East Metro Strong Opportunities by Tanvi Sharma

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

For

December 11, 2018 Huitt-Zollars, Inc. Christof Spieler, LEED AP Director of Planning Vice President 1001 Fannin Street, Suite 4040 Houston, TX 77002 T 713.622.1180 cspieler@huitt-zollars.com

Introduction

CONTENTS

Introduction

Opportunities

Need to Evaluate the East Metro Transit Network

Possible Objectives

Opportunities to Improve Service in the East Metro

Available Strategies

Structure of this Report

Projects

Opportunities and Next Steps for the East Metro

P1 Locate New Jobs and Housing along High Quality Transit

P2 Increase Frequency within the Core

P3 Redesign the All-Day Network

P4 Create a South Robert aBRT and West St. Paul Transit Center

P5 Create an East 7th / MSP BRT

P6 Create an I-35 / Highway 55 Transit Center

P7 Extend B Line to Downtown Saint Paul

P8 Increase Service from Little Canada to Shoreview

P9 Improve Bus Lanes & Intersections in the Core

P10 Improve Bus Stops across the Core

P11 Improve Transit Centers

P12 Increase Bike Parking, Bike Share, and Car Share at Transit Stops

P13 Improve Crosswalks and Sidewalks on Frequent Routes

P14 Improve Pedestrian and Bike Infrastructure at Suburban Jobs

P15 Open Gold Line BRT with Multiple Routes

P16 Implement Short-Run Transit Improvements for Downtown Saint Paul, Study Long-Run Redesign

2 Process

Workshop Summary

3 Existing Conditions

Existing East Metro Development Patterns

Existing Transit Network

4 Network Analysis

Strengths

Weaknesses

Where Transit Will Get You

6 Next Steps

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

1 Introduction The Twin Cities and the East Metro have long understood the need for a high-quality transit system to connect people with jobs, education, shopping, and recreation. Elected officials and community leaders have worked hard to fund and build better transit like the Green Line and Saint Paul Union Depot. These serve existing riders better and are attracting new riders in record numbers. The proposed Gold Line, Riverview, and Rush Line transitways all have approved Locally Preferred Alternatives and are moving ahead.

East Metro Region

WASHINGTON

Need to Evaluate the East Metro Transit Network Effective transit, though, works as a network, and the rest of the network has not received the attention that new and planned transitways have. Over 70% of Metro Transit’s ridership is on bus routes. Many of these routes date back a century to streetcar routes, and while the network has been expanded and individual routes have been adjusted, the overall system structure still reflects earlier development patterns and trip needs. Much of the system is infrequent and thus inconvenient to people, and many of the routes are complex and difficult to understand.

RAMSEY

Now is the time to take a new look at the bus network. Ridership fell by 5% on the local bus network and 7% on the express network from 2017 to 2018, even as rail and Bus Rapid Transit ridership increased by 2% and 4%, respectively. Regions that have taken a new look at their networks have seen increases in ridership and user satisfaction. While every region is different, and Metro Transit has made network adjustments that other regions had not always made before beginning their re-examinations, now is a good time to ask what opportunities are available to improve regional connections and service for East Metro residents and employers.

Opportunities to Improve Service in the East Metro The board of East Metro Strong, who represent a variety of stakeholders on the east side of the Twin Cities, initiated this work to understand what improvements in the transit network might be worth further exploration. In April 2018, East Metro Strong held a stakeholder workshop to analyze existing conditions and begin a conversation on transit-related opportunities for the East Metro in particular. No East Metro jurisdiction or employer can implement a transit project by itself. Any changes to the network or capital improvements will need to be led by Metro Transit, the Metropolitan Council, and/or other public entities like cities and counties. Before those entities make changes, they will need to get public input. East Metro Strong recognizes that it does not represent all stakeholders. Decisions about transit need to be made with the full input of everyone affected, including current users and the communities most in need of improved transit. 4

Introduction

DAKOTA

Thus, this effort is a first step, describing possibilities in order to support a larger public discussion. This report does not make recommendations. This report: xx Analyzes current conditions xx In response to those conditions, describes options that can be further evaluated and presented to the public, to see which are worthwhile, and to prompt a discussion that will surely identify additional ideas.

Structure of this Report Existing Conditions This study builds on the work presented at the April 2018 workshop. For the convenience of readers, much of the previous “Existing Conditions Report” is included here in Section 3: Existing Conditions. This includes a look at the current transit network in the East Metro region to see how it aligns with population and employment density. It is based on publicly available data (including Metro Transit's GIS files). A special thank you to Metro Transit for making available these and other resources and data. The existing conditions review found significant opportunities for transit improvement in the transit network. The East Metro has: xx

relatively dense residential areas not served by frequent service,

multiple employment nodes that are hard to reach with the current network, and

opportunities to leverage new transitways (like the Green Line) as well as future transitways to improve the network.

xx Many opportunities can be implemented for less cost than new or additional service. Overall, the Metro Transit SIP takes the current network and its overall design as a given, and asks what additional service can be added to that. The options presented here start from a different perspective. Metro Transit has shown that improved local bus service within the existing network can build a more useful and efficient network and draw more riders. The A Line bus service has increased ridership in its corridor by 35%. Some of the service improvement on the A Line comes from Metro Transit investment in additional bus frequency. But the reliability and speed improvements are largely a function of investment in improvments other than buses: xx

intersection design improvements,

signal timing improvements, and

station design improvements.

These kinds of improvements are available on any route, with or without additional frequency. Improving streets, intersections, and bus stops to increase the reliability and speed of local bus routes can reduce the cost of operating service, freeing up funds to increase off-peak service or add service elsewhere. Thus, where other service improvement options start from a place of increasing total operating costs as a means to improved service, these options hold the possibility of reducing some operating costs while improving service.

Finally, the last section offers potential next steps.

Even bigger improvements can come from systematically looking at the entire network. Houston did this, redesigning all of its local bus routes, and was able to double the people served by frequent service and increase ridership by deploying existing resources more efficiently, with no significant increase in budget. Houston’s successful redesign, plus a growing awareness of the need for change generally, has led numerous regions of various sizes (larger, smaller, and similar to Minneapolis-Saint Paul) to redesign all or part of their networks (including New York City, Richmond, VA, Austin, TX, Columbus, OH, and Indianapolis, IN). This set of options does not go that far, but offers examples of what such a full re-examination could include.

Opportunities and Next Steps for the East Metro

In sum: the options in this report are offered to support the next level of conversation about how to improve the network in order to:

Next, the report analyzes existing conditions with a careful look at the current routes, their all-day frequencies, on-time performance estimates, and walkable access to bus stops. Options for Improvement The report then presents options for projects in the East Metro to improve the network. Choosing which set of these options to pursue should involve a broad set of stakeholders. This report does not make specific project recommendations.

Metro Transit's Service Improvement Plan (SIP) identifies bus routes for added service. The opportunities described here overlap the Metro Transit SIP in that they include some new routes. The opportunities described here go beyond the Metro Transit SIP in that:

xx better serve current users,

xx Many opportunities can be led by jurisdictions other than Metro Transit.

xx make the area more economically competitive.

xx serve neighborhoods and employers better so that additional people will find it useful and convenient to use Metro Transit, and

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

2 Process Workshop Summary In April 2018, East Metro Strong held a stakeholder workshop to analyze existing conditions and begin a conversation about what goals might inform work to improve those conditions. The discussion was rich and varied but no consensus was reached on goals.

Other conversations centered around

The Post-it exercise and following discussion revealed that the goals of the stakeholders covered a little of everything, from a large number of frequency-related goals to bridging the suburb-core divide. While some wanted to see an increase in ridership, which would mean increasing service on high-ridership routes and cutting low-ridership ones, others wanted to see more service coverage, which would likely come at the cost of responding to ridership.

xx increasing safety at bus stops;

The common goals were:

Workshop participants identified ways in which they would like to see the transit system improve. These were grouped, as much as possible, into clusters of related goals.

xx to reduce cars on the streets and xx to increase overall transit usage.

Stakeholder Post-it Notes on Network's Weaknesses

Process

xx creating a culture shift to a default use of public transit, at least within the core area;

xx maintaining affordability of the system; xx increasing user-friendliness; xx increasing reliability; and xx supporting multi-modal transportation.

3 Existing Conditions

Population Density

Washington

Existing East Metro Development Patterns The key to successful transit is identifying and then serving nodes and corridors that have the density of population and jobs to support frequent service. Every transit stop creates a zone roughly ¼-mile in radius within which people are under a 5-minute walk of service. The more people there are in this zone, the more potential ridership there is. The higher the ridership, the more service can be justified. More service, in turn, drives even more ridership.

Employment density is as important as population density. Regardless of whether a transit rider walks from home to transit or uses a park-and-ride lot, he or she must be able to walk to their job on the other end. Downtown Saint Paul is the largest employment center in the East Metro region, but it is not the only one. Several other areas – the Midway Area, Grand Avenue, Energy Park, and Rosedale Center – have similar employment densities. There are also multiple suburban job centers, including the 3M campus area in Maplewood and a series of nodes around the I-694 and I-494 loops, several of which have more than 10,000 jobs.

Snelling

McKnight

Larpenteur

Ford / 7th / I-94

Dakota

N 0

Employment Density

8 mi

Washington

Ramsey

Downtown Saint Paul has 86,000 jobs. This is not nearly as big as downtown Minneapolis – which has 232,000 – but it is one of the 60 largest employment hubs in the entire United States, and one of the 30 densest1. It is roughly the same size as downtown Charlotte and Salt Lake City, both of which have major light rail systems centered on them.

Larpenteur Snelling

McKnight

In the East Metro area, the densest population is within and near the City of Saint Paul. A continuous area bordered by McKnight Road to the east, Larpenteur Avenue to the north, Snelling Avenue and the Mississippi River to the west, and Ford Parkway, 7th Street, and I-94 to the south (as indicated on the maps), has population densities generally over 5,000 people per square mile, with large areas above 10,000. There are also areas of similar density in West St. Paul and South St. Paul. Most of these areas also have street grids, which create direct paths to transit stops, increasing the number of people and destinations within a 5-minute walk.

Ramsey

Ford / 7th / I-94

Dakota

DOWNTOWN REBIRTH: DOCUMENTING THE LIVE-WORK DYNAMIC IN 21ST CENTURY U.S. CITIES Prepared for the International Downtown Association by the Philadelphia Center City District, Paul R. Levy and Lauren M. Gilchrist, 2014, (http://definingdowntown.org) 1

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

Transit Market Areas Defined by Metropolitan Council

101

14 35E

35W

610

694

252

494

694 94

36 694 35E

394

94 7

100

35W

494

62 494 212 169

35W

35E

169

KEY Market Area 1 2 3 4 5 Core N 0

Existing Conditions

8 mi

Population Density

Monticello

Ostego

Ramsey

101

Albertville

Andover

Ham Lake

Columbus

Forest Lake

Scandia

Anoka

Saint Michael Dayton

Rogers

Coon Rapids

Champlin

35E

35W

Blaine

Hugo

May Twp.

Centerville

Hanover

Circle Pines Lexington

610

Rockford

Osseo

Maple Grove

Corcoran

Greenﬁeld

Spring Lake Park Mounds View

Brooklyn Park

694

Medina

Independence Maple Plain

Medicine Lake Long Lake Orono

Minnetrista

Golden Valley Minneapolis

Deephaven

Roseville

Tonka Bay Greenwood Excelsion

100

Hopkins

Shorewood

35W

Lauderdale Falcon Heights

Fort Snelling

494 212

Baytown Twp.

Bayport

Lake Elmo

694

Oakdale

35E

Landfall

West Lakeland Twp. Lakeland Lake & Shores

494

Edina Richﬁeld

Chanhassen

Victoria

Oak Park Heights

North St. Paul Maplewood

West Lilydale St. Paul

Stillwater

Little Canada

St. Louis Park Minnetonka

Stillwater Twp. Grant

694

St. Paul

Woodland Minnetonka Beach

Columbia Heights

394 Wayzata

Dellwood

Mahtomedi White Bear Birchwood Villate Willernie White Bear Lake

Vadnais Heights

Hilltop

Crystal New Hope Robbinsdale

494 Plymouth

Spring Mound Park

Arden Hills New Brighton Shoreview

Brooklyn Center

White Bear Twp. North Oaks

Fridley

252

Loretto

Laketown

Marine on St. Croix

Lino Lakes

Mendota Heights Sunﬁsh Lake

Woodbury

Afton

Lake St. Croix Beach St. Marys Point

South St. Paul Newport

Eden Prairie Bloomington

35W

169

Chaska

35E Eagan

Inver Grove Heights St. Paul Park

10 Cottage Grove

Denmark

Grey Cloud Island Twp. Jackson Twp.

13 Shakopee

Dahlgren Savage

Jackson

Burnsville Apple Valley

Louisville

Ninninger

Rosemount

Hastings

Prior Lak Coates

169

San Francisco Jordan

Sand Creek Spring Lake

Credit River

52 Lakeville Farmington

Saint Lawrence

Empire

Belle Plaine New Market Cedar Lake

Eureka

Castle Rock

Ravenna Marshan

Vermillion

KEY People per square mile < 2,500 2,501 - 5,000 5,001 - 7,500 KEY 7,501 - 10,000 12,500 Jobs per10,001 square-mile 5 - 8,587 12,501 - 15,000 8,588 - -34,336 15,001 17,500 34,337 - 20,000 77,250 17,501 77,251 - 22,500 137,330 20,001 137,331 > 22,501- 214,576 N 0

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

8 mi

Employment Density

101

65 Hwy 10 & CoRd 14 Downtown Anoka

610

I-694 & Lexington Ave

Hwy 169 & Bass Lake Rd

I-494 & Hwy 55, Plymouth

Hwy 65 & 73rd Avenue

252

I-35E & CoRd E I-35W & CoRd C

494

I-35W & Hwy 10

Hwy 47 & Osborne Road

I-94 & Boone Avenue

694

I-494 & Bass Lake Rd

Northtown Mall Area

Hwy 169 & CoRd 109

I-94 & Hemlock Lane Arbor Lakes

CoRd 81 & Lowry Ave Central Ave NE MN

Douglas Dr & Sandburg Rd Hwy 55 & Hwy 169

7 I-494 & Hwy 62 Hwy 5 & Powers Blvd

UMN

I-394 & Park Place Blvd

Golden Triangle

Hwy 36 & Stillwater Avenue

694

Maplewood Mall Area Hwy 36 & Rice Street

Downtown MN

I-394 & I-494 Ridgedale Center Area

Mid-City Industrial

I-394 & Hwy 169

394

Hazeltine North

35E

35W

CoRd 46 & Buford Ave E Energy Park Dr University Ave

Hwy 280 & Uptown & Midtown University Ave Wedge Grand Ave 100 35W 55 Hwy 100 & Excelsior Blvd Hwy 169 & Hwy 62 & Bren Rd Hiawatha Ave Southdale Center 62 MSP Int’l Airport I-35E & Hwy 55 I-494 & I-35W

Bayport

694 35E

I-94 & McKnight Rd

Downtown St. Paul

West St. Paul

I-94 & Radio Dr

494

I-494 & Valley Creek Rd

S. Robert St & Wentworth Ave

I-494 & Concord St

494

212

Hwy 212 & Mitchell Rd Eden Prairie Center Area

169

13 Valley Industrial

I-494 & Hwy 100 I-35W & 98th St

South Loop, Bloomington

35W

Hwy 13 & Yankee Doodle Rd

35E

Hwy 149 & Yankee Doodle Rd

Old Shakopee Rd & Hampshire Ave 12th & Cliff Rd Burnsville Center

CoRd 82 & Mystic Lake Dr CoRd 42 & Cedar Ave

169

Airlake Industrial

KEY Jobs per square mile 5 - 8,587 8,588 - 34,336 34,337 - 77,250 77,251 - 137,330 137,331 - 214,576 N 0

Existing Conditions

8 mi

Race

101

14 94

35W

35E

610

694

252

494

694 94

694 35E

394

494

100

494 212 169

35W

35E

169

KEY Race and Ethnicity White Alone Black Alone Asian Alone Native American/Hawaiian Alone 2+ Races or Other Hispanic (All Races) N 0

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

8 mi

Concentrated Areas of Poverty

Monticello

Ostego

Ramsey

101

Albertville

Andover

Ham Lake

Columbus

Forest Lake

Scandia

Anoka

Saint Michael Dayton

Rogers

Coon Rapids

Champlin

35E

35W

Blaine

Hugo

May Twp.

