridor ). The Metro system's rail lines use
4730-565: The Green Line between St. Paul and Fairview Ave Station. Route 50 formerly operated alongside Route 16 during weekdays, but with stops generally spaced about one-half mile apart. It was discontinued when the Green Line entered service. After the Green Line opened, Route 16 service was cut back from 1 AM to 5 AM, frequency was reduced to every 20 minutes and the route was truncated at the University of Minnesota. In 2010, route 16 had an operating budget of $ 10 million and generated $ 3.7 million in revenue (a farebox recovery ratio of 37%), while Route 50 had
4840-432: The Green Line project was the complexities in design layout. Land surveyors worked directly with over twelve subcontractors to complete the work. A particular area required exclusive attention and support, that being outside the University of Minnesota's biology department. Between Pleasant and Harvard streets there was 1/8" of tolerance between design and as-builds. Control factors used in the biology labs would be impacted by
4950-692: The Green Line, 12 for the Orange Line, 4 for the Red Line, 18 for the A Line, 11 for the C Line, and 30 for the D Line. The main hub of the system is Target Field Station in Minneapolis, Mall of America Station is also a hub, and Saint Paul Union Depot is envisioned as an additional future hub. Most trains and buses run at least every 15 minutes throughout the day, with reduced schedules at night and on weekends. All stations have electronic displays that show predicted real-time departure information, known as NexTrip. Predicted real-time departure information
5060-537: The Green Line. Type II LRVs are mechanically, but not electronically, compatible with the current fleet of 27 "type I" vehicles, so while the two generations do run on the tracks at the same time and both types are able to push a malfunctioning unit of the other type, multiple-unit consists may only be assembled of one type. Type III LRVS are Siemens S700 . In 2016, Metro Transit placed an order for 27 more Siemens S70 LRVs for its planned Southwest Corridor expansion. The cars in this order were considered to be model S70 at
5170-594: The Green and Blue Lines in downtown Minneapolis , one shared at the Mall of America between the Blue, Red, and D Lines, one shared at 46th Street station between the Blue and the A Lines, one shared at Snelling Avenue station between the Green and the A Lines, the C and D lines share 3 stations in Brooklyn Center and 6 in Downtown Minneapolis. 13 Stations are exclusively for the Blue Line, 16 for
5280-658: The Metro system, at various stages of completion. These include both light rail extensions and connecting bus rapid transit services. Other Transit projects are under planning stages by other organizations in the region, these may be operated or integrated in the METRO system in the future. The Green Line extension (also known as the Southwest LRT ) is an under construction expansion of the Green Line, to run from Target Field Station to several southwestern suburbs. The project
5390-546: The Metro system. Type I LRVs are Bombardier Flexity Swifts , utilizing a low floor for accessible boarding at all stations. Metro Transit operates 27 vehicles on the lines, numbered 101 through 127. Initially painted with Metro Transit livery, all have been repainted as of 2015 to reflect the Metro system branding. During this time, Type I cars also were retrofitted with colored LCD headboards for route destination displays and other improvements. Type II LRVs are Siemens S70/Avantos . 64 vehicles were purchased, primarily to serve
5500-525: The Metropolitan Council. A settlement between MPR and other involved parties will keep the light rail trains on Cedar Street and will also compensate MPR for the addition of sound-proof upgrades to their studios. Construction is in progress for an extension to the Green Line. The line is to be extended to Southwest Station in Eden Prairie along the Southwest LRT . The extension will add 16 additional stations and 14.5 miles (23.3 km) of trackage to
5610-491: The Red Line opened in mid-2013, and the first phase of the Green Line (also known as the Central Corridor) in mid-2014. Expansion is planned to upgrade existing transit corridors and to construct new transitways. The current Metro system consists of seven Lines. There are two light rail lines: the Blue Line, which runs from Target Field in downtown Minneapolis under Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport to
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#17327874092305720-513: The St. Paul and Minneapolis downtown areas. Siemens Industry Incorporated built 47 S70 Light Rail Vehicles for the Green Line, at a per-LRV cost of $ 3,297,714 and a total contract value of $ 154,992,558. The LRVs were built in Florin, California , and the first vehicle was delivered on October 10, 2012. During testing of the Green line before it opened, there were four accidents recorded. One accident
5830-703: The Transportation and Safety fee) are provided a Universal Transit Pass through their U-Cards. This allows Student-IDs to be used for unlimited rides on all regular route transit busses, Light Rail and Bus Rapid Transit, as well a reduced fare on the Northstar Line commuter rail . Staff at the Twin Cities Campus may be eligible for a Metropass , this pass allows all the same benefits as the Universal Transit Pass, without
