‘Transit’ Archives
Transit: When Will Normalcy Return?
By JOHN CHARLES WILSON Note: This column was written between the times Governor Walz announced the lifting of the Stay at Home order and the change taking effect. Metro Transit has decided to continue running a Saturday schedule on weekdays and not running buses or light rail late at night, even after the Stay at Home order is lifted, and the restriction to “essential trips only” is still in place. Even though it will be legal to go out for any purpose, you are still not supposed to ride transit unless it is necessary. The only change is that wearing face masks will be required on Metro Transit as of 18 May. However, there will be no enforcement of this rule unless non-compliance becomes a major problem. It remains to be seen whether the schedule change which normally takes place in June will happen this year. With Metro Transit running a limited schedule anyways, they might decide there is no point to it.The transit situation everywhere is dire. It is [...]
Transit and the Coronavirus
By JOHN CHARLES WILSON Last month, I wrote about a restructure of Rochester Public Transit since there was no news about transit in Phillips or the Twin Cities in general. Ironically, The Alley Newspaper submission deadline was just two days before Metro Transit made the first of two major service cutbacks due to the closure of certain businesses and the Stay At Home order. By now, most people should know Metro Transit closes down from 11 PM to 4:30 AM each night, and that most routes are on a Saturday schedule on weekdays. Presumably, normal service will be restored when this crisis is over. Even in normal times, I don”™t get out much anymore, and I”™ve only been for one bus ride since this mess began. That was to help a friend who has a bad memory and gets lost easily going shopping at a location he doesn”™t know how to get to by himself. (Caring for others is a legitimate reason to travel under the order.) One thing I immediately [...]
Good Things Come to Those Who Wait
Adapting traffic ”“ Construction Update: New Lake Street & 35W Transit Station By MNDOT adapted by GUSTAVO MANCILLA Computer rendering of the Lake Street &35W Transit StationPHOTO COURTESY OF MNDOT & GUSTAVO MANCILLA As part of the 35W@94 project, MnDOT and Metro Transit are building a new transit station at I-35W & Lake Street Transit Station. The transit station is scheduled to open in late 2021 with the launch of the METRO Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit service along I-35W. A new stage for this construction project at Lake Street will begin this spring (early April) ”“ if weather permitting - and is anticipated to take two years and be completed by Fall 2021. Pedestrians and drivers must know that Lake St. will, in general, remain open with one lane available in each direction and access to all businesses will be maintained during the con-struction. The new transit station will include great new amenities, such as bike parking, [...]