Centerville

Hanover

Circle Pines Lexington

610

Rockford

Osseo

Maple Grove

Corcoran

Greenﬁeld

Spring Lake Park Mounds View

Brooklyn Park

694

Medina

Independence Maple Plain

Medicine Lake Long Lake Orono

Minnetrista

Golden Valley Minneapolis

Deephaven

Roseville

Tonka Bay Greenwood Excelsion

100

Hopkins

Shorewood

35W

Lauderdale Falcon Heights

Fort Snelling

494 212

Baytown Twp.

694

Oakdale

35E

Mendota Heights Sunﬁsh Lake

Bayport

Lake Elmo

Landfall

West Lakeland Twp. Lakeland Lake & Shores

494

Edina Richﬁeld

Chanhassen

Victoria

Oak Park Heights

North St. Paul Maplewood

West Lilydale St. Paul

Stillwater

Little Canada

St. Louis Park Minnetonka

Stillwater Twp. Grant

694

St. Paul

Woodland Minnetonka Beach

Columbia Heights

394 Wayzata

Dellwood

Mahtomedi White Bear Birchwood Villate Willernie White Bear Lake

Vadnais Heights

Hilltop

Crystal New Hope Robbinsdale

494 Plymouth

Spring Mound Park

Arden Hills New Brighton Shoreview

Brooklyn Center

White Bear Twp. North Oaks

Fridley

252

Loretto

Laketown

Marine on St. Croix

Lino Lakes

Woodbury

Afton

Lake St. Croix Beach St. Marys Point

South St. Paul Newport

Eden Prairie Bloomington

35W

169

Chaska

35E Eagan

Inver Grove Heights St. Paul Park

10 Cottage Grove

Denmark

Grey Cloud Island Twp. Jackson Twp.

13 Shakopee

Dahlgren Savage

Jackson

Burnsville Apple Valley

Louisville

Ninninger

Rosemount

Hastings

Prior Lak Coates

169

San Francisco Jordan

Sand Creek Spring Lake

Credit River

52 Lakeville Farmington

Saint Lawrence

Empire

Ravenna Marshan

Vermillion

Belle Plaine New Market Cedar Lake

Eureka

Castle Rock

KEY People per square mile under 185% of poverty threshold 1,000 - 2,500 2,501 - 5,000 5,001 - 10,000 > 10,001 N 0

Existing Conditions

8 mi

Existing Transit Network

Express

While it is easy to break down the transit network by mode, it is more useful to see the network as three interconnected systems.

The Express Network is tailored to long-distance commuters. It generally operates during peak hours in peak directions only. Morning service originates at suburban park-and-rides or in suburban neighborhoods, then uses freeways to make fast trips to job centers. The afternoon trips do the reverse. Some routes have as little as 2 trips in the morning and 2 trips in the afternoon; others may be as frequent as every 10 minutes at peak. Some routes offer mid-day service at lower frequencies and non-peak direction service.

Core Local

The Core Local Network is designed to serve all kinds of trips – home to work, home to school, shopping, errands, and leisure trips – 7 days a week. It operates in both directions from early morning to late evening. Stops are spaced fairly closely – every few blocks to every ¼-mile. Service typically operates every 15 minutes during peak hours and every 15 to 30 minutes at other times. Generally, service that operates every 15 minutes or better allows people to ride without worrying about schedules or advance planning; less frequent service requires more planning. The Core Local Network in the East Metro includes a rail line (the Green Line), an arterial BRT service (the A Line), three local bus routes that are designated part of the High Frequency Service Network, and another nine local bus routes. Much of this service is within the city of Saint Paul, but several routes extend into northern Ramsey County, Washington County, and Dakota County. The Core Local Network provides transit that is useful enough that it can be a desirable alternative to driving for all daily trips for some people. Coverage Local

The Coverage Local Network extends the Core Network into areas that have lower transit demand. Due to limited resources, this service generally operates only hourly for much of the day. Service at rare intervals is critically important to many, but unlikely to attract substantial numbers of people.1 The Coverage Local Network consists entirely of bus routes. Some fill in areas between Core Local routes while others extend further into low-density suburban areas.

This class of routes raises the debate over ‘choice’ and ‘dependent’ riders, a debate that is beyond the scope of this report to engage in. Suffice it to say that the majority of “dependent” riders use Core Local services and benefit from its availability and frequency. Furthermore, everyone has choices – if service is bad enough someone who can’t afford a car may find a different job, carpool with a coworker, or take on a risky subprime car loan. All transit riders benefit from better service, and none should be taken for granted. The better the service, the more likely that people will choose transit, and choose not to spend the money to drive and add to regional congestion. The positive ripple effects of such choices include greater personal and regional wealth, less regional congestion and road costs, greater regional labor mobility, and greater regional labor availability. 1

Express service can be provided by buses, by commuter rail (like Northstar in Minneapolis), by BRT, or by light rail. All of the express routes in the East Metro are buses. Most of the express routes in the East Metro go to or from downtown Saint Paul. A few travel to downtown Minneapolis. Only a handful serve the other employment centers in the East Metro. System Connectivity All three networks should work together. Many coverage riders will make part of their trips on the Core Network. Express riders, too, benefit from connectivity. The local network links the express routes to more jobs on the inner end of the routes. Local routes can also serve as feeders to the express system. Overall, the majority of riders will make a connection from one route to another on their trip2. The transit network in the East Metro is strongly radial. Nearly every route, be it local bus, express bus, or light rail, runs to and from downtown Saint Paul. The downtown area, in particular the 5th, 6th, and Cedar/Wabasha corridors, is not only a major transit destination but a major transfer point. There are other transfer points outside of downtown Saint Paul. Some are transit centers, like Maplewood Mall and Sun Ray. Others are simply intersections, like University and Snelling, where the Green Line meets the A Line, bus line 16, bus line 21, and bus line 84.

https://www.metrotransit.org/Data/Sites/1/media/blog/metro-transitrider-survey-2014---final.pdf, p. 96 2

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

35W 35E

610

252 65

High Frequency Service Network

694

Network Analysis 494

Strengths The Twin Cities generally have a strong and successful transit system. Total transit ridership exceeds that of some significantly larger metropolitan areas. The Green and Blue light rail lines55 carry 3,200 riders per day per mile, 50% more than Portland and394 twice that of Salt Lake City or Charlotte. The A Line is nationally regarded as a model for improving bus service on arterials.

19 5

694

35W

2 100

For “growing ridership, expanding access, advances in sustainability and overall success in system safety,” Metro Transit 7 was selected as the American Public Transit Association 2016 System of the Year.

18 5 11

35E

35W 62

Specifically, to the subject of this work, Metro Transit both regularly examines regional needs and its network, and reorients 212 routes especially to serve new investments such as the Green Line and the A Line.

494

515 494

52 55

35E

Weaknesses

However, there are reasons to be concerned. Overall system ridership is 169 a strong economy. New services, down 3% from 2017 to 2018 despite like rail and the A Line, continue to perform well – both increased ridership in this period – but the existing bus network has lost riders each of the last 4 years. The success of the A Line shows that the fundamental issues with transit in the Twin Cities are not based on mode. Buses and rail alike can perform well and attract new riders. The key is providing high quality service – transit that is frequent, fast, reliable, comfortable, and easy to understand, where people need it. Overlaying transit service onto East Metro population and employment makes several things readily apparent: The High Frequency network does not serve all the areas of high population density. Currently, the only routes on the designated High Frequency Service Network are the 64 to northeast Saint Paul, the 54 along West 7th, the Green Line along University, and the A Line on Snelling Avenue and Ford Parkway. Route 62 along Rice Street also has service roughly every 15 minutes all day but is not designated as part of the High Frequent network. Similarly, dense areas along 3rd Street East, northeast and southeast of downtown Saint Paul, in West St. Paul, and in South St. Paul do not have frequent service. In general, the East Metro has fewer frequent routes than similarly dense parts of Minneapolis. The Metro Transit Service Improvement Plan (SIP), approved in April 2015, addresses this issue by proposing additional service on several existing bus routes. The High Frequency Service Network proposed in the SIP aligns fairly well with population density. 14

Network Analysis

77 The High Frequency network does not serve all the areas 55 of 35W high employment density.

169

Downtown Saint Paul is connected very well with bus and rail. However, other employment areas are not. Currently, the only areas of dense employment outside of downtown that have frequent service are those along the Green Line and the A Line. Thus, people working in the East Metro outside downtown Saint Paul are unlikely to find good transit options. The SIP proposes to significantly improve the High Frequency 35W network and adds frequent service to several of these employment 52 centers. However, others are not addressed. These include suburban employment areas like Mendota Heights but also urban ones like the Grand Avenue corridor in Saint Paul. The Express Network does not serve employment outside downtown. The Express Network is focused on downtown Minneapolis and downtown Saint Paul. Other employment centers do not get the same connections. For example, routes 351, 353, 355, and 375 from the Woodbury and Lake Elmo pass within a few hundred feet of the 3M headquarters on their way to Saint Paul, but do not stop. Getting to 3M from either of these suburbs would require taking the bus all the way to Saint Paul, then catching a local bus to 3M, a detour of more than 45 minutes. The radial network structure forces nearly all riders to connect in downtown Saint Paul. Nearly every bus route in the East Metro runs into downtown Saint Paul. There are few cross-town routes, and the ones that do exist are often infrequent. At some times of day, the fastest transit route between Little Canada and Maplewood Transit Centers, a 15-minute drive, takes 1 hour and 20 minutes via downtown; the direct bus, the 223, runs only every 90 minutes and not after 6:00 p.m. or on weekdays.

Local Bus Route

Page 1 of 2

Effecti

Route 64 Metro Transit Map Maplewood Mall

223

272

Beebe

Washington

White Bear

Centerville

Manning

Birch

res t

Elm c

Portland Ave

Eagle St

Stewart Ave

ed Mahtom

Bellaire McKnight Rd

Hwy 120 Helen

Hwy 120

Margaret

Ave

Helen

1st St

Division St

Margaret Ferndale

r wat e Ed

Hazel

Hadley Ave

White Bear

Beebe

Ruth

Furne

White Bear Ave

Geneva

Southlawn Dr

way Gre

Howard

Hadley Ave

Rd ate r Sti llw

Hazel

Ruth St

McKnight Rd

s Nokomi

Century Ave

Hazelwood St

White Bear Ave

English St

erity Pro sp Atlantic

White Bear Ave

Pedersen

Ruth St

Arcade St

80th St

78th St

71 71

80th St

Woodlane

Sterling St

Woodlane

Century

4th

361

365

Broadway

9th 364

Harkness

Blvd

65th

Oakridg

15 3rd

Dawn Ave

75th St

Portland

Cahil

Blaine

80th

Boyd

l Av

75th

Clayton Ave

70th St

7th Ave

4th Ave Dawn Way

2nd

67th

70th

Newport wpo

4th St

Concord

Carmen Ave

Cahill Ave

Babcock

70th

Hastings

12th Ave

15th Ave 20th

Oakdale

Livingston

Robert St

4th Ave

5th Ave

Blaine Ave

5th Ave

Glen

South St Paul Airport

Inver Grove Heights

enta

Century Ave

Livingston

Oakdale

Allen Bellows

Charlton St

Alta

Ames Crossing

n e O ak

McKnight Rd

Arcade St

Edgerton St Edgerton St Edgerton St Payne Ave

Burr Robert St Stat e Ada An ita

Stryker Ave

Charlton St

Robert St

Ohio

Smith Ave Smith Ave Delaware

Dodd Rd

Earl

L’Orient St

ol/ R pit Ca

Westminster Arkwright

Jackson St

Rice St Rice St

d Rd Dod Visitation Dr

County Line

lle Ce nt er vi

Edgerton St Centerville

McMenemy Westminster

Jackson St

kw e lo ck P

Western Ave

W es te rn Marion St

d Blv land

Ire Jo hn Rd ard Sh

RIV ER

St 7th W w Pk

Rd Dodd

Lo Lexington

White Bear Ave

Rice St Rice St Rice St

Dale St

D ale

Dale St

Oakland Ave

Hamline Ave

Lexington Pkwy

Victoria St

Lexington Pkwy

o ria i ct

Lexington

Lake

Pilot Knob Rd

Pilot Knob

Century Ave

Blvd

Lake Kent

so Blv

Vic

xin Le

am H

ria

on gt

e lin

Sn ell in g

Snelling Ave

Davern

Sibley M e m orial Hwy

Coachman

Donald

W eir

Otter View

Centerville

Whit e Bear P k

Bald Eagle Ave

La ke san t Ple a

Otter Lake

Ware

Hodgson Rd Hodgson Rd

Snail Victoria St dW

Victoria St

Hamline Ave

Lexington Pkwy

Snelling Ave

Western Ave

Pascal St

Lexington Ave

Hamline Ave

Dale St

Snelling Ave

Owas

Sn Pascal St

Lincoln Dr

Fairview Ave Fairview Ave

Fa Fairview Ave irv ie w Fairview

on nn

Delaware

Snelling Ave

Cleveland Ave

Hwy orial Mem Sibley

ee nk Ya

Main

h ith

Lake

Pro spe rity

20th

English

Pr os pe rit y Rondeau

Hazelwood

Clarence

4th

Arcade Lake

2nd Ave

Victoria

Lexington

Ave ng elli

Victoria St

Lake J

New Brighton Rd Cleveland Ave

Cleveland Ave Transfer Rd

alia Vand Cretin Ave Cretin Ave

Kenneth

Finn St

M ed ic al Ce nt er Cleveland

Fo rt Sn ell in g ing

Blo

A Te irp rm or in t al 1

d Blv l

an ic

34th Ave

Blo

Victoria St

8th Ave

lvd nB to gh Bri w Ne Eustis

Ave

ay m on d

Berry W es tg at e R

Ra ym on d

tis Eus

46th Ave

West River P k wy

Woodlawn Ave

46th Ave 42nd

A Te irp rm or in t al 2 24th Ave

Av e 24th

28 th 30th 28th

Lexington Ave

Hamline Ave

Old

Long Lake

36th Ave

42nd Ave

46 th 34th Ave

50 th /M in ne ha ha

28th Ave

34th Ave

o ko mi 21st Ave

Burr Lexington Ave Lexington Ave

Naples St New

S Vil tad la iu ge m

27 th

Ave P Pa ros rk pe ct

Huron

La ke /M 27th Ave id to w n 26th 27th

38 th

23rd Ave

Longfellow Ave

Longfellow

Sunset Ave

Naples St

Xylite

Quincy St

Long Lake

Silver Lake Rd Silver Lake Rd

r dle an Ch

Silver Lake Rd

Blv

hton

Brig

th 10

Ea st Ba nk Oak St

W Ba es nk t

Fr an kli n

y 12th Ave

O Sh ld ak op ee

ld Cedar

Ave

Portland Ave

t Ave

Gortner Ave

rvo

Stinson Blvd 15th Ave

Monroe St

Cedar Ave

Bloomington Ave

12th Ave

Portland Ave

Lyndale Ave

Nicollet Ave

12th Ave

Garfield Ave

Lyndale Ave

Walsh

Sunset Ave

Payne

n so dis

Silver Lake Rd

Central Ave

orn Matt e rh

Heights

Arthur

Johnson St

Stinson Blvd

Central Ave

7th

Chicago Ave

Portland Ave

Stevens

28th Ave

Nicollet Ave

Grand Ave

Lyndale Ave

Bryant Ave

Lyndale Ave

y1 21 Hw

Central Ave

Washington NE

cag o

Ce da r-R iv er sid e

Chi

Park Park Ave Chicago Ave

Grand Ave

Portland Ave

4th Ave

2nd Ave

Stevens Ave

Dupont Ave Bryant Ave

Lyndale Ave

Hennepin Ave

D r

Long Lake

Spring Lake

Able St

Frontage Rd

Central Ave

Main St

University Ave

2nd St

University Ave

Nic olle Mar t M q all 2n uett 4th d e 5t A 3rd AAve Po h Ave ve rtla ve nd Pa Ave rk