5940-496: The Twin Cities' Lake Street/Marshall Avenue corridor, running from Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis' Uptown neighborhood to downtown Saint Paul along Selby Avenue . This line will largely replace route 21 and will connect with ten current or planned METRO Lines, Station design is complete with beginning of construction anticipated in 2023. The E Line is an arterial bus rapid transit route undergoing engineering and design for
6050-566: The Twin Cities's Hennepin Avenue corridor. Metro Transit's 2012 rapid bus study identified a route that would run from downtown Minneapolis to a future Lake Street station on the Metro Green Line extension. However, after further study in the spring of 2019, Metro Transit recommended a route from the Green Line's Stadium Village stop, through Dinkytown to Hennepin Avenue , and then south via Hennepin, 44th Street, and France Avenue to
6160-526: The Twin Cities, and as such, the Central Corridor project will now transition to Metropolitan Council. The work of the Central Corridor Coordinating Committee is now complete. A 2003 study commissioned by the Central Corridor Coordinating Committee placed the cost at US$ 840 million. Cost estimates placed the cost of the light rail line in 2003, at about US$ 957 million, with the increase primarily due to inflation over
6270-567: The United States was restructured in the 1960s and 1970s. The concourse of the Union Depot is planned to become a transfer point for people coming into St. Paul along the proposed Rush Line and Gold Line bus rapid transit lines. As of June 2014, Union Depot is a transit center for Metro Transit, MVTA, Jefferson Lines, Megabus, Greyhound buses, and Amtrak 's Empire Builder and Borealis trains. Metro Transit Route 16 parallels
6380-598: The United States, BRT began in 1977, with Pittsburgh's South Busway , operating on 4.3 miles (6.9 km) of exclusive lanes. Its success led to the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway in 1983, a fuller BRT deployment including a dedicated busway of 9.1 miles (14.6 km), traffic signal preemption , and peak service headway as low as two minutes. After the opening of the West Busway , 5.1 miles (8.2 km) in length in 2000, Pittsburgh's Busway system
6490-469: The University of Minnesota campus. By November 2011, construction was about 32% complete, including most heavy construction such as the installation of track segments, a new bridge, partial completion of stations, a rebuilt skyway in St. Paul and the construction of Green Line facilities at St. Paul Union Station. Due to scope of project, a venture was created by C.S. McCrossan and Ames to complete an area known as The Civil West Project. This area extended from
6600-659: The University of Minnesota on route 50. Twin City Lines continued to privately operate buses until 1970, when the company was taken over by the Metropolitan Transit Commission, a precursor to Metro Transit. In 1972, the Regional Fixed Guideway Study for the Metropolitan Transit Commission (the forerunner of today's Metro Transit) proposed a $ 1.3 billion 37- or 57-mile (sources differ) heavy-rail rapid transit system, but
6710-402: The Washington Avenue route. In late summer 2008, preliminary engineering reports showed that mitigation work could negate the effects of vibrations on university laboratory equipment. The University of Minnesota renewed its objections over vibration concerns along Washington Avenue in late 2009. Negotiations between the Metropolitan Council and the university continued into early 2010. A compromise
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#17327874092306820-419: The buses. Large cities usually have big bus networks. A map showing all bus lines might be incomprehensible, and cause people to wait for low-frequency buses that may not even be running at the time they are needed. By identifying the main bus lines having high-frequency service, with a special brand and separate maps, it is easier to understand the entire network. Public transit apps are more convenient than
6930-786: The capacity and speed of a light rail transit (LRT) or mass rapid transit (MRT) system with the flexibility, lower cost and simplicity of a bus system. The world's first BRT system was the Runcorn Busway in Runcorn New Town, England, which entered service in 1971. As of March 2018 , a total of 166 cities in six continents have implemented BRT systems, accounting for 4,906 km (3,048 mi) of BRT lanes and about 32.2 million passengers every day. The majority of these are in Latin America , where about 19.6 million passengers ride daily, and which has
7040-601: The center of major arterial roads, in 1980 the Curitiba system added a feeder bus network and inter-zone connections, and in 1992 introduced off-board fare collection, enclosed stations, and platform-level boarding. Other systems made further innovations, including platooning (three buses entering and leaving bus stops and traffic signals at once) in Porto Alegre , and passing lanes and express service in São Paulo . In
