‘Transit’ Archives
Metro Transit
By JOHN CHARLES WILSON Even though I normally write about schedule and routing issues, there is little going on on that front this month. However, I”™ve gotten a call and an email about bus stop and infrastructure issues, which gives me material for this month”™s column. Last year, Route 2 got the “Better Bus Route” treatment. This consists of making the stops farther apart and putting shelters and benches at more of them. The idea is to make the bus go faster and give riders a better experience. This works to a point, but transit agencies need to be cognizant of people who have a hard time walking when they decide where to place stops. Traditionally, bus stops were placed at every inter-section, regardless of the length of the blocks. In the Twin Cities, blocks are traditionally 1/16 of a mile by 1/8 of a mile. On the few routes left with the traditional stop pattern on the 1/16 mile blocks, the close stop spacing appears ridiculous to [...]
METRO TRANSIT: Answer the Survey, We”™re Counting on You
By JOHN CHARLES WILSON Public transit is one of the few government functions where the people in charge actually listen to suggestions from common citizens. I have been going to public forums about transit changes for many years, though recently I”™ve had trouble getting to them. However, because of the pandemic a lot of this stuff is being done online now. Metro Transit is currently doing a survey which can be accessed at https://www. surveymonkey.com/r/futurebus or from the Metro Transit website regarding future Bus Rapid Transit routes. As you probably already know, two BRT routes already exist, the A on Snelling (Saint Paul) and the C on Penn Ave. N., and three more are “in the pipeline”: the B (Lake St.), the D (Chicago Ave. - Fremont Ave. N.) and the E (Hennepin - France Ave. S.) This survey is about what three routes will next get the BRT treatment after the ones already planned. You are being asked to pick three of [...]
Where Are We Going?
METRO TRANSIT By JOHN CHARLES WILSON Even though our buses and trains are still running on a greatly reduced schedule, Metro Transit is hard at work behind the scenes building and planning for a COVID-19-free future. That said, I wish to interrupt the good news to tell everyone that Cub Foods is running a FREE shuttle bus between its temporarily ruined Lake and Minnehaha location to their Quarry location at 1540 New Brighton Blvd. in Northeast Minneapolis. Buses leave the Lake Street Cub every hour between 10 AM and 5 PM and leave the Quarry store one half-hour later. Each bus will transport up to 20 people, allowing for social distancing and room for shopping bags. Other rules are similar to Metro Transit. Now, for what is in store for us when this debacle is over: The Green Line Extension (Southwest Light Rail) construction is continuing as normal. It is planned to be ready for use in 2023.The Blue Line Extension (Bottineau Line Light Rail) is anticipated to be done [...]