Blaisdell

5th Ave

3rd Ave

epin

Nicollet

Ave Penn Ave

Su nri se Penn Ave

Knox Ave

Penn Ave

Knox Ave

York Edinborough Way

Cedar Ave

Rd e

Henn

Stevens

Penn Ave

ak rL Ce

da Upton

Ave Oliver ridan Ave Sh e

a n Ave e ri d Sh

rB rid

2 1/2

East Rive r Rd

all

Marsh

Grand St

Marshall Lyndale

Washington

Penn Ave

Fremont Ave

Knox Ave

Xerxes Ave

Irving

lvd Chowen Ave

Xerxes Ave

Drew

Xerxes

Barrie

Wooddale

France Ave France France

Johnson

Stanley

Norman Center Dr

Eagandale

Polk St

Jefferson St Monroe St

University Ave

Dupont Ave

Bryant Ave

Penn Ave

Lyndale Ave

Victory Memorial Pkwy

York Ave

Ewing

France Ave Be

Ex ce ls

n e B l vd

lt l i

Cahill Rd

Metro

E Bush Lk

Co Rd 28

Fremont Ave Emerson Ave

France

Noble Ave

Washburn Ave Vincent Ave Thomas Ave

Regent Ave

ia Normandale

Concord

Tracy

East B ush Lak e

Normandale LK Blvd

L k Rd Bu sh

15th

y dle

France Ave

Antrim

ar Braem

Golden Triangle

Lexington Ave

Ulysses St

Lexington Ave

Jefferson

University Ave

Fr id le y

Humboldt

Ear

ek P kwy

Shin gle

Xerxes Ave

rxes

Logan Ave

Humboldt

Halifax Ave

France Ave

Orchard

Douglas Dr

Colorado

Dakota

Blake Rd

Opportunity

Tingdale Ave Frontage Rd

11th Ave

Bryant

Lake

Glen

361

Xerxes Ave

Tyler

Blake

5th

11th

France Ave

Van Bur en Ave

12th Ave

Xen

Boone Ave

Wisconsin

Winnetka Ave

Louisiana Ave

Hedberg Dr

Hopkins Crossroad 17th

Monroe

Foley Blvd

Olive

Central Ave

Noble Pkw y

Noble Ave

Xerxes Ave

Yates Ave

Zane Ave

Regent Ave

W Broadway Ave

Zane Ave

Idaho Hampshire

Louisiana Ave

Boone Ave

Hillsboro Ave

Winnetka Ave

Revere

Pilg r i m

Kilmer Ln

Shelar

fie ld Fa ir

17th

Shady Oak

Preserve Blvd

Mississippi Blvd

Foley

Springbrook

Hampshire

Zane Douglas

Broadway

Can dle

Jolly Ln

Boone Ave

Winnetka Ave

n Ln

Nathan Ln

Larch Ln

Frontage Rd

Nathan Ln

Trento

Nathan

Mendelssohn Ave

Radisson

Hanson Blvd

Douglas

Noble

Wyomi ng

Xylon Ave

Monticello

Valley Forge

Northland Dr

Main St Pineview Ln Northwest Blvd

Blvd

Pineview Plymouth Rd

Baker Baker Baker Rd

Lake Dr

sstown B Cro

Coon

Crooked Lake Blvd

Xeon St

Round Lake Blvd

River Rapids

C Riv oo er n R da ap le id s/

Round Lake Blvd

4th Ave

5th Ave

Business Park Blvd

Winnetka

Revere

Central

Hemlock Ln

Zachary

Cheshire

Annapoils

Fernbrook Ln

Xenium Ln

Campus

Xenium Ln 3

Rd Co

Williston Rd

Rd 4 Co

Mitchell Rd

Jefferson

Riverdale Dr

A no ka

9th Ln

Ferry

2nd 3rd Ave

1st

Cartway Rd

Zachary

Forestview

Zachary

Pineview

Elm Creek Annapolis Ln

Niagara

Fernbrook

Niagara Ca rlso n Carlson

Williston Rd

Tonkawood

Highland

Woodland

Pra irie en

Wal la

fto

364

Upper 55th

Amana Yankee Do o dle

436

rA pe

17th St

65t h

ary

21st

3rd

Eden Prairie Rd

Round Lake Blvd

7th Ave

Thu rst

k iro a

Valley Forge Ln

Vinewood Ln Fernbrook Ln Ranchview

West Fish Lake Rd

Vicksburg Ln Vicksburg

Ranchview

Vicksburg

Zachary Ln

Holly

Dunkirk

Lawndale Ln

Dunkirk

Lawndale Ln

Dunkirk

sha

ve dA

llw

Central

Ave

Scenic Heights

est W

Yankee Doodle

LA LAKE ilit

MISSIS SIPPI RIVER

445

k Rd

Town Centre Dr

Red Roc

489

446

way

446 484

445 5

489 436

489

Ave

Conco

Ave

484 437

our

Arm

445

35E

Sky

xchang

South So ou St Paul S

494

Lone Oak

494

365

Ave

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

489

350

361 364

Southview Blvd

Ave

E Concord

68 Marie Ave

Gra

dm Har

55th

RIV ER

cord

Con

Uppe

3rd St

50th St

SUNFISH LAKE

Ecolab

Dood

Lone Oak

Steepleview

Carver Ave

SI P

484

Highwood Ave

SIS

B lv

x Dr ne

Lone Oak

70 Ramsey Co Correctional Facility

CARVER LAKE

FORT SNELLING STATE PARK

436

351 353 355

M IS

thview Sou

50th

Babcock Tr

436

Corpora t

GUN CLUB LAKE

BATTLE CREEK LAKE

Mendota Rd

54th

NW Pkwy

Lower A fto nR d Londin Ln 350

Wentworth Ave

436

NATIONAL WILDLIFE REF INT CENTER

LONG MEADOW LAKE

rth

rie Ma

KENSINGTON KE K EN GTON PARK

tian

Gen

351 353 355 375

452

446

Blue

Landfall Hudson

Thompson Ave 68

ts Rd igh Mendota He

3M Hq

AFTON ON HEIGHTS G TS PARK Upper Afton Rd

350

PIGS EYE LAKE

Butler Ave

110

417

415

Northland Dr Sanford-Brown College

n Co

Orme St

10th St 294

TANNERS LAKE

219

Linwood Ave

452

Hudson Rd

n 70

Carmel 62

Minnehaha Ave

350

Afto

BATTLE TTLE L CREEKINDIAN M MOUNDS PARK K

Mendota Men Mendot Heights Heig ghts

Lafayet

494

Lake

nson P kwy Joh

Chester

Le Cordon Bleu ts Mendota Heigh

per

West St Paul

12th St Ge ntr y

7th St

Suburban Ave

Burns Ave

Oakdale City Hall 15th St

219

294 Conway Ave

452

South Plaza Dr 75 Parkview Plaza

Ave ar

Otter

lvd

h eel Tr

nd ou

Wagon W

LEMAY LAKE

436 446

Letendre 470

OXBORO LAKE

446

Many buses today follow the same paths as the 1947 streetcars. Sheridan

GUN CLUB LAKE

444

Ced

94th St

d Dod

554

35W 94th St 535

ch Bir

FO FORT ORT SNELLING SN ST STATE PA PARK

90th St

Bloom mington gton n

495

552 18

535

90th

AUGUSTA LAKE

294

er Rd

wat

Still

Sun Ray Transit Center

St Paul Downtown Airport

Annapolis St

361 365 364

er Warn

LITTLE PIG'S EYE LAKE

Thompson Ave

Marie 75

Marie

417

Pacific

er Bl

wat

Still

Ivy 74

Minnehaha Ave 74

80 Wilson Hudson

Cesa (Conr Chav cord ez )

Butler Ave 68 Signal Hills Center Moreland

Wentworth

Mendota

Cong ress

Winifred St

George St

35E

Historic Fort Snelling

Blvd

Plato

86th St

CRO CROSBY FARM REGIONALL PARK

Bayfield

nt Arge

417

538

515 82nd

538 539

asha

Lindau

Killebrew

Sibley Plaza Norfolk

ore

Fillm

Lilydale L lydale e

86th St

440

Mall of America Transit Station

3rd St

Maryland Ave

BEAVER LAKE

ater Ave Stillw 74

Oakdale l

Rose

gg St t Kello 5thh S 63 350 4t

(see other side)

United Hospital

CROSBY LAKE

S 3rd

d Blv

5 Benet Rd

Larpenteur Ave

E 7th St

Hillcrest Center

Minnehaha Ave

th E7 74

th St 11 Downtown t th th hS 12 St 10Paul7t 6th St

ith

Arlington Ave

Maryland Ave

417

Case

694 40th St

219

Holloway Ave

Larpenteur Ave

PHALEN

Wheelo ck LAKE P wy

ort

WAKEFIELD

47th St

219

e Av

7th

50th St

12th Ave

Larpenteur Ave

Montreal Hi-Rise

ve She dA

Wab

542 553

82nd St Cub Foods

262

way ad Bro all uta W aco W n t so ck ert S b Ro

77th St

540

7th

ckw

110

515 American Blvd

W Ro 46

SNELLING LAKE

ort

Acker 68 Pennsylvania Ave

Ave

IP SI S S MIS

64 74

Randolph Ave

HIGHLAND IG D PARK K 84

St Paul Ave

Cayuga St

Sycamore

PICKEREL LAKE

440

Airp

35E

Highland Pkwy

Sheridan

440

Fort Snelling National Cemetery

515

Selby Ave 21

446

Summit Ave Grand Ave

Jefferson

Montreal

134

94 Marshall Ave Selby Ave

Thomas Ave 67

Highland Village 84

Concordia University

71 rd

ine

Front Ave

University

PENN LAKE

Ave

en eC

86th

ROUND LAKE

Bra

Front Ave

Ford Pkwy

71 68

n so t St Jack ober MN ar R Ced ter Pe St

76th St

Randolph Ave

Ave

440 VA Medical Center

Minneapolis - St Paul International

77th St

540 4

542

56th St

515

St Catherine University

Ford Pkwy

Richfield c ed

Pleasant La

son

46th St

Park Dr

Macalester College

Paul

539

Richfield High School

134

MINN M NNE NNEHAHA NEHAHA A

58th St 22

21 Dayton Ave

Arlington

Frost Ave

Par

17th Ave

11th Ave

Co Rd B

LONG LAKE 270 Beam Ave

KELLER LAKE

Roselawn Ave 71

Maryland Ave

Co Rd C

Century College East

Lydia Ave

Maplewood Mall Healtheast St John’s Hospital

Maplewood ap ew o

272

270

Co Rd B

35E

Whe

Minnehaha Ave

Summit Ave Grand Ave

Arlington

272

P P

Skillman Ave 71

Larpenteur Ave

LAKE COMO

21 Midway Shopping Center

Marshall Ave

63 University of St Thomas

262

rg y

Roselawn Ave

LAKE MCCARRON

Pierce B utler u Ro te Hewitt Ave Hamline University

University

270 272

270

KOHLMAN LAKE

GERVAIS LAKE

263

223 Beam Ave

Little L tle Canada C P

Maplewood Mall Transit Center

Hwy 244 Wildwood

Century College West

LAKEWOOD HILLS P PAR PARK

694 270

265

272

WILLOW

223

Co Rd E

219 265

223

Demont Ave

Larpenteur Ave

P PARK

539

Southtown 81st St Center 82nd St

Target

84th St

ore

Ave

270

263

Roselawn Ave

Edgcumbe Rd

Ave

57th St 22

Hodg

ha wat

ity

Veterans’ Home 23

54th St 515

270 Cedar Ave

Co Rd E

Labore Rd

223

Co Rd B

mo Ave Co

vers

446 436

Roseville High School

Co Rd F

Co Rd D

Little Can 71 ada Rd

Blvd

275

Co Rd B2

WHITE BEAR LAKE South Shore

Little Canada Transit Center

Co Rd C

Commerce St

En e

Uni

9 A

Transitwa y Ene rgy Park Dr

42nd St

d Rd

White Be

GOOSE LAKE

Blv

LAKE LA AKE OWA OWASSO ASSO O CO PARK C

84 83 MO Midway Pkwy COMO

St Clair Ave

Hia

558

MN School of Business 558 542

American Blvd

e Av

ais

LAKE OWASSO

38th St

111 515

558

WOOD LAKE

76th

66th St

515

y 10 Hw

m Co

Ave

MARSH LAKE M PARK

ria

Co Rd B2

Commonwealth Ave State Fair Grounds

34th St

haha

Franklin Ave

21 53

ne Min

Ave

94th 589

ito

60th St

VETERANS N NS MEMORIA MEMORIAL OR PARK

65th

35W

Best Buy HQ

538

90th

57th St

552

515

558

Edinborough 694 Park 538

537 694

ha neha

578

542

Min

538

HIAWATHA LAKE

LAKE NOKOMIS

56th St

111

66th St 558

69th St Cub Foods 70th St

537

DIAMOND LAKE

Lake St

Terr

lwoo

265

Owasso Blvd N

VA VALLEY V A PARK ARK

Super Target

Har Mar Mall

Buford Ave

272

Tra n sit w a y

Dellwoo wo oo Del

5th St

Gem Lake ake

Koehler Rd

VADNAIS LAKE

Ro oseville eville

Hoyt

Carter Ave 3

Av e

Minnehaha Pkwy

54th St

558

65th

111

113

156

6 355

Huron Station

28th St

52nd St

Health Partners

3 TCF Stadium

Roosevelt/ Wellstone High School

133

U of M St Paul Campus

GRASS LAKE

694

Roseville City Hall

Current System Map

Elm St

ose

Market Pl Dr

RICE LAKE

Woodhill Dr

Fa alcon n He He eightts

Larpenteur Ave

35th St

Lauderdale a

515

CENTENNIAL 4 76th St LAKES 540 76th St

82nd 588 589 84th 542

Washburn 18 School

hony Blvd Ant St

HYLAND LAKE PARK RESERVE

7th

gto

589

hin

P 690

La k ush

Technical College

tB es W

BUSH LAKE

STARING LAKE Hennepin

1st

86th

as W

ANDERSON LAKE

542 694

156

Parklawn Ave 6

48th St Ramsey School

Rollins

42nd St

46th

48th 49th

Como Ave

111

280

25th St

South High School

38th St

I-35W & 46th St Station

272

28th St

35W

40th

White Bear Be Lak Lake

Co Rd 96

265

CLOVERDALE LAKE MC

4th St

BIRCH LAKE

Vadnais Heights hts

262

Co Rd C2

227

Rosedale Mall 87

Roselawn Ave

UPS Spring St

9th St

SNAIL NAIL LAKE REGIONAL R EGIONAL PARK

227

Co Rd D 261

Rosedale Transit Center

223 227

225

801

Terminal Rd

Broadway St 25

LAKE JOSEPHINE

Lydia Ave

Iona Ln Twin Lakes Pkwy Co Rd C 264 264

P Co Rd C

Deluxe Corp Hq Co Rd E

Arbogast St

35W Co Rd D

E Hennepin

113 114 115

42nd St

47th

54th St 558 Diamo Lake Rdnd

111

35E Lk Blvd N

Co Rd 96

Harriet Ave 225

LAKE JOHANNA

801

825

Co Rd F

ISLAND LAKE

Cub Foods

Plat

Connecting Routes See those route schedules for details.