7150-605: The central part of the Transitway has been converted to light rail transit , due to the downtown section being operated beyond its designed capacity. In 1995, Quito , Ecuador, opened MetrobusQ its first BRT trolleybuses in Quito , using articulated trolleybuses. The TransMilenio in Bogotá , Colombia, opening in 2000, was the first BRT system to combine the best elements of Curitiba's BRT with other BRT advances, and achieved
7260-413: The concept while sketching on the back of an envelope. The town was designed around the transport system, with most residents no more than five minutes walking distance, or 500 yards (460 m), from the Busway. The second BRT system in the world was the Rede Integrada de Transporte (RIT, integrated transportation network ), implemented in Curitiba , Brazil, in 1974. The Rede Integrada de Transporte
7370-428: The disruption to existing transit and pedestrian ways was a concern to some groups. There is also concern that stops for light rail will be placed too far apart and along with reductions in bus service, transportation options for people will be reduced. Others are concerned about gentrification , where rising property values and taxes could force out lower-income residents. Others have opposed using Washington Avenue for
7480-450: The electromagnetic radiation emitted from the nearby light rail. The 1/8" tolerance is said to cancel out any EMR that the light rail may produce. Some in favor of the line have expressed concern with the number of stations. The neighborhoods along University have demanded that the line have stations every half-mile, from Snelling to Rice Street, which would mean stations at Hamline Avenue, Victoria Street and Western Avenue. In February 2008,
7590-435: The fare reduction on the Northstar Line. As of January 2023, cost of this pass is $ 83 per month. This will reach a break even point after between 26 and 33 trips per month. Passengers at Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport can use the Blue Line between the Terminal 1-Lindbergh station and Terminal 2–Humphrey station free of charge. These two stations are served 24/7. Several expansion projects are planned for
7700-402: The final plans, 87% of on-street parking disappeared along University Avenue between Raymond Avenue and Rice Street. At least one restaurant has cited light rail construction as a reason for closing. The corridor contains working-class residents and immigrant populations from Laos and Vietnam . Although the Green Line construction is mostly on an existing roadway and no land will be condemned,
7810-458: The first BRT system in the world was the Runcorn Busway in Runcorn , England. First conceived in the Runcorn New Town Masterplan in 1966, it opened for services in October 1971 and all 22 kilometres (14 mi) were operational by 1980. The central station is at Runcorn Shopping City where buses arrive on dedicated raised busways to two enclosed stations. Arthur Ling , Runcorn Development Corporation's Master Planner, said that he had invented
7920-529: The first line (the present Blue Line ) along Hiawatha Avenue (initially named the Hiawatha Line ) in south Minneapolis, which opened in 2004. In 2011, in anticipation of the opening of the Red Line and Green Line , and in order to help passengers better identify with each of the routes, Metro Transit announced that the system would be rebranded and each line assigned a unique color. The first phase of
8030-521: The following decade. On June 6, 2006, the light rail option was endorsed by the Central Corridor Coordinating Committee. The Metropolitan Council gave final approval to this decision on June 28, 2006. The existing Blue Line has exceeded ridership predictions, as is the case with many other light rail lines constructed in the U.S. during the last decade. This led to some delays for the Central Corridor project because local transit officials were forced to retool ridership models before submitting projections to
8140-442: The following features: Bus-only lanes make for faster travel and ensure that buses are not delayed by mixed traffic congestion . A median alignment bus-only keeps buses away from busy curb-side side conflicts, where cars and trucks are parking, standing and turning. Separate rights of way may be used such as the completely elevated Xiamen BRT . Transit malls or 'bus streets' may also be created in city centers. Fare prepayment at
8250-662: The green phase or reducing the red phase in the required direction compared to the normal sequence. Prohibiting turns may be the most important measure for moving buses through intersections. The station platforms for BRT systems should be level with the bus floor for quick and easy boarding, making it fully accessible for wheelchairs, disabled passengers and baby strollers, with minimal delays. High-level platforms for high-floored buses makes it difficult to have stops outside dedicated platforms, or to have conventional buses stop at high-level platforms, so these BRT stops are distinct from street-level bus stops. Similar to rail vehicles, there
8360-648: The highest capacity and highest speed BRT system in the world. In January 2004 the first BRT in Southeast Asia, TransJakarta , opened in Jakarta , Indonesia. As of 2015 , at 210 kilometres (130 mi), it is the longest BRT system in the world. Africa's first BRT system was opened in Lagos , Nigeria, in March 2008 but is considered a light BRT system by many people. Johannesburg , South Africa, BRT Rea Vaya ,
