Transiting: The New Link To The East Metro

Twenty-one years ago, I had to get really acquainted with Metro Transit, the local transit provider for the metropolitan Twin Cities. Their bus and light rail service handled the two cities – Minneapolis and Saint Paul – along with most of the suburbs. It was a great transit service for the region thanks to their service levels and accessibility for both work and getting home.

Things have changed over that time. My automotive journalism workflow has increased. I am sharing the “team car” (the V&R Machine). Plus, I’m disabled. 

While I now have a mix of mobility available to me, taking Metro Transit busses are practically out of the question. For some instances, I call upon Metro Mobility – the region’s dial-a-ride service for disabled people, like me – to get me around when it is necessary. 

Metro Transit is still going. Their efforts are now focused on deepening the service on the region’s major corridors through bus rapid transit and extensions to their current light rail network. The former is an enhanced bus service that has dedicated bus stations where passengers can pre-pay for their ride before boarding. Stations are usually at higher volume locations, including key transfer points. 

Some bus rapid transit lines sometimes use major streets with dedicated bus lanes to get around. Others use “guideways,” which could be dedicated lanes on major highways, or a completely different route separate from any street or highway. 

In the case of the newly opened Metro Transit Gold Line, about half of the 10-mile long route runs on a guideway that runs along Interstate 94 east from downtown Saint Paul. The route will run along or in-between city streets until it reaches its destination in the Washington County suburb of Woodbury. There is a park and ride lot at the end of the line with enough parking for suburban commuters to use the Gold Line. 

On March 22, the service opened for passengers. Headways for this service run from 10 minutes on the weekdays, 15 minutes on the weekends. Metro Transit currently use efficient articulated buses on the line to accommodate a larger passenger load. Tickets and passholders use machines at each station to get fares before boarding. They can board or exit through any door on the bus. 

What is significant about the Gold Line is that the communities east of the Interstate 494/694 loop have been underserved by Metro Transit mainline bus service for years. Commuters would get express bus service from various park and ride lots throughout Woodbury and Oakdale to reach both downtown Saint Paul and Minneapolis during rush hour. Recently, local bus service began serving Woodbury from the Sun Ray Transit Center in Saint Paul on a 30–60-minute headway seven days a week.  

The highlight of the service is not just creating a frequent transit link to Woodbury and Washington County. It is where it connects to along the way. For example, there is a station at 3M’s world headquarters in Maplewood. Commuters who work for one of Minnesota’s biggest corporations can walk from the station onto the company’s main campus to their offices. The Gold Line also serves Sun Ray Shopping Center and other shopping areas on Woodbury’s west side near Interstate 494. 