TAMARACK LAKE

Gramsie Rd Medtronic

Super Target

nna Blv d oha

141 Foss

Augsburg College 67

133

35W

554

77th St

589 84th

NORMANDALE/ NORDMYR LAKE 589

56th St

515

Minnesota Dr 587

542

690

kw y

540

78th

38th St

45th Ave

29th

Deluxe

VALENTINE LAKE O ld

Honeywell

695 ngton Washi University 690 129 Riv ersi of Minnesota 684 de Fairview Hospital 94

Co Rd F Land O’ Lakes

Arden Hills A H lls Hill Hil Co Rd E2

rra

Chicago Lake Transit Center

46th

Abbott Northwestern Hospital

18 44th

135

54th St

Ave

28th 27 7

146

60th St

10th

LONG LAKE

Inset-St P

Route Letter BALD EAGLE Indicates which trips travel on this section LAKE of the route. Letter is found in schedules and on bus destination signs.

SNAIL LAKE

8th St

New w Brighton hton

gg Dep RICE LAKE

BALD EA EAGLEA OTTER ER T TAIL RE REGIONAL PARK

Co Rd H2

GILFILLAN LAKE

Shoreview Community Center

225 227

Uni

St ello K

Xcel RiverCentre I Energy IPP SISS Center EGG Science MIS RIVER LAKE Museum

way ad

Bro

Highwood

493

490

Ande rson La ke

EDINA LAKE

540

ANDERSON LAKE

78th St

494

684

Eden Prairie Center en ter Dr

684

Viking Dr

Southdale Transit Center

Gallagher Dr

100

74th St

115

View

578

Dewey Hill Rd

38th

4t Uni h St vers ity 465 6 475 490

26th St

113

LAKE HARRIET

46th St

46 47th SW High School

Fairview Southdale Hospital

Southdale Center 70th St

70th St

BRAEMAR PARK

135

Ave Avepin 1stenne 141 825 H 8th St SE 4 2

6t 7t h St 8th h St St

27th

29th St

18 35th

ton

31st St

36th St

587

CORNELIA LAKE

169

76th

ve ale A

684

w Valley Vie

ve yA

Va lle y

578

Ed Edina

26th St 11

Lake St 53

39th St

44th St

7th St

East O a

Co Rd B

30 The Quarry

825 59

2n Wasd St hing

113

535

Mpls Institute of Arts

50th St

587

y View lle Va

24th St

113

118

1st

115

Franklin Ave

2 4

fi e

141

Mckusick

80th

mit Dr

lyn Brookd Blv

578

zie

118

18th Ave

Aveal 3rdentr C

16th St 114

Uptown Transit Station

Minn neapolis

54th St

BREDESEN EN PARK

Lagoon

141

3r18 4thd St St

Benton Ave

ger

Olin

114

North o th Oaks

St t S

6 th 5 Stillw

Route Ending Point Trips with the indicated number/letter endFISH at this point. Number/letter is found in LAKE schedules and on bus destination signs.

LAKE

Broadway St 17

e Av ve e nd A Av 2 1st

114 94

6 17

141

22nd Ave

11 N 8th 2n d

3rd

LAKE CALHOUN

LONG LAKE

33rd Ave 25

(see other side) 12

Douglas Ave

114

ntin Que

212

Lake

825

4 37th Ave

22B OTTER

East Oak

261

man

ONEKA LAKE

Limited Service Only certain trips take this route.

High Frequency Service Service everyPLEASANT 15 minutes on weekdays LAKE 6 am – 7 pm and on Saturdays 9 am – 6 pm.

Tanglewood Dr

St Anthony t

Downtown 5th Minneapolis

Franklin Ave

146

27th Ave

LAKE OF THE ISLES

MARSDEN LAKE

Ave

TURTLE LAKE

860

Silver Lake 40th Village

Lowry Ave

755

146

66th St

Pionee

587

Vern

Bren

ing Fly oud Cl

ri e 690 690

CEDAR LAKE

Eden

146

Yellow Circle

Dunwoody College

50th

Ave

gra

SILVER LAKE

39th

AMELIA LAKE

METRO Line and Stations METRO trains or buses will pick up or drop off customers at any station along this route.

Pro

i r way

Columbia Heights Transit Center

118

824

114

od d

44th

40th Ave 11

35th

W Broadway Ave

North Community High School 7

Rich

Park Nicollet Medical Center

587 46 146

o ln

695

690

Eden

Methodist Hospital 664

Excelsior Blvd

169

69th

Southwest Transit Station

690

37th Ave

27th 11

Bethlehem Baptist Church

Co Rd H

Innsbruck 25

Lowry Ave

Laurel

250

H Hugo

French

275

Regular Route Bus will pick up or drop off customers at WILKINSON LAKE Sherwood any bus stop along this route

Turtle Lake

Co Rd H2 Woodale Dr

35E

Main Meadow

Timepoint on schedule Ashand Find the timepoint nearest your stop, use that column of the schedule. Your stop Co Rd J may be between timepoints.

262

TURT TLE LAKE CO O PARK Co Rd I

Smith Ave Ramp

62nd

Shoreview

801

29th

26th Ave

Rd 17

BASS LAKE

604

615

668

SMETANA LAKE

Technology Dr

RED ROCK LAKE

r Trail

604

Routes used in 1947.

M arti n D r

684 690

ROUND LAKE Rd

eights Rd nic H

ice

Serv

St ke La 668

Interlachen Blvd

Bren

BRYANT LAKE

Prai

Sce

St Anthony

762

761

26th St

36th St 17

394

100

684

MILLER M ILLER PARK

Barry St

100

684

587 588

Lake St 17

Li n c

MITCHELL LAKE

684

649

668 Lake

762

724

7 Plymouth Ave

649

668

649

589

33rd St

45th Ave

33rd Ave Lowry Ave

WIRTH Glenwood Ave LAKE

664

Cre

Dowling Ave

Sh a d y O

Ve n t u re Ln

690 692

16th St

615

664

643 Golden Hills Dr

gle

Glenwood Ave

Co Rd H2

Columbia mb bia H Heights

49th Ave

44th Ave

761 762

Golden Valley Rd 30

Chalet

vd tum Bl

44th Ave

THEODORE WIRTH PARK

755

Red Circle

Valley View

Regency Hospital

670

690

Bro

Min Mills neto Rd nka

LONE E LAK LAKE PARK RK

EDENVALE PARK

690

Duluth St

667

615

664

BRYANT LAKE BR KE PARK PA

SWEENEYTWIN LAKE

Rd ke 663 604 r La 9 Ceda 649 643 649

37th

100

Knollwood Mall 36th St 17

Louisiana Ave Transit Center

Lake

32 Oak

North Memorial Medical Center

758

Wa yza ta Blv 672 d 756

Cedar

DUCK LAKE

801

262

State Capitol

Cedar

250

53rd Ave

Patrick 19 Henry High School 721

42nd Ave

5th

Bren

BIRCH ISLAND LAKE

lley

Cambridge St

RU USTIC HILLS L PARK

e Trai Lak

36th Ave

100

758

705

664

Sh a

EDE ENBROOK NB O CONSE ERVAT TION O AREA A

n Va

St Louis Park

663

Smetana Rd

GLEN LAKE

Co Rd 62

Blvd

COUNTY

K-Tel

494 an wl Ro

PURGATORY RGATO PARK

ka pts

756 Croc ker Dr

RYAN LAKE

CRYSTAL LAKE

olde

Minnetonka Blvd

667

Mainstreet

SHADY OAK LAKE

670

761

Robbinsdale R b n ale

705

Olympia St

755

667

664

r Blvd

39th

Gardena

825

49th Ave

ttine

Honeywell

755

WESTWOOD LAKE

169

643

615

Hopkins

Excelsio

Hutchins Minnetonka Library Co Rd 3

705

Greenbrier Rd 9

Lake

667

MOORE LAKE

PELTIER LAKE

CENTERVILLE LAKE

Birch

Grove

RESHANAU LAKE

Co Rd J

35W

Fridley High School

61st

Ce Centerville v

RICE LAKE

Regions 35E Hospital

University

Circle Ci e Pines n

CANTERBURY PARK

RICE CREEK NORTH REGIONAL TRAIL COR

Rice Creek

694

801

Wells Fargo

Mounds View M

Mississippi St

765 722 768 766 66th Ave

57th Ave

51st Ave

724

Medicine Lake Rd

10th Ave

490 493 670 671 692

670 692

762

36th Ave

32nd Ave

755

General Mills

615

667

Cub Foods

Blv

t h Ave

756

717

Robbinsdale Transit Center

758

Hillview

Fri Fridley

824 854

852

Sum

722

Brooklyn Center Transit Center

LOCKE PARK K

le Brown

801

721

755

671

Shady O

y Dr

TWIN LAKE

687

673

Minnetonka t

Lake St

ay dw oa Br

Rd rd

679

614

COUNTY

t es W

P 614

764 717

YMCA

755

705

667

671

Betty

Cedar Lake Rd

Minnetonka City Hall

Blvd

755

kwy dP 675

vd etonk a Bl Minn

Minnetonka Blvd

CEN NTRAL PARK

rthwa

Crystal ys

763

722

42nd Ave

764

Golden Valley y

169

c G i n ty

in g le C reek Pkwy Brooklyn 761 Center High School 65th

705

Plymo u

615

614

55th Ave

721

716

Winnetka Shopping Center

756

COUNTY

494

755 764

756

742

777 795 774 772 747

Ridgedale Dr

inty

69th Ave

765 73rd Ave 768 766

763

Brooklyn Bro Br ro Center ter 69th Ave

760

1947 Streetcar System Map

Ridgedale Center

McG

GRAY'S BAY

Ave

S unset Tr 771

652

Ridgedale

675

PALMER LAKE E PARK

Oaklan d

Bro

13th

Station 73 Park & Ride

h ire

Carlson 672 Center

Wayzata Blvd

ttine

aso

COUNTY

101

est W

26th Ave

10th Ave

Ridgemount Ave

rl s

777

6th Ave

Sunset

y Pkw

687

772 747

73rd Ave

71st Ave

Bass Lake Rd

758

755

793 790 742

MEDICINE LAKE

771

N New Hope op

169

740

Co Rd 15 ke

r te as nc

wy Pk

741

767

Crystal Airport

53rd Ave 756

GLEASON LAKE

791 40th

e icin ed e g Rid

747

Crystal Center

47th Ave

Me Med edicine Lake

747

63rd Ave

Bass Lake Rd

716

New Hope City Hall

494

9th

763

761

63rd Ave

722

74th Ave

Woodbine Ln

724

716 65th

687

795

doa h an en

Co Rd 6 771 740

PARKERS LAKE

771

716 54th Ave

755 Science Center Dr

795

777

740 741 Industrial Park

771

Co Rd 6

Lake

BALDWIN LAKE

Park View

Medtronic

275

H N

35W

ST PAUL

BALDWIN PARK ARK

85th Ave

250

Ardan

HORSESHOE LAKE

Hillcrest Shopping Center

Route 64 Complex Service Patterns

825

Osborne Rd

766

763 Brookdale Dr

Flowerfield 262

85th

73rd Ave

67th Ave

721

Researc h Ctr Rd

742

32nd Ave

772

741

716

Bass

717

36th Ave

CLIFTON E FRENCH FR REGIONAL P PARK

741

767

793

18th

46th

795

740

21st 19th

790

SCHMIDT LAKE

ine dic Me

741 772

27th 771

771

761

723

73rd Ave

71st Ave

49th Ave

t Lake

791

777

85th

LADDIE Rd 1 LAKE

When systems don’t change, but the cities they serve do, transit becomes less useful. The East Metro is a very different place than it was 70 years ago, and in some cases the transit system has not adapted.