8470-450: The highest light rail system." Performance data of 84 systems show More topical are these BRT data After the first BRT system opened in 1971, cities were slow to adopt BRT because they believed that the capacity of BRT was limited to about 12,000 passengers per hour traveling in a given direction during peak demand. While this is a capacity rarely needed in the US (12,000 is more typical as
8580-566: The idea was eventually abandoned due to opposition from the Minnesota Legislature. For the next few decades, there were repeated proposals to build light rail along several corridors, particularly the University Avenue corridor between downtown Minneapolis and Saint Paul (the present Green Line), but the idea of light rail only gained steam in the late 1990s. In 1999, the Minnesota Legislature approved funding for
8690-690: The line, extending through St. Louis Park , Hopkins and Minnetonka . The estimated one-way travel time from Southwest Station in Eden Prairie to Target Field Station in Minneapolis is 32 minutes. Delays including neighborhood opposition from the Kenwood neighborhood and additional studies on the environmental effects of the Southwest Corridor have pushed back the planned opening to 2027. The Northstar Line commuter rail line connects downtown Minneapolis with northwestern suburbs, with
8800-405: The local public transit company: Metro Transit . The five lines connect Downtown Minneapolis and St Paul with Bloomington , Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport , Roseville , Richfield , Burnsville and Brooklyn Center . Prior to August 17, 2019, service along the entire length of the Green Line operated 24/7 , the only one of 22 light rail systems in the United States to do so, but
8910-558: The median of University Avenue in an exclusive right-of-way, except for a brief stretch of the Washington Avenue Transit Mall where its tracks are shared with buses. The Blue Line's at-grade crossings are protected by automated grade crossing gates; the Green Line's crossings move in regular traffic, with signal priority but no preemption. Since the completion of three-car station extensions in winter 2010, Metro Transit operates one-, two- and three-car trains on
9020-479: The most cities with BRT systems, with 54, led by Brazil with 21 cities. The Latin American countries with the most daily ridership are Brazil (10.7 million), Colombia (3.0 million), and Mexico (2.5 million). In the other regions, China (4.3 million) and Iran (2.1 million) stand out. Currently, TransJakarta is the largest BRT network in the world, with about 251.2 kilometres (156.1 mi) of corridors connecting
9130-566: The new design; as a result, all of Metro Transit's type III LRVs (301–327) are now Siemens model S700. The first two S700 vehicles arrived in May 2020. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Media related to Metro Transit (Minneapolis-Saint Paul) at Wikimedia Commons Other transit in the United States: 44°59′5″N 93°16′54″W / 44.98472°N 93.28167°W / 44.98472; -93.28167 Bus rapid transit Bus rapid transit ( BRT ), also referred to as
9240-680: The opening of the light rail line had a causal impact on reducing the rate of missed doctors appointments. Other transit in the United States: Metro (Minnesota) Metro (styled as METRO ) is a transit network in Minnesota serving the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul . It also provides service to some suburban areas. As of 2022, the system consists of two light rail lines ( Blue and Green Lines) and five bus rapid transit (BRT) lines ( Orange Line , Red Line , A , C , and D Lines) all of which are operated by
9350-469: The path of former Metro Transit bus route 16 along University Avenue and Washington Avenue (which runs from downtown Minneapolis through the University of Minnesota main campus). It is the second light-rail line in the region, after the Blue Line , which opened in 2004 and connects Minneapolis with the southern suburb of Bloomington . Construction on the Green Line began in late 2010. It opened to
9460-556: The public on June 14, 2014. The travel time between the downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul stops is about 46 minutes. The entire line originally operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but as of 2019 trains are replaced by buses from 2 am to 4 am on weekdays. In 2018, the line carried a total of 13.8 million passengers. The route is a descendant of the Twin City Rapid Transit Company 's St. Paul–Minneapolis streetcar line, also referred to as
9570-877: The right side of the street. Groups of criteria form the BRT Standard 2016, which is updated by the Technical Committee of the BRT Standard. High-capacity vehicles such as articulated or even bi-articulated buses may be used, typically with multiple doors for fast entry and exit. Double-decker buses or guided buses may also be used. Advanced powertrain control may be used for a smoother ride. Bottleneck BRT stations typically provide loading areas for simultaneous boarding and alighting of buses through multiple doors coordinated via displays and loudspeakers. An example of high-quality stations include those used on TransMilenio in Bogotá since December 2000,
