Metro Transit and local partners are increasing bus lanes, improving signal technology, and using other methods to make transit more reliable in the region.
New bus lanes have been added to parts of Hennepin and Lyndale avenues. This change will help many riders on routes 4 and 6 avoid delays in the busy area each day. The project is a collaboration between Metro Transit and the City of Minneapolis.
Bus lanes have been added to parts of East Lake Street, 7th Street, and Chicago Avenue. This year, new bus lanes will be added to sections of Hennepin and First Avenues Northeast, Lagoon Avenue and more of Lake Street. The METRO Gold Line, Minnesota’s first bus rapid transit line mainly using bus-only lanes, will open in March 2025.
“Bus lanes are an effective way of increasing transit’s appeal because they help get riders where they want to go faster and more reliably,” General Manager Lesley Kandaras said. “We welcome the addition of bus lanes on Hennepin and Lyndale avenues and look forward to continuing to deploy tools that help improve the transit experience.”
On Hennepin Avenue South, a bus lane pilot reduced travel times by 18% during rush hour and over 50% on snowy days.
Bus lanes are usually added to improve bus rapid transit lines, making it easier for buses to move by using signal priority, off-board fare payments, all-door boarding, and fewer stops.
Three new bus rapid transit lines will open in 2025, including the METRO E Line that will serve the Hennepin Avenue corridor.
Coordinated efforts to improve local service
In areas like Lyndale Avenue, where bus delays are common, and no immediate rapid transit plans exist, improvements are being organized through Metro Transit’s Better Bus Routes program.
This program aims to combine stops, add shelters, enhance bus stop accessibility, and make local routes simpler and more convenient. Since its start in 2018, five corridors have been improved.
Improvements to Route 4 will take place this fall, affecting Johnson Street in Northeast Minneapolis and Lyndale and Penn avenues in south Minneapolis and Richfield. Changes to routes 7, 61, and 11 will happen in the coming years.