791

w th or

716

764

51st

m id

26th

742 54th

rd d mid t Lake R Sch

HERITAGE H AGE PARK ARK e

716

723

Har b o

28th

55th Ave

791

777

34th

724

705

169

Bass Lake Rd

Ave

824

Brookdale Dr

288

MARSHAN LAKE

35E

Idaho

12 64HP

GEORGE WATCH LAKE

See Downtown St Paul Inset

Lovell Rd

DHNP

St. Paul Downtown Zo

Ride in the Downtown Zone f

Birch

Unity Hospital

763

80th Ave

761

Brooklyn Blvd

77th Ave

Starlite Transit Center

63rd Ave

ina

79th Ave 723

252

85th Ave

763 83rd Ave

760

723

Brooklyn Park

722

694

P MOUTH PLYM CREE C EK PARK

Pl y m 32nd

Med

705

85th Ave

okl

EAGLE/PIKE LAKE

kfor d Rd d Roc Ol

741

723 North Hennepin Community College wood Dr

724

791

Rockford Rd

740

85th Ave

BASS LAKE

790

Ave

Plymouth lymout y h

771

721

69th Ave 767

Blv

h ort

742

776

772

ale

89th Ave

M agd

494

Med

89th

West E a

852

93rd

768

92nd

n Pkwy erse dd Ne

Setzler P kw y

85th Ave

r Rd E a st Rive

73r dA ve

742 Prudential

Co Rd 47

93rd Ave 724

765

89th Ave 25 831 87 th Northtown Mall 85th Ave

825

805

852

Northtown Transit Center

d rR ive

85th

Walmart

Lake gle

790

37th

Anoka Co Human Service Center

610

252 262

95th Ave

59 831

865

Elm

D P

Minnehaha Tedesco

Centennial Sr High School

North Rd

Anoka Co/ Blaine Airport

Most transit networks have evolved slowly, adding routes one at a time and occasionally extending or rerouting existing routes. A 1947 streetcar map bears a startling resemblance to today's transit map. The radial network and specific routes have stayed the same over 70 years. The 72 bus, for example, turns from George Street onto Ohio and then Winifred, rather than taking the direct route down George, likely because that's what the #2 streetcar did long ago. In theory, a bus route would be easy to move; in practice, it’s easier to change as little as possible. d

852

35W

101st

766

95th

Bro

kwy

62nd Pl

ley

Lake

789

EDWARD LAKE

HENN NEPIN CO PARK PRES SERVE

852 C

Blaine

101st

99th Ave

Fish

in g Nott

Fis

Osseo

Elm Creek Blvd/77th Ave

787

782

Hennepin Technical College

Elm

Old Rockford Rd

97th Ave

Rasmussen College

Fountains at Arbor Lakes

s La

Schmid t L k Rd

854

i ve rR d

724 Pkwy O a k Grove

687

610

au ttine Bo Blvd

East

781

Bas

765

805

Maryland Lilac

Holloway

13 Mounds Park Academy

RONDEAU

Lino Lakes

250

105th Ave National Sports Center

toria

rvic

Lad

He 782

Maple Grove Transit Station

Ave th 54 Reserve Transit Station 777 52nd

Coon oon Rapidss

lvd

766

Maple Grove

CEDAR ISLAND LAKE ke

pid

101st

Target North Campus

760

783 787

FISH LAKE

W es tR

687

109th

865

Terri

l Rd

E as

eav W

780

776

IVE

r Rd

788

I PP IR

169

96th

93rd Ave

89th

788

BOUND BOUNDARY OUNDAR CREEK EK PAR PARK

109th Ave

h Av

105t

Routes have not evolved efficiently along with cities. Co Rd 30

77th Ave

OXBOW CREEK EEK PA PARK

109th Ave

831

Cottage

Johnson High School

LOCHNESS OCHNESS PARK

Park of the Four Seasons

Egre

Main

Geranium 6

Egret

766

109th Ave

Blaine a

vd Bl

93rd Ave

850

West Rive

852

850

805

ds pi Ra

788

101

766

111th

117th

854

113th

ort N

ANDREWS DREWS P PARK

831

117th

190th

a ot es ar inn Ced

113th Ave

115t

Ro bin so n

Anoka Ramsey Community College

117th Ave

r La

Blv

Russell

Wea ve

865

kw y

275

NORTH PAUL

Co Rd 14

ul P

118th

Nor

thda

h 7t

Larpenteur

125th Ave

219

e Av

854

Northdale Blvd

860

ids

Riv

805

Rap

d er R

99th Ave N

Co Rd 101

MUD LAKE

Ave

VER KE

860

119th Ave

121st Ave

North High School

Rice

W est

850

To Forest Lake and N Columbus ST

PIO PIONEER PARK

125th Ave

iv East R

781

Main St

Mercy Hospital

101st Ave

RICE LAKE

776

iver

Main St

124th 123rd

SI Rd MivIS er

787

k ee Cr

Riverdale Blvd

12th Ave

11th Ave

HealthPartners

Pine

131st Ave

782

89th Ave

Eas

Bou

ELM CREEK PARK

toria

Gro

94th

776

Hayden Lake Rd

Champlin ham hamplin

787

le ap M 785

95th

740

Main St Monroe St

Nathan

Terri

COUNTY

ina

Rd Lake

ch Fren

ary Creek nd

105th N

BUNKER HILLS REGIONAL PA PARK

CROOKED LAKE

North da le

Madison

805

766

GOOSE LAKE

Riverdale Crossing North St

ak Bass L e Rd 788

Pleasant

Wes

orial

ley Fo

Lake French

Territ

k Cree

Elm

LEMANS LAKE

POWERS LAKE

BUNKER LAKE

D N

Bunker Lake

To Ham Lake and East Bethel

Bunker Lake Blvd

Beam

Many Metro Transit bus routes feature a large number of branches and different service patterns. The 64, for example, is actually four different routes – 64H, 64D, 64P, and 64N. The D and N end at Maplewood Mall, while the H and P end at Hillcrest Shopping Center. The D and P turn off of Maryland on Hazelwood, while the H and N continue to White Bear. On one segment of White Bear the N goes south to get to downtown while the H goes north. On top of that, two morning trips and two afternoon trips serve Johnson High School, creating another service pattern that is not given a letter.

HAYDEN LAKE

121st Ave

Bunker Lake Blvd

7th Ave

Sunfi

Lawndale Ln

Zanzibar Ln

Pineview Ln

French Lake

ELM LM CREEK PARK

Anoka oka

Grant St 805

116

vd Bl

129th Ave

117th Ave

783

133rd Ave

Dayto on

125th Ave

WEAVER LAKE

ain

Harrison St

CENTRAL NTRAL P PARK

S Diamond Lake Rd

: 8/20/16

ENCH AKE

ton

Anoka-Metro Regional Treatment Center

852

Day

219

MAPLEWOOD

inley

850

142nd Ave

N Diamond Lake Rd

38th Ave

vd cis Bl ran

McK

Anoka-Hennepin Technical College

hedule service DIAMOND 373-3333 LAKE o you. it.org.

St F

Many routes are confusing. on

MAP IS NOT TO SCALE

265

HWY

Co Rd B vd

Enterprise Park

Lund Blvd

270

64DN 16

Ca stle

270

Helen

219

64 265

Margaret

Maplewood Mall Transit Center

Many bus routes run infrequently or not at all mid-day, evenings, and weekends. For example, the Lone Oak Drive area in Eagan is served by two routes, but both are weekday only and none run mid-day or after 6:30 p.m. Employees working late, or in jobs that are not typically 9-to-5, cannot use transit.

Wh ite Bear Ave

Off-peak service is inadequate.

To Ramsey, Elk River and Big Lake (see Northstar inset map)

metrotransit.org | 612-3

Existing Routes by Type

101

14 94

610

35E

35W

610

252

694

494

694

36 35W

694

35E

Snelling

394

Green

100

35W

Blue

35E

494

7 62

494

494 212

Red 169

169

35W

35E

13 55 55

KEY Existing and Proposed Route Types Local Routes Express Routes Transit Lines ABRT N

Network Analysis

8 mi

Under Consideration Routes by Type

Based on Metro Transit Service Improvement Plan 2015 and under consideration aBRTs

101

14 94

610

35E

35W

610

Central

252

694

494

East 7th

Hennepin

Blue

35E W 7th

494

Chicago

Gold

Robert

Nicollet

694

Green

Lake 35W

American

35E

Snelling

394

Rush

35W

100

Penn

Broadway

694

494

212

Red 169

35E

Orange

35W

169

13 55 55

KEY Existing and Proposed Route Types Local Routes Express Routes Transit Lines ABRT N

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

8 mi

Existing Routes by Frequency

Based on Metro Transit "Transit Trip Count Headway by Route," 2015

101

14 94

610

35E

35W

610

252

694

494

694

36 35W

694

35E

394 100

94 35W

35E

494

7 62

494

494 212

169

35W

35E

13 55 55

KEY Midday Frequency Metro Transit High Frequency Service Map 1 - 15 minutes 16 - 30 minutes 31 - 60 minutes > 60 minutes N

Network Analysis

8 mi

Under Consideration High-Frequency Routes

Based on Metro Transit Service Improvement Plan 2015 and under consideration aBRTs

101

14 94

610

35E

35W

610

252

694

494

694

36 35W

694

35E

394 100

94 35W

35E

494

7 62

494

494 212

169

35W

35E

13 55 55

KEY Midday Frequency Metro Transit High Frequency Service Map 1 - 15 minutes 16 - 30 minutes 31 - 60 minutes > 60 minutes N

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

8 mi

1/2-Mile Access to Existing High Frequency Network (with Population Density)

101

14 94

35W 35E

610

252 65

694

494

694

36 35W 694

55 394 100

494

7 35E 62

494

494 212

169

35W

35E 55

KEY People per square mile < 2,500 55 2,501 - 5,000 5,001 - 7,500 7,501 - 10,000 10,001 - 12,500 12,501 - 15,000 15,001 - 17,500 52 17,501 - 20,000 20,001 - 22,500 > 22,501

35W

Network Analysis

8 mi

1/2-Mile Access to Proposed High Frequency Network (with Population Density) 35 Based on Metro Transit Service Improvement Plan 2015 and under consideration aBRTs

101

14 94

35W 35E

610

252 65

694

494

694

36 35W 694

55 394 100

494

7 35E 62

494

494 212

169

35W

35E 55

KEY People per square mile < 2,500 55 2,501 - 5,000 5,001 - 7,500 7,501 - 10,000 10,001 - 12,500 12,501 - 15,000 15,001 - 17,500 52 17,501 - 20,000 20,001 - 22,500 > 22,501

35W

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

8 mi

1/2-Mile Access to Existing High Frequency Network (with Job Density)

101

14 94

35W 35E

610

252 65

694

494

694

36 35W 694

55 394 100

494

7 35E 62

494

494 212

169

35W

35E 55

KEY Jobs per square mile 5 - 8,587 8,588 - 34,336 52 34,337 - 77,250 77,251 - 137,330 137,331 - 214,576

35W

Network Analysis

8 mi

1/2-Mile Access to Proposed High Frequency Network (by Job Density)

Based on Metro Transit Service Improvement Plan 2015 and under consideration aBRTs

101

14 94

35W 35E

610

252 65

694

494

694

36 35W 694

55 394 100

494

7 35E 62

494

494 212

169

35W

35E 55

KEY Jobs per square mile 5 - 8,587 8,588 - 34,336 52 34,337 - 77,250 77,251 - 137,330 137,331 - 214,576

35W

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

8 mi

Bus Stop Boarding Density

101

14 94

35W 35E

610

252 65

694

494

694

35W

394 100

35E

494

7 35W 62

494

494 212

169

35W

35E 55

169

55 55

35W

KEY Stop boardings per square mile Highest density 52

Lowest density N

Network Analysis

8 mi

Bus Speed Between Time Stops

35E

694

35E 36

35E

694

KEY Speed between scheduled stops <10 mph 10 - 12 mph 12 - 14 mph 14 - 16 mph 16 - 18 mph 18 - 20 mph 20 - 22 mph >22 mph N

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

4 mi

Where transit will get you - quickly and not quickly

On-Time 14Performance 610

610

252

Transit serves most of the urban and suburban portions of the East Metro. To be served, though, is not to be well-connected. Downtown Saint Paul, for example, has direct connections to much of the region. Some other areas are served by only a single all-day route, or only by express service. This can produce a significant difference in useful access.

35E

35W

35E

35W

694 94

694

35W

In the travel speed analysis in the following table, we have identified major destinations – employment centers and universities – across the metro area, as well as a sample of residential areas. We measured total travel time and travel speed between them including waiting, riding, and transferring. Higher speeds indicate a better connection.

36 35E

694

35W

Unsurprisingly, areas in the urban core tend to have better access than peripheral areas. But some exceptions stand out. Grand Avenue, a very central location, is much less connected than other parts of the core. I-35 & Highway 55 is significantly slower to reach from most places than are Bloomington, Eagan, or Burnsville.

694

35E

35W

35E

494

35W

35E

494

494 55494

494

52 55

35W

35E

10 55

35E

55 55

35W

KEY KEY On-Time Performance On-Time On time >90%Performance of the time On time >90% of the time On time <90% of the time On time <90% of the time

Network Analysis

8 mi

Major Destinations 35

101

14 94

35W

1.1 Lexington 610

35E

610

3.2 35W & Hwy 10 252

Hwy 65 & 73rd 6.4

Shoreview 5.3

694

White Bear 4.3

T 494

I-694 & Lexington 3.9 6.2 Maplewood Mall

94 T

6.0 Roseville West

7.7 Downtown Minn.

35W

North St Paul 5.1

6.2 Mid-City Industrial T

694

Oakdale 0.1

U of Minnesota 7.5

694

Payne-Phalen 6.1

T 394 100

Downtown St Paul 7.6

6.4 Uni. Ave & 280

5.8 I-94 & McKnight

3M Campus 5.3

5.9 Grand Ave

35E

T 35W

MSP Airport 8.1

62 T

Hwy 100 & I-494 4.7 T

T 212 T

494

169

Shakopee 3.3 169

T 35W

Woodbury 0.8

494

I-35 & Hwy 55 4.7

Bloomington 7.6 77

Inver Heights 5.3

T 35E 55

Eagan 5.0

2.9 Cottage Grove 10

7.0 Burnsville T

Apple Valley 1.9 55 55

35W

KEY

Destinations AVG MPH Slowest

Fastest

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

8 mi

Travel Speed Between Major Destinations Numbers in average miles (as the crow flies) per hour during mid-day. Empty cells indicate either a missing route or a route with more than a 3-hour total travel time.

Slowest

Fastest

ORIGIN FROM OTHER KEY LOCATIONS 28

9.0

6.6

9.0

5.7

4.1

6.7

4.1

8.0

3.3

8.8

7.0

Payne-Phalen

6.1

9.6

Inver Heights

5.3

6.9

Shoreview

5.3

9.8

6.2

9.0

North Saint Paul

5.1

5.4

5.7

4.1

7.0

Eagan

5.0

9.0

4.1

8.0

8.2

White Bear

4.3

6.6

6.7

3.3

Cottage Grove

2.9

12.0

Apple Valley

1.9

2.7

Lexington

1.1

8.8

Woodbury

0.8

Oakdale

0.1

MSP International

8.1

7.2

10.9

6.1

9.7

11.0

6.6

9.2

Downtown Minneapolis

7.7

14.2

9.3

9.9

6.9

8.9

8.7

6.5

Downtown Saint Paul

7.6

9.0

5.5

9.9

11.0

8.3

9.9

7.0

Bloomington

7.6

6.9

10.7

6.6

10.3

10.8

4.6

9.2

University of Minnesota

7.5

14.5

6.3

10.2

7.2

8.9

7.1

65 & 73rd

6.4

13.6

7.9

8.4

3.5

7.1

10.9

4.6

University Ave & 280

6.4

9.4

7.0

7.6

7.9

8.6

6.0

6.7

Mid-City Industrial

6.2

9.9

8.7

7.8

6.5

8.4

6.5

6.0

10.0

4.1

Maplewood Mall

6.2

9.4

8.4

8.6

4.2

5.9

9.4

2.7

9.5

6.8

Hwy 100 & I-494

6.0

5.2

8.9

6.4

8.6

7.4

4.9

8.1

5.0

Roseville West

6.0

9.2

6.2

7.8

6.5

6.2

5.0

7.8

Grand Avenue

5.9

7.8

4.9

5.8

7.3

7.2

4.4

6.0

10.5

I-94 & McKnight

5.8

9.1

4.5

5.1

7.2

4.8

8.4

6.8

3M Campus

5.3

8.0

4.7

5.0

7.4

5.3

6.9

7.3

I-35 & Hwy 55

4.7

4.3

5.1

2.1

6.2

2.4

5.2

Lexington & 694

3.9

8.1

4.1

5.9

2.0

3.1

7.7

2.7

Shakopee

3.3

6.5

8.8

I-35 & 10

3.2

9.3

Network Analysis

3.6

7.0

Oakdale

5.4

2.7

Burnsville

Woodbury

6.2

Lexington

6.9

Apple Valley

9.8

Cottage Grove

5.3

White Bear

9.6

Eagan

Shoreview

North Saint Paul

Inver Heights

Burnsville

Payne-Phalen

ORIGIN FROM RESIDENTIAL LOCATIONS

Average MPH

RESIDENTIAL DESTINATIONS

12.0 3.6 8.0 6.5 2.3

8.2

6.5 3.6

2.3

8.0

10.7

7.3 10.5 4.1 6.1

13.3

4.3

8.0

7.2

4.3

3.1

2.7

4.1

5.5 2.5

Slowest

Fastest

MSP International

Downtown Minn.