9680-439: The same fare level, are allowed within this period. Within the two Downtown Zones of Minneapolis and St. Paul, tickets are 50¢; otherwise they follow normal Metro Transit fares: (Rush hour is classified as Monday - Friday, 6-9 am & 3-6:30 pm) In addition, passes are available for various lengths of time or numbers of trips at appropriate discounts. All University of Minnesota undergraduate and graduate students (that pay
9790-775: The schedules and live arrival times and stations for buses that feed the BRT, like the SITP (Sistema Integrado de Transporte Público or Public Transit Integrated System) in Bogotá . A special issue arises in the use of buses in metro transit structures. Since the areas where the demand for an exclusive bus right-of-way are apt to be in dense downtown areas where an above-ground structure may be unacceptable on historic, logistic, or environmental grounds, use of BRT in tunnels may not be avoidable. Since buses are usually powered by internal combustion engines , bus metros raise ventilation issues similar to those of motor vehicle tunnels. Powerful fans typically exchange air through ventilation shafts to
9900-474: The southern portion of route were presented for public comment in March 2021. The F Line is an arterial bus rapid transit route undergoing engineering and design for the Twin Cities's Central Avenue corridor, running from Downtown Minneapolis to Northtown Mall in Blaine, replacing much of route 10. The Line is currently undergoing planning, with engineering and design from expected in 2023-2024, construction
10010-492: The station, instead of on board the bus, eliminates the delay caused by passengers paying on board. Fare machines at stations also allow riders to purchase multi-ride stored-value cards and have multiple payment options. Prepayment also allows riders to board at all doors, further speeding up stops. Prohibiting turns for traffic across the bus lane significantly reduces delays to the buses. Bus priority will often be provided at signalized intersections to reduce delays by extending
10120-533: The stations serving the Lindbergh and Humphrey terminals of MSP Airport during the overnight service gap on the Blue Line. In the 1970s, roughly contemporaneous with the construction of Washington D.C. 's Metro system and San Francisco 's Bay Area Rapid Transit , the newly formed Metropolitan Council contemplated the creation of a similar mass transit for the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, but
10230-404: The subway, and with the rear axle driven by a conventional diesel powertrain on freeways and streets. Boston is using a similar approach, after initially using trolleybuses pending delivery of the dual-mode vehicles that was completed in 2005. In 2004, Seattle replaced its "Transit Tunnel" fleet with diesel-electric hybrid buses, which operate similarly to hybrid cars outside the tunnel and in
10340-417: The surface; these are usually as remote as possible from occupied areas, to minimize the effects of noise and concentrated pollution. A straightforward way to reduce air quality problems is to use internal combustion engines with lower emissions. The 2008 Euro V European emission standards set a limit on carbon monoxide from heavy-duty diesel engines of 1.5 g/kWh, one third of the 1992 Euro I standard. As
10450-431: The then-separate Metropolitan Council disagreed with that idea – refusing to even look at the plan – and continuing political battles meant that it was never implemented. The Met Council had its own plans for bus rapid transit in the metropolitan region. Another system using smaller people movers was proposed in the 1975 Small Vehicle Fixed Guideway Study and gained the most traction with the Saint Paul city council, but
10560-428: The theoretical maximum throughput measured in passengers per hour per direction (PPHPD) for a single traffic lane is some 150,000 passengers per hour (250 passengers per vehicle, one vehicle every 6 seconds). In real world conditions BRT Rio (de Janeiro, BRS Presidente Vargas) with 65.000 PPHPD holds the record, TransMilenio Bogotá and Metrobus Istanbul perform 49,000 – 45,000 PPHPD, most other busy systems operating in
10670-540: The time of the collision and was subsequently treated for injuries and released from the hospital. In response to the Westlake crash, in which the train operator illegally ran a red light, Minnesota legislators changed a law that had previously prevented light-rail train operators from being charged in fatal collisions. On January 28, 2018, a female pedestrian was struck and killed, near the intersection of University Avenue and Pascal Street in St. Paul. A sixth fatality,
10780-432: The time the order was placed, but in 2019/20 were retroactively rebranded as model S700 by Siemens. These used a modified center- truck design that allowed sideways-facing seating in the center section, for better passenger flow. In 2018, Siemens adopted a new model number, S700 , for S70 LRVs that used the new center-section design, and in 2020 it retroactively applied the new designation to all previous S70 LRVs built to
