Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Northwest metro bus
service changes start June 2
MINNEAPOLIS – (April 27) – Bus service in 11 cities in the northwest metropolitan area will soon receive a facelift.
Beginning June 2, Metro Transit will roll out changes to routes restructured as part of the agency’s plan to meet growing residential and employment needs, changing travel patterns and new demographics in an area west of the Mississippi River and north of Highway 55.
Major changes are coming to 16 different routes: 5, 7, 14, 19, 22, 29, 32, 720, 721, 723, 724, 758, 761, 762, 765 and 766. Other routes will have minor schedule changes as well.
The route changes are the first phase of the agency’s Northwest Metro Transit Restructuring Plan, which will improve service in an area that represents 13 percent of the metro population and 20 percent of the region’s jobs. The area generates 10.3 million bus rides annually, roughly 14 percent of Metro Transit’s ridership.
Highlights of the changes:
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Faster and more direct service to major destinations, such as downtown Minneapolis, North Memorial Medical Center and Brookdale Center
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Simplified routes to help customers get to their destinations quicker
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A new route to serve Starlite Transit Center, Hennepin Technical College and Maple Grove’s Elm Creek Boulevard retail corridor
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More suburb to suburb connections, without having to transfer downtown
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Better links between neighborhoods, other routes and suburban transit centers
This project marks the fifth time Metro Transit has evaluated existing service and recommended improvements to routes and facilities in a given area. In 1998, the agency divided the Twin Cities region into nine geographic sectors, and has been restructuring service one sector at a time.
As has been done in previous studies to improve service, Metro Transit officials consulted with residents, business owners and other stakeholders to take a fresh look at where and how often buses operated in the project area. A plan was then proposed to update service to better reflect where people live and work today. A draft plan was revised after the agency received feedback from public meetings and comments from printed cards, e-mails, faxes and letters.
Cities included in the project area included north Minneapolis, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Champlin, Crystal, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth and Robbinsdale.
“The goal of the project is to make transit service more effective and meaningful for this area, while using existing resources to meet that goal,” said Metro Transit General Manager Brian Lamb.
A second phase of changes is due to be implemented in 2008, with the completion of a new Starlite Transit Center.
Customers who want information before the changes take effect have several options. They can get route and schedule information by calling 612-373-3333 or view maps and schedules at metrotransit.org. Customers can also request informational brochures on buses that serve the northwest metro.
Metro Transit, a service of the Metropolitan Council, finished 2006 with 73.8 million rides, the highest annual ridership in 22 years.