Downtown St. Paul

Bloomington

University of Minn.

65 & 73rd

Uni. Ave & 280

Mid-City Industrial

Maplewood Mall

Hwy 100 & I-494

Roseville West

Grand Avenue

I-94 & McKnight

3M Campus

I-35 & Hwy 55

Lexington & 694

Shakopee

I-35 & 10

ORIGIN FROM RESIDENTIAL LOCATIONS

OTHER KEY DESTINATIONS

Burnsville

7.2

14.2

9.0

6.9

14.5 13.6

9.4

9.9

9.4

5.2

9.2

7.8

9.1

8.0

4.3

8.1

6.5

9.3

Payne-Phalen

10.9

9.3

5.5

10.7

6.3

7.9

7.0

8.7

8.4

8.9

6.2

4.9

4.5

4.7

5.1

4.1

8.8

Inver Heights

6.1

9.9

6.6

10.2

8.4

7.6

7.8

8.6

6.4

7.8

5.8

5.1

5.0

2.1

5.9

Shoreview

9.7

6.9

11.0 10.3

7.2

3.5

7.9

6.5

4.2

8.6

7.3

7.2

7.4

6.2

2.0

North Saint Paul

11.0

8.9

8.3

10.8

8.9

7.1

8.6

8.4

5.9

7.4

6.5

7.2

4.8

5.3

6.2

3.1

Eagan

6.6

8.7

9.9

4.6

7.1

10.9

6.0

6.5

9.4

4.9

6.2

4.4

8.4

6.9

2.4

7.7

White Bear

9.2

6.5

7.0

9.2

4.6

6.7

6.0

2.7

8.1

5.0

6.0

6.8

7.3

5.2

2.7

Cottage Grove

10.7

10.0

9.5

10.5

6.8

Apple Valley Lexington

13.3 10.5

6.1

8.0

5.0

7.3

4.1

Woodbury

4.1

7.8

4.1

5.5

3.1

2.5

7.2

2.7

Oakdale ORIGIN FROM OTHER KEY LOCATIONS

6.8

4.3

MSP International

13.3 13.7

Downtown Minneapolis 13.3

8.1

9.1

11.9

8.4

8.7

10.5

6.3

10.8

6.8

10.3 10.5

4.2

7.6

7.7

9.0

13.0 12.8

4.0

10.1

9.1

4.9

9.2

9.5

6.3

6.9

11.3

8.3

9.0

4.7

7.6

7.3

12.7 12.6

8.6

11.6 10.2

8.5

9.7

9.1

5.0

7.9

7.7

4.5

5.5

9.4

7.0

9.7

11.9

9.1

9.8

10.7

9.4

11.1

8.7

10.4 10.1

3.6

8.0

7.8

10.7

9.8

5.8

8.0

7.5

6.3

7.8

9.7

9.5

7.1

4.3

7.0

8.6

7.4

5.2

10.0

7.3

7.7

8.0

7.9

9.1

3.3

5.7

7.8

6.2

5.6

6.8

7.8

9.0

5.9

4.4

7.6

6.1

4.7

6.1

7.1

8.4

4.8

4.0

6.5

9.0

5.6

6.3

6.4

5.3

6.3

3.0

4.8

8.0

6.5

9.3

8.0

4.7

6.2

4.2

8.3

6.7

7.1

7.5

4.3

8.0

4.9

7.8

7.5

5.2

5.7

7.6

6.3

1.2

4.7

4.9

4.6

Downtown Saint Paul 13.7 13.0 Bloomington

8.1

12.8 12.7

U of Minnesota

9.1

4.0

12.6

9.7

65 & 73rd

11.9 10.1

8.6

11.9 10.7

University Ave & 280 8.4

9.1

11.6

9.1

9.8

8.6

Mid-City Industrial

8.7

4.9

10.2

9.8

5.8

7.4

5.7

Maplewood Mall

10.5

9.2

8.5

10.7

8.0

5.2

7.8

7.6

Hwy 100 & I-494

6.3

9.5

9.7

9.4

7.5

10.0

6.2

6.1

9.0

Roseville West

10.8

6.3

9.1

11.1

6.3

7.3

5.6

4.7

5.6

8.0

Grand Avenue

6.8

6.9

5.0

8.7

7.8

7.7

6.8

6.1

6.3

6.5

8.3

I-94 & McKnight

10.3 11.3

7.9

10.4

9.7

8.0

7.8

7.1

6.4

9.3

6.7

7.8

3M Campus

10.5

8.3

7.7

10.1

9.5

7.9

9.0

8.4

5.3

8.0

7.1

7.5

1.2

I-35 & Hwy 55

4.2

9.0

4.5

3.6

7.1

9.1

5.9

4.8

6.3

4.7

7.5

5.2

4.7

4.9

Lexington & 694

7.6

4.7

5.5

8.0

4.3

3.3

4.4

4.0

3.0

6.2

4.3

5.7

4.7

4.6

Shakopee

7.7

7.6

9.4

7.8

7.0

4.2

8.0

7.6

I-35 & 10

9.0

7.3

7.0

4.9

6.3

7.1

7.0 2.8

9.1

6.5

4.8

7.1 2.8

7.0

6.2

9.1

7.6

6.2

2.5 7.3

7.6

2.5

7.3

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

5 Opportunities for Transit Improvements In this section we present a series of possible objectives for transit within the East Metro region, and then identify available strategies that can be used to implement suggested potential projects, which will help achieve these objectives. There are many opportunities to improve transit service in the East Metro. There are proven ways to address all the gaps identified by our analysis. Obviously, the funds available for transit improvements are limited. Fundamentally, transit planning is a decision about what to prioritize. Transit can serve many different purposes. All are worthwhile, some are complementary, and some are not. Different constituencies have different needs: a low-income service worker from an urban neighborhood who works a variety of shifts through the week is looking for very different transit service than a white-collar employee in a suburb on a predictable 8-to-5 schedule. It is also possible that these locations are reversed: a hospital executive rides the core route from Mac-Groveland or Como and a clerical employee rides the suburban service. Because resources are limited, different objectives can directly conflict. The same additional budget that could make current routes more frequent could also be used to add new routes in areas not currently served. On the other hand, it is possible to make changes that make everyone better off. As discussed above, improving signal timing (for example) can improve service on a given route and reduce operating costs on that route, freeing up funds to improve service on other routes. To continue the example, improving signal timing on a core downtown route that serves a downtown hospital can reduce costs on that route. That frees up funds that can improve service on a suburban express route. It doesn’t matter who rides each service. Everyone is better off.

Opportunities

Possible Objectives

Available Strategies

This is a list of possible objectives for the region. An actual program of transit improvements should not try to achieve all of the following objectives but instead begin by defining priorities. The most important objectives should drive where money is invested.

Following is a list of strategies and tools that can be employed to achieve stated objectives. Combinations of these strategies can be used in different parts of the region as driven by economy and feasibility. For example, where existing infrastructure precludes new transitways, aBRTs may make sense.

Increase Connectivity and Decrease Travel Time

Route Restructure

Build a strong network in the densest parts of the region so that transit is a convenient option all-day for all daily needs, such as work, school, recreation, and errands.

Redesign the network and routes to be simpler and to improve service. High-Frequency Network

Improve Reliability Improve public transit infrastructure and signal priority for buses and trains to reduce wait times and make transit more predictable.

Add more routes that operate every 15 minutes or better through most of the days, offering riders flexibility to travel without planning ahead and making transfers more seamless.

Increase Service to Suburban Job Destinations

Transitways

Add reverse commute service that connects the core to suburban employment, with a particular focus on connecting low-income residents to service jobs.

Build new light rail or bus rapid transit routes with dedicated lanes and high quality stations. Arterial BRT

Increase Service to Suburban Residential Areas

Create routes with less frequent stops than a local buses and some traffic priority.

Add local bus routes in lower density residential neighborhoods outside the core and express service connecting suburban park-and-ride lots to regional employment centers.

Transit Center Build new transit centers as hubs for bus transfers, starting and ending routes, break areas for bus drivers, and safe waiting places for riders.

Better Legibility and Navigability Improve legibility of the network so that it is easy to use for first time users and for riders who make a variety of trips to a variety of destinations.

Express Bus Create routes that use freeway corridors to connect commuters to key destinations with few intermediate stops.

Increase Safety and Comfort Improve the transit experience so that riders feel safe and comfortable from door to door.

First & Last Mile Improve pedestrian and bike facilities on either end of a transit trip to make it easier, safer, and more comfortable for people to access transit.

Improve Usefulness and Convenience of Connections between Modes Extend the usefulness of public transportation by facilitating people using it together with walking, biking, and car share.

All-Day Service Add local bus routes that run from early morning to late evening, 7 days a week, serving areas that either currently have no transit or that currently have only peak hour service.

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

Projects There are many different ways of improving transit. Some are capital projects, like new transitways; some are operating projects like increased service or more routes. Some are big, like a new BRT line; some are lots of little projects, like improved bus stops. Often, the best project is a combination of these projects. The following 16 possible projects are ideas that would improve transit service and usefulness in the East Metro. For each, the objectives it meets and the strategies it uses are identified. This is a menu of options, not recommendations – all these projects are possible and would improve transit, but which should be prioritized should be based on community priorities. Some of these options can be pursued and implemented almost immediately; some would be much longer-term projects. Some of these options can be pursued by individual jurisdictions or agencies; most will require collaboration. These options represent a range for East Metro stakeholders to consider.

P1 Locate New Jobs and Housing along High Quality Transit P2 Increase Frequency within the Core P3 Redesign the All-Day Network P4 Create a South Robert aBRT and West St. Paul Transit Center P5 Create an East 7th / MSP BRT P6 Create an I-35 / Highway 55 Transit Center P7 Extend B Line to Downtown Saint Paul P8 Increase Service from Little Canada to Shoreview P9 Improve Bus Lanes & Intersections in the Core P10 Improve Bus Stops across the Core P11 Improve Transit Centers P12 Increase Bike Parking, Bike Share, and Car Share at Transit Stops P13 Improve Crosswalks and Sidewalks on Frequent Routes P14 Improve Pedestrian and Bike Infrastructure at Suburban Jobs P15 Open Gold Line BRT with Multiple Routes P16 Implement Short-Run Transit Improvements for Downtown Saint Paul, Study Long-Run Redesign

Opportunities

Locate New Jobs and Housing along High Quality Transit

The best way to improve transit access to employment and population requires neither action by a transit agency, nor immediate transit funding: locate new jobs, new housing, and critical services in places that already have high quality transit. (Over time, additional growth may require additional service. Typically, given ridership and distances, this service will be relatively low-cost.) Locations near the heart of the transit network and near major transit centers will have great connectivity, and so will locations on transitways, which offer faster and more reliable service. New development here can immediately benefit local residents by increasing economic opportunities and housing choices, and it also saves taxpayers money since the service is already in place. In "The Vision of Growth for the East Metro", March, 2016, East Metro jurisdictions said that they would like to grow faster along transit. Substantial amounts of new and redevelopment occurring in the East Metro are locating on high-quality transit lines. And most East Metro jurisdictions are planning for faster growth along existing and future lines. However, transit is (also) often chasing new development, trying to serve new job centers and neighborhoods once they have been built. This proves difficult because more service hours are required, because locations at the outer fringes of the transit network make for longer trips from most places, and because the infrastructure around new development often has not been planned to accommodate transit service or make it easy to walk from a transit stop to a destination. Instead, new jobs and housing should be located along highquality transit to provide residents with greater opportunities to work in various parts of the metro area, and to increase the number of potential employees that employers have access to. Greater MSP, the regional economic development organization, highlights access to jobs via transit as a key determinant of regional economic competitiveness. A fast and certain way to increase that access is to locate jobs on existing good transit. Both the Metropolitan Council and individual East Metro jurisdictions are identifying potential employment and development sites that are well served by transit, marketing them to employers and developers, and targeting incentives to sites where the cost of providing transit is lowest could be effective. Local jurisdictions should especially focus this strategy for services like retail, government offices, and education.

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

Increase Frequency within the Core

Increase the number of high-frequency bus routes within the core by adding service on current routes.

More high-frequency routes allow people to travel more spontaneously, without prior planning. Increasing the frequency on popular existing routes will encourage ridership within the core for daily trips aside from home-to-work commutes.

Washington Ramsey

Generally, the areas within Metro Transit's defined Market Area 1 can yield decent ridership on high-frequency service. In the East Metro, this includes high population density areas across most of Saint Paul, West St. Paul, and South St. Paul. It also includes major employment areas in downtown Saint Paul, near I-35 and Highway 55, in Roseville, and other major destinations such as Grand Avenue and Maplewood Mall. Higher frequency can be achieved by increasing service on existing bus routes including 61, 74, and 270. Redesigning the core network (project #2) may make it easier to increase the frequent network by concentrating service on fewer routes. Transitways and aBRTs also provide high-frequency service.

Dakota

The fundamental constraint on service is available resources. Metro Transit uses route performance metrics to determine which routes should have increased frequency, decreased frequency, or should be cut. Compared to other cities, Metro Transit has a fairly low subsidy per passenger, which indicates that the criteria for adding service and cutting routes are fairly stringent. A level of

ridership that would justify frequent service in other cities may not meet Metro Transit's criteria. Existing route performance is also not a reliable predictor of performance with increased frequency; some people will simply not ride transit if service is infrequent, or will use alternate routes.

Existing and Possible High-Frequency Routes

Population Density

Employment Density

White Bear

I-694 & Lexington

Maplewood Mall

694

PaynePhalen

Roseville 36

Mid-Cit Industrial Downtown Minn. 35W

N St Paul Oakdale 694

U of M Uni. Ave. & 280

Downtown St Paul Grand Ave 35E

Low

High Low

Areas of Concentrated Poverty

High

Race Density

3M Campus 494

35W

MSP Airport

Bloomington

494

Existing hi-frequency routes

Opportunities

I-35 & Hwy 55

Possible hi-frequency routes

Low

High

White

Black

Asian

Other

Hispanic (all)

Redesign the All-Day Network

Redesigning the network – changing which routes go where, rather than just adding routes, eliminating routes, or changing frequency – can be transformative for a transit network, making it more useful to more people. A redesign can simplify the network, making it more legible and easier to use for first time users and for people making new trips. It can eliminate duplication of service, allowing those resources to be redeployed for more frequency. It can better connect key destinations without necessarily going through downtown Saint Paul, reducing the stress on infrastructure in and out of downtown and allowing more direct travel.

Washington Ramsey

The maps below show the opportunity for redesign by looking at what might be possible in the eastern portion of Ramsey County. xx The current network is on the left. Each color represents a numbered bus route; each line is a separate service pattern on that route, most of which are distinguished by letters after the numbers. The complexity of the network is immediately apparent; just this quadrant has 20 patterns. This is a huge deterrent to new riders and existing ones traveling to new places. Furthermore, the large number of different service patterns means that service has to be spread across more patterns, resulting in nearly all these patterns being infrequent.

Dakota

could cross the north-south lines strategically to create simple transfers and connect all high population density areas and high employment areas. Other areas have similar existing service patterns and similar opportunities for change.

xx On the right is a potential redesign serving the same area. Nearly every street retains service, but there are only 8 patterns, so service can be more legible and more frequent. This is a much easier to use system. Furthermore, new crosstown connections are created. Instead of only having radial routes originating in downtown, there are major cross-town routes intersecting to create a grid pattern, thereby setting up connection opportunities. This also shows the potential for the Gold Line (P4); high-frequency routes can branch north from the planned Gold Line to Little Canada, Maplewood Mall, and White Bear neighborhood. East-west high-frequency routes

A redesign requires careful analysis of travel patterns and intense public input. This illustration should not be seen as a proposal; it demonstrates that there is real potential for improvement through rethinking the network structure. Such a restructuring could increase ridership without increasing costs. The new routes drawn here create a grid. Not all are straight lines – they jog to retain service on streets that currently have service and where the street network is interrupted by lakes – but each of the east-west routes crosses each of the northsouth routes, creating many connection opportunities.

Existing Complex Network

Possible Simplified Network with Proposed Gold Line 694

223 Little T Canada

35E

Little

T Canada

Maplewood

71 61

694 64

219

Sunray 63 Downtown

Sunray

Downtown

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

Create a South Robert aBRT and West St. Paul Transit Center

Create a new aBRT line on South Robert, as identified by Metro Transit, and create a new transit center at the southern end of the route.

South Robert runs through relatively high-density and lowincome neighborhoods in Saint Paul, South St. Paul, and West St. Paul. It extends southwards to suburban job areas that provide employment opportunities for residents across Saint Paul and the East Metro. ABRT service here would improve trips for many existing transit riders and make service useful to other residents not currently using transit.

Washington Ramsey

A new transit center at the south end of this route could be an anchor for bus routes, serving the southeast side of Ramsey County and into Washington County. New routes connecting here could serve residential areas in the south and southeast suburbs as well as to suburban employment centers. The aBRT would allow residents of Saint Paul, South St. Paul, and West St. Paul to reach jobs in these suburban areas, provide suburban residents with an all-day link into Saint Paul, and facilitate connections from one suburb to another.

Possible Connections Through New Transit Center

Dakota

Population Density

Employment Density

35W 694

Downtown St Paul

Robert

35E

W St Paul

MSP Airport

494

Bloomington

494

S St Paul Low

West St. Paul Transit Center I-35 & Hwy 55

High Low

Areas of Concentrated Poverty

High

Race Density

Inver Heights

Eagan To Shakopee

To Apple Valley

S. Robert aBRT

Opportunities

Possible Connecting Routes

Low

High

White

Black

Asian

Other

Hispanic (all)

Create an East 7th / MSP BRT

Two of the busiest and most important transit corridors in Saint Paul are Riverview (Route 54) and East 7th/White Bear (54/64/74).

The Riverview Corridor has high ridership and connects downtown to high density residential neighborhoods and businesses. It also plays a regional role in connecting downtown Saint Paul to the airport and Mall of America.

Washington Ramsey

An extensive planning process for the corridor produced a Locally Preferred Alternative of a modern streetcar to serve this corridor. This streetcar will significantly improve trips within Saint Paul. Trips to MSP airport, however, would be slower by streetcar than the current bus. Since MSP is both a major connection point to suburban job centers and a destination in its own right, the streetcar could be complemented by an express bus service, running parallel to the streetcar, perhaps along Shepard Road. The parallel service would connect with the streetcar on both ends but not make intermediate stops. On the east side of downtown Saint Paul, the East 7 corridor serves some of the densest neighborhoods in Saint Paul and extends on to Maplewood Mall, a key connection point for the northern suburbs. Recognizing its importance, Metro Transit recently extended the 54 limited stop service through the East 7th corridor. Metro Transit has also proposed an aBRT along East 7th. The recently implemented A Line aBRT has shown that a combination of improved stops, all-door boarding, optimized stop spacing, and traffic signal priority can significantly improve transit service and thus ridership. The East 7th corridor, in spite of its recent upgrade, still does not have the service that would respond to its key connections, high ridership, and dense adjacent populations.

Dakota

An East 7th aBRT can be a short-term and relatively inexpensive project. ABRT improvements can be implemented across an entire corridor at once (as it was on the A Line) or segment by segment. ABRT can also provide additional benefits to existing local service through shared traffic signal priority or improved stops. Because all the required improvements are in city right-of-way, the City of Saint Paul lead the way by implementing some of these improvements itself. Unlike the A Line, which largely improved the function of a

single local route, the East 7th corridor is served by multiple routes and branches of routes. Thus, coupling this project with a network redesign (P3 in this report) could make aBRT easier to implement and more beneficial to the overall network. East 7th and Riverview naturally complement each other and, as such, integrating them could be useful. The East 7th aBRT could be extended as the express service in the Riverview corridor, replicating Metro’s Transit recent extension of the 54. Metro Transit plans to revise its 2012 aBRT recommendations. That and related discussions will certainly elevate other potential aBRT corridors. Population Density

Employment Density

Possible aBRT Alongside Proposed Streetcar in Riverview Corridor Low

E 7th aBRT

Areas of Concentrated Poverty

Green Line

Downtown St Paul e e Lin Blu

r ca eet Str w e i erv Riv

s res Exp

High Low

/ ce rvi Se

High

Race Density

RT aB

MSP Airport 52

Low

High

White

Black

Asian

Other

Hispanic (all)

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

Create an I-35 / Highway 55 Transit Center

The office parks and distribution facilities that cluster around Highway 55 where it meets I-35E and 494 employ nearly 26,000 people. Almost 24% of the employees around this intersection commute from Washington or Ramsey County. Additionally, 31% of Ramsey County residents and 56% of Washington County residents work outside their respective counties. Today these residents have a hard time reaching their jobs by transit, and some residents can not take advantage of these jobs because of the lack of transit connections.

Washington Ramsey

A new transit center at the intersection of I-35 and Highway 55 could serve this area of high employment as well as become the focal point of several routes connecting major destinations and employment centers, including Cottage Grove, South St. Paul, West St. Paul, Snelling, Fort Parkway, Mall of America, and Shakopee. The transit center would increase job opportunities for Ramsey and Washington County residents by increasing connectivity to employment centers to the south and southwest. While there already exists a transit center 2.5 miles south of here, the Eagan Transit Center, it is too far south to serve the employment center well and would be a significant detour for new east-west routes. There are multiple current routes that come near I-35 and Hwy 55 that do not make it to Eagan. Hence, a new transit center at this location could serve the region well.

Dakota

Where employees within I-35 and Hwy 55 area live

5-12

13-35

36-73

74-127

Population Density

128-184 People / sq mi

EmploymentKEYDensity Workers living per square mile 5 - 12 13 - 35 36 - 73 74 - 127 128 - 184

Routes connecting to Possible Transit Center at I-35 and Hwy 55 To Lexington

N 0

8 mi

35W

W St Paul 62

S St Paul

MSP Airport

494

To Hwy 100 & I-494

Bloomington

I-35 & Hwy 55 Transit Center 55

35W

To Shakopee

Rail

Opportunities

Low

High Low

Areas of Concentrated Poverty

High

Race Density

Inver Heights

Eagan

To Apple Valley

Possible Connecting Routes

Low

High

White

Black

Asian

Other

Hispanic (all)

Extend B Line to Downtown Saint Paul

Metro Transit plans to upgrade bus route 21 to aBRT between Uptown Transit Center in Minneapolis and Snelling Station in Saint Paul. This upgrade would follow the model of the current A Line, with optimized stop spacing, traffic signal priority, off-board fare collection, improved stations, and more frequent service. This will significantly improve transit service along Lake Street in Minneapolis and Marshall Street in Saint Paul.

Washington Ramsey

The eastern segment of the 21 along Selby Avenue in Saint Paul, however, is not proposed for upgrade. Today, more than half of route 21 buses continue past Snelling to downtown Saint Paul. With the B Line, as currently proposed, passengers from Lake or Marshall to downtown Saint Paul would need to transfer to the Green Line, and passengers bound to Selby would need to transfer to the remaining 21 service. Instead of the terminating at Snelling Station, the B Line could continue directly to downtown Saint Paul, turning right from Marshall onto Snelling, then left onto Selby. This would result in a faster travel time to Saint Paul by avoiding the northwards trip to the station and the transfer. It would also create direct connections from the B Line to buses on Lexington and Dale and to every bus route that serves downtown Saint Paul. It would improve transit service in the Selby corridor, which has nearly 1000 bus boardings today and serves Concordia University, Central High School, and Saint Paul College. It would also avoid the need to terminate buses at the busy Snelling/University intersection. A Line and B Line buses would share the current A Line station at Snelling & Dayton, allowing convenient connections. Alternately, the B Line could also be extended to Saint Paul along another route. Grand Avenue, for example, is a major business district, and a Grand Avenue route would also serve United and Children’s hospitals while creating a direct connection to bus service on West 7th.

Dakota

Population Density

Employment Density

Possible B Line Extensions to the East of A Line

35E

GREEN SNELLING & DAYTON STATION PROPOSED B LINE

Saint Paul

Low

High Low

Areas of Concentrated Poverty

High

Race Density

SELBY EXTENSION ALTERNATE GRAND AVE EXTENSION

35E

A LINE

Route 21

Existing A Line

Proposed B Line

Low

High

White

Black

Asian

Other

Hispanic (all)

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

Increase Service from Little Canada to Shoreview

Currently bus number 262 runs from downtown Saint Paul all the way to Lexington, connecting Little Canada and Shoreview, but it only runs twice during rush hours on weekdays. Lexington falls within Metro Transit’s Market Area 3, which generally receives allday service. However, Lexington does not. All-day local bus service ends further south at Shoreview. Lexington is also unique because it is a pocket of high population density in addition to being an employment center. Upgrading the 262 to an all-day route with increased frequency would significantly improve connectivity for the residents in Shoreview to the transit center in Little Canada and major job centers, Lexington and downtown Saint Paul.

Washington Ramsey

Dakota

Possible Increased Service from DTSP to Lexington 35W

Population Density

Employment Density

35E

Lexington 610

Shoreview

Low

T Little Canada

694

High Low

Areas of Concentrated Poverty

High

Race Density

35W

Downtown St Paul

Existing All-Day Route (62)

Opportunities

Possible Frequent All-Day Route (262)

Low

High

White

Black

Asian

Other

Hispanic (all)

Improve Bus Lanes & Intersections in the Core

Targeted intersection improvements and bus lanes within the core, especially along frequent routes, can improve the reliability and speed of buses. Metro Transit can use GPS data from buses to identify areas where buses are frequently delayed and then study possible improvements there.

Washington Ramsey

These improvements may not need to be extensive: a block of bus lane in a congested area, a "queue jump" where buses can bypass traffic at a busy intersection, or a left turn signal so that buses do not need to wait for a gap in traffic can make a significant difference. Similar work by Metro Transit in Minneapolis led to a trial of bus lanes on Hennepin Avenue. The same approach should be taken in the East Metro. The map below shows locations outside of downtown Saint Paul where transit is currently operating slowly and unreliably. Icons show places where traffic congestion, lack of dedicated left turns, and closely spaced stops may be affecting service. More detailed analysis of the GPS data Metro Transit collects on its buses could be used to quantify the issues and prioritize improvements. Such a study could be done relatively quickly to lead to near-term improvements.

Dakota

Scheduled Speed Between Time Points

Population Density

Employment Density

35E

Low

High Low

Areas of Concentrated Poverty

35E

No Left Signal Traffic Congestion <10 MPH

Close Stop Spacing Complicated Routing 14

High

Race Density

In/Out of Transit Center KEY Speed between scheduled stops Low 18 20 >22 MPH <10 mph 10 - 12 mph No Left Turn Signal 12 - 14 mph Close Stop Spacing 14 - 16 mph 16 - 18 mph In/Out of Transit Center 18 - 20 mph

High

White

Black

Asian

Other

Hispanic (all)

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

P10

Improve Bus Stops across the Core

Currently most of the bus stops in the densest part of the East Metro do not have shelters, some do not even have benches. Many are not accessible to wheelchairs, and at many the bus pad does not reach the back door, delaying buses as riders have to push their way to the front to deboard. Adding shelters, making stops accessible, and improving boarding areas will improve the passenger experience and likely increase ridership. In areas where stops are closely spaced, these improvements may be combined with stop consolidation, speeding up bus trips.

Washington Ramsey

Bus stops should be designed for the safety and comfort of riders. Even the perception of bus stops being unsafe can significantly discourage users. Good design means accessible, brightly lit, heated, and covered stops. It also often includes seating.

Dakota

Example of a Good Stop: Rice at Arlington

Population Density

Employment Density

Example of an Inadequate Stop: Minnesota Ave at 6th Street

Low

High Low

Areas of Concentrated Poverty

Low

Opportunities

High

Race Density

High

White

Black

Asian

Other

Hispanic (all)

P11

Improve Transit Centers

Transit centers are the hub of transit and pedestrian activity. As such, they should be designed for a high volume of buses to travel in and out quickly and efficiently. There should be facilities available for bus drivers to take a break, as well as amenities for riders such as restrooms, lighting, heating, seating, bikeshare, bike parking, and retail. Transit centers are also an opportunity for creative design and artwork to engage people more. Currently, Little Canada Transit Center is little more than a bus stop. Maplewood and Sun Ray both have much better passenger amenities than are found at a typical bus stop, including sheltered, heated waiting areas, which are critical. But in both cases some of the bus bays are far removed from the waiting areas, the transit center is isolated from surrounding land uses, and pedestrian and bike connections are uninviting. With urban design interventions, both could be better connected, more humanscaled and more attractive. Each of these transit centers could become hubs of activity, not just for bus routes. Providing additional amenities would improve the experience for users and drivers. A long wait in a winter snowstorm or the heat of summer can be unpleasant at best. Most of these transit centers also lack safe and comfortable pedestrian and bicycle connections to the surrounding neighborhoods, and buses often need to take circuitous paths to access them. Metro Transit has some examples of excellent transit centers, like the Uptown Station in Minneapolis, as models to follow.

Sun Ray Transit Center

Washington Ramsey

Dakota

Population Density

Employment Density

Low

Maplewood Transit Center

High Low

Areas of Concentrated Poverty

Low

High

Race Density

High

White

Black

Asian

Other

Hispanic (all)

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

P12

Increase Bike Parking, Bike Share, and Car Share at Transit Stops

Given the East Metro’s development pattern, transit is unlikely to provide door-to-door service to everyone at all times. Transit is (or should be) a volume service. Public policy should serve residents and destinations (such as employers) by making it possible to cost-effectively provide, and use, that volume service no matter what the final destination. "Last mile" services are an important part of doing so.

Washington Ramsey

Making that possible includes: xx Ensure adequate bike racks on buses and trains, Metro Transit is generally doing an excellent job of making sure that racks are available on all buses and trains. These have been seeing excess demand and they are often full. A study may be needed to see where exceeding demand warrants additional bike racks. For example, where service is infrequent, a full bike rack could mean waiting another half an hour or more before the next bus.

Dakota

xx Add bike parking on both sides of transit trips. xx Increase bike share hubs at bus stops, especially along frequent routes. xx Add car share hubs at bus stops, especially along frequent routes. Bikes and car share extend the reach of transit, allowing people outside of walking distance from service to reach transit. Bikes are most often used on the home end of trips, but they can also be used to reach jobs that are away from transit. Nice Ride has proven successful in its current docked form, showing that people are eager for shared mobility. Technology and the state of the art are advancing.

xx The East Metro’s primary bike share provider, Nice Ride Minnesota, has contracted with Motivate to implement a dockless system using new technology. xx During the transition, Saint Paul contracted with Lime to provide both dockless bikes and dockless electric scooters. xx Saint Paul’s work with Lime will increase regional access to transit.

Population Density

Employment Density

Bike Share Station

Low

High Low

Areas of Concentrated Poverty

Low

Opportunities

High

Race Density

High

White

Black

Asian

Other

Hispanic (all)

P13

Improve Crosswalks and Sidewalks on Frequent Routes

It is common sense to make sure that people who want to use transit are able to. Even on high ridership frequent routes, transit riders often face challenges going to or from the stop. Sidewalks are an essential part of a transit network. As are crosswalks – nearly every transit rider needs to cross the street in one direction of their trip. Sidewalk and crosswalk improvements could be targeted to high ridership stops and areas with high crash rates. Ultimately, every stop should be part of a connected sidewalk network and every stop should have a crosswalk. This can be achieved by coordinating sidewalk improvements with stop consolidation and optimization. These same improvements also benefit all pedestrians. Saint Paul’s current Pedestrian Plan effort could be a starting point for these improvements.

Washington Ramsey

Dakota

Pedestrian-Friendly Infrastructure

Population Density

Employment Density

Low

High Low

Areas of Concentrated Poverty

ADA accessible curb ramps

Continuous sidewalks

Continuous crosswalks next to stops

Low

High

Race Density

High

White

Black

Asian

Other

Hispanic (all)

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

P14

Improve Pedestrian and Bike Infrastructure at Suburban Jobs

Often, the biggest challenge to using transit to access suburban jobs is getting from a transit stop to a building. Missing sidewalks, long distances between safe crosswalks, no paths to front doors, and the lack of safe bike infrastructure can make transit useless even if it is theoretically within walking distance of a destination. Targeted improvements around bus stops at employment centers can make transit more useful.

Washington Ramsey

Targeted improvements include: xx Sidewalks where none exist today. xx Widened sidewalks with landscape buffers to the curb and street trees for safer, more comfortable walking. xx Improved crosswalks with ramps, pedestrian refuges, and clear markings. xx Additional pedestrian signals at bus stops to make it safe to cross the street. xx Pedestrian connections at the end of cul-de-sac streets to avoid circuitous walks. xx Protected bike lanes.

Dakota

Missing Paths to Front Doors at St. John's Hospital Maplewood Transit Center

Beam Avenue

Southlawn Drive

Missing ADA sidewalk

Could use more trees

Population Density

Employment Density

Kennard Street Low

High Low

Areas of Concentrated Poverty

St John’s Hospital

High

Race Density

Missing crosswalk Missing sidewalk

Missing Pedestrian Links

Opportunities

Low

High

White

Black

Asian

Other

Hispanic (all)

P15

Open Gold Line BRT with Multiple Routes

The east-west Gold Line connecting downtown Saint Paul, the 3M campus, Sun Ray Transit Center, and Woodbury is currently being planned by Metro Transit, MnDOT, Ramsey County, and Washington County.

Washington

Beyond the Gold Line route itself, the Gold Line guideway, with its high-quality stops and fast, reliable infrastructure could be productively used by additional, non-Gold Line routes. Local routes to Maplewood and Oakdale on the east could converge on Sun Ray and use the guideway instead of local streets as a fast route into downtown, then continue on westward or northward to destinations such as Grand Avenue or Little Canada. Sharing the guideway would speed up all of these routes and offer direct trips between multiple destinations. It would also add service on the busiest part of the Gold Line corridor. Planned headways show capacity in the transitway; access in and out of the Gold Line would need to be studied for any impacts on Gold Line travel time.

Gold Line as Planned with Existing Connections

Ramsey

Dakota

Population Density

Employment Density

694

Low

Areas of Concentrated Poverty

Possible Gold Line Connections

Gold Line

To Oakdale

Possible Connecting Routes

High

Race Density

694

Hadley

To Maplewood White Bear

Rice

To Little Canada

High Low

Low

High

White

Black

Asian

Other

Hispanic (all)

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

P16

Implement Short-Run Transit Improvements for DTSP, Study Long-Run Redesign

due to general traffic as well as from cars, TNCs, and delivery vehicles jockeying for the curb further slows buses down. All of these can be addressed by:

Downtown Saint Paul is the center of the East Metro transit network, with a light rail line, 13 local routes, and 17 express routes radiating in all directions. In the coming years the Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit and the Riverview modern streetcar, plus planned-for additional arterial bus rapid transit, will be added.

• optimizing stop spacing and locations,

Downtown Saint Paul serves three main functions in the transit network:

Bus-rail transfers could be optimized. A large number of passengers are transferring between bus and rail, especially at Central Station. The current arrangement of bus stops is dispersed across six blocks and is not easy to understand. Along with redesigned routes and new bus stop locations, wayfinding signage could make these transfers easier to understand,

• As the East Metro's largest employment center, it is a major destination. • It is also a major transfer point where riders traveling from one part of the metro region to another make connections. • Finally, it is the end point for many routes. The accompanying route maps illustrate these functions. Unlike downtown Minneapolis, downtown Saint Paul has not received significant improvements to bus operations. The addition of the Green Line led to some realignment of bus routes, and the ends of some routes that had previously laid over on streets were brought into the reopened Union Depot, but the overall structure of bus routes remained essentially the same. Planning for the Gold Line has also not identified any significant changes to the structure of the bus network in Downtown Saint Paul. The Gold Line Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) route would extend through downtown. The Gold Line process is also studying an alternative that would end at Union Depot. This report takes no position on those options, which remain under evaluation. Each outcome would affect downtown transit and overall travel in different ways. Rush Line and Riverview are also planning to serve downtown. Downtown currently has significant opportunities for improvement; these planned new services increase the need to take a fresh look at how transit can work in an integrated way to best serve downtown,and its functions in the transit system. The following opportunities include actions that could be taken in the shorter- and longer-terms. Better bus stop shelters would improve the rider experience. Some stops in downtown Saint Paul have good shelters and bus station amenities such as Central Station, but others have only benches or no facilities at all, such as on 5th street at Jackson. These are some of the most important transit facilities in the East Metro network, serving hundreds of people a day. Bus lanes, traffic signal priority, and stop consolidation could speed up buses. Today, downtown Saint Paul is one of the slowest parts of the bus network. The 71 schedule, for example, takes 7 minutes to travel only 2/3 of a mile from the northern edge of downtown to the center, averaging less than 6 mph. These slow speeds are caused by a variety of factors, all of which can be changed. Closely spaced stops increase the time the bus spends stopped; the same number of passengers boarding at fewer stops would take less time. Red lights slow buses down. Congestion

Opportunities

• adding bus-only lanes coordinated with clearly marked curbside loading zones for other vehicles outside the bus lanes, and • by giving buses traffic signal priority at key intersections.

The overall route structure could be simplified. The accompanying maps show a complex route structure that is not easily understood by someone thinking of using transit. And they show a route structure that feeds many routes into and through downtown. A larger route restructuring, taking advantage of the Green Line, Gold Line, Rush Line, and possible new aBRT corridors, could mean some routes do not need to go downtown at all. Within downtown, routes could be consolidated on fewer streets and simplified. For example, seven local buses use 5th and 6th streets for east-west travel, while the same number of north-south routes are spread across Wabasha, Cedar, Minnesota, and Robert. Combining these routes on a single pair of streets might make the network easier to understand for riders and make it easier to improve bus stops and bus lanes. It may even make sense to move one or more bus routes into the same streets as light rail, creating transit malls that simplify connections. Union Depot could be used more effectively. Union Depot is an extraordinary facility, a national exemplar in bringing together multiple modes; in mixed-use, transit-oriented development; and in place-making for economic development. The bus facilities, and thus the experience of transferring between buses, is currently the most pleasant in downtown and probably in the region. However, Union Depot is currently primarily used as an end-of-route layover rather than a transfer hub. In a new route structure, the depot could play a more significant function, taking advantage of the high quality boarding island, canopies, and concourse amenities. It may make sense to bring some routes more directly into the depot, such as some that do not terminate in downtown, or others that currently terminate elsewhere in downtown. It may also be useful to make physical improvements to the facility. In particular, a second bus entry/exit from the west would make it easier to bring routes through the depot without detours. The center of downtown will always be a major destination, and in general it makes sense for high ridership routes to run directly to the destinations in the center of downtown without forcing transfers. However, it may be desirable for Union Depot to take on some of the transfer functions that other parts of downtown currently serve.

Rail and BRT lines could act as downtown circulators. The Green Line provides a useful connection between Union Depot, the center of downtown, and the Capitol. A Gold Line route into downtown could provide a similar connection between Union Depot, center of downtown, Xcel Energy Center, and the cathedral. Regional routes like the Green and Gold lines are useful for trips within downtown as well as for riders who take the bus or rail into downtown but are headed to a portion of downtown their route does not serve. Thus, both the Green and Gold Lines could serve as – and be marketed as – circulators in much the same way Route 18 does on Nicollet Avenue through downtown Minneapolis. This may also mean that not all local routes have to go through downtown the way they do now. On the other hand, there is an argument to be made for not using higher-speed, regional routes as a circulator.

Washington Ramsey

The planned new lines into downtown both reinforce an existing need and create an opportunity to look at the downtown transit network as a whole. A comprehensive downtown study could identify both short-term improvements and long-term strategies for stops, streetscape, traffic management, and route structure. Dakota

Union Depot

Population Density

Employment Density

Low

High Low

Areas of Concentrated Poverty

Low

High

Race Density

High

White

Black

Asian

Other

Hispanic (all)

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

Downtown Saint Paul Routes

14 275

860

35W

35E

Lexington 610

262

35W & Hwy 10

Hwy 65 & 73rd Shoreview

265

262 62

I-694 & Lexington

White Bear Maplewood Mall

694

36 294

Roseville West

N St Paul

Mid-City Industrial

Oakdale

Downtown Minn.

U of Minn.

94 353

694

74 68

I-94 & Mcknight

Uni. Ave & 280 21

351 353

3M Campus

63 70

Grand Ave

Woodbury

35W

350

494

MSP Airport

75 75 54

494

Bloomington

I-35 & Hwy 55

Inver heights

361

489

35W

480

Eagan

364

35E

Cottage Grove

484

KEY XXX XXX XX

484

Burnsville Apple Valley

Terminates at Union Depot Terminates in Downtown Through Downtown 5th & 6th Robert Wabasha & Cedar Cedar & Minnesota

N 55

Opportunities

KEY XXX XXX

Terminates at Union Depot Terminates in Downtown

1 2 2

4 mi

8 mi

Como Park

L’O rie nt

Downtown Saint Paul Routes

University

Charles

860

12 th

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Main ge

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State

62 75

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68 71

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RIV

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Lines that stop at Union Depot: 3, 16, 21, 54, 94, 262, 417, 480, 484, 489

ne stoob ingR

860

480

Liv

Ex ch

State

350

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353

364

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Washing to

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Main

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489

350

294 275

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351

361 353

61 54

417 e 480 in c Pr 484 70 63 489 489 364 484 Lines that stop94at Union Depot: 361 480 54 3, 16, 21, 54, 94, 262, 417, 353 417 350 480, 484, 489 21 364 63

350

480

ou 364

361

353

351

275 265

860

c Wa

ley

E St

417

7th

489 94 54 21 63

480

Sib

4th

417 t 275364 th S 7 860 361 353

484

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484

480 61 489 54

480

c Ja

265

64 67 265 63 16 94 75 d 61 262 3 74 2n 54 70 62 75 21 t E 64 75 62 S 5th 63 262 61 54 21

262 62 75

4th St W

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7th

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417 74 480 860 64 484

361

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860 64

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489 94 484

417

Sib

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800ft

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200 400

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200 400 Downtown 800ft Through

ley

XX 0

364

351

W aln

Through Downtown ut 6th & 5th Grand Sh Robert er m an KEY Wabasha & Cedar XX Terminates at Union Depot Cedar & Minnesota Forbes XX Terminates in Downtown

Sib

Terminates at Union Depot Forbes Terminates in Downtown

m Te

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Kellogg h 7t

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417

860 480

350

275

62 75

Sib

E 94 St 74 6th70

5th St W

63 Sh

7t 860

54 70 74

r an

pe ks

Kellogg

351 350

294

6th St W

t hS

480

353

294

t hS

3 61 54 16

4th St W

265

275 265

m Te c Ja

b Wa

Ke ll

7th

t E7

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Market

W aln

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21 54 353 70 480 94 484 74 417 489

KEY

3 16 262 62

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eg oll

E St 9th t E 94 S 74 6t h

63 54

5th St W

E Pl

35E

Grand

262 ge an 62 ch 67 Ex

7th

b Wa

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294 68 71

tW hS

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860t S 8th 275

860 275 265

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6th St W

3 16

3 16 262 62

3 16

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7th

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262

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16 62 67 262

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21 353 480 484 489

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262

68 71

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12th St

m olu

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62 67

16 62 67 262

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7th

275

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262

3 16

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12th St

16 i ng

860

Grove

262

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62 67

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68 71

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61 54

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860 64

t hS

Oli

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t he

13th St

860 275 265

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in ar t

lvd

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262

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860

35E

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62 67

t so

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th 14

860

Grove

University

68 71

Kit

b Ro

Aurora

13th St

University

Charles

Mississippi

Como

University

Mississippi

C ap it o l

Sherburne m

Park

L’O rie nt

Rice

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35E

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities

6 Next Steps It is clear that there are many opportunities to improve transit in the East Metro. If the board of East Metro Strong and other stakeholders believe that it is worth moving ahead with pursuing those, the ideas outlined in this report should be starting point for a larger discussion. Step 1

Outreach and vision. An extensive public outreach program can establish the community’s goals and determine the level of interest in different ideas for improvements and surface new ideas. This program needs to be comprehensive enough to reach transit riders and marginalized communities; this will require stakeholder discussions with community leaders, public workshops, and widespread outreach to the public where they are: at community events, transit centers, and online. This outreach should define a vision for transit in the East Metro, clearly stating priorities and identifying which possible improvements are worth further study.

Step 2

Data analysis. To quantify the potential benefits of improvements and identify exactly where improvements (especially targeted improvements like bus stops and intersections) are needed, the ridership and schedule data that Metro Transit already collects needs to be compiled and analyzed. This can happen in parallel with the outreach and vision.

Step 3

Coordination with existing planning efforts. Where planning is already underway – like on the Gold Line and the Metro Transit aBRT program – ideas from this report and from public outreach should be fed into those planning efforts.

Step 4

New planning studies. Based on the visions, Metro Transit, cities, or counties can initiate new transit studies.

Next Steps

East Metro Transit Network Opportunities