10890-499: The use of dual buses, with doors on the left side of the bus that are located at the height of high-level platforms, and doors on the right side that are located at curb height. These buses can use the main line with its exclusive lanes and high level platforms, located on the center of the street and thus, boarding and leaving passengers on the left side. These buses can exit the main line and use normal lanes that share with other vehicles and stop at regular stations located on sidewalks on
11000-575: The west side of the 35W abutment, over the Mississippi River, through the UofM campus and ending at Bedford St. From Bedford to Saint Paul, Walsh Construction served as the general contractor. In July 2011, the Metropolitan Council officially named the Central Corridor as the Green Line. As of August 2013, construction was completed and test trains began running over the line which opened to the public on June 14, 2014. An interesting component of
11110-535: Was a workgroup in the Minneapolis - St. Paul area set up to explore transit options for the Central Corridor , the interurban corridor roughly following University Avenue in the Twin Cities area. After a long period of examination, this committee narrowed transit options for the corridor from a broad universe of choices to just three: a no-build option where services are only incrementally improved,
11220-553: Was at Portland Avenue and 5th Street in Downtown Minneapolis. This intersection was already in use by Blue Line and is now being shared by the Blue and Green Lines. The first death occurred in August 2014, when Shana Buchanan, former attorney, was struck by a train as she attempted to cross the tracks at Westgate Station . On April 30, 2015, Lynne Thomas, the Minnesota Senate's office of counsel and research receptionist,
11330-438: Was developed by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) to score BRT corridors, producing a list of rated BRT corridors meeting the minimum definition of BRT. The highest rated systems received a "gold" ranking. The latest edition of the standard was published in 2016. Other metrics used to evaluate BRT performance include: Based on this data, the minimum headway and maximum current vehicle capacities,
11440-493: Was eventually dropped in 1980. In the 1980s, light rail was proposed as an alternative and several possible corridors were identified, including the Central Corridor line which had a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) drawn up in 1982. It took another two decades before the Blue Line light rail line began operation. It began service on June 26, 2004, just over 50 years since the last regular-service streetcar ran on June 19, 1954. The Central Corridor Coordinating Committee
11550-511: Was given federal approval in November 2018, and ground was broken on construction on November 30, 2018. Completion of the project is expected in 2027, at an expected cost of over US$ 2 billion. It will be the largest infrastructure project in state history. The Gold Line is an under construction bus rapid transit route to run along Interstate 94 from Woodbury to downtown Saint Paul along Mounds Boulevard. Once in downtown it would travel from
11660-503: Was inspired by the previous transport system of the National Urban Transport Company of Peru (In Spanish: ENATRU ), which only had quick access on Lima downtown , but it would not be considered BRT itself. Many of the elements that have become associated with BRT were innovations first suggested by Carlos Ceneviva, within the team of Curitiba Mayor Jaime Lerner . Initially just dedicated bus lanes in
11770-468: Was reached between the university and the Metropolitan Council and the Washington Avenue bridge was selected for use. As of Summer 2011, work had begun on the Washington Avenue bridge. In January 2009, Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) raised concerns over the effects of the light-rail trains on their recording studios on Cedar Street in downtown St. Paul. MPR presented the results of an engineering study which they sponsored that conflicted with that performed by
11880-528: Was struck just after 3 p.m. at the Dale Street Station. She was walking north in a crosswalk on University Ave. when she was struck by a westbound train. An eastbound train struck a car near the Rice Street station in the afternoon of July 4, 2021, marking the line's ninth fatality. Another occupant of the car was hospitalized in critical condition, and the train's operator was taken for medical evaluation. Around 10:30 a.m. on June 8, 2022,
11990-616: Was the first true BRT in Africa, in August 2009, carrying 16,000 daily passengers. Rea Vaya and MIO (BRT in Cali , Colombia, opened 2009) were the first two systems to combine full BRT with some services that also operated in mixed traffic, then joined the BRT trunk infrastructure. In 2017 Marrakesh , Morocco, opened its first BRT Marrakesh trolleybus system (BHNS De Marrakesh) trolleybuses Corridors of 8 km (5.0 mi), of which 3 km (1.9 mi) of overhead wiring for operation as trolleybus. BRT systems normally include most of
12100-402: Was the second pedestrian killed by a Green Line train. On December 10, 2015, pedestrian Nurto Abdi Aden was struck and killed as she crossed the Green Line tracks near Hamline Avenue Station . On July 15, 2017, Nicholas Westlake, 29, died after a train struck his car near University and Highway 280. Westlake's girlfriend and ballroom dance partner Neli Petkova was in the passenger seat at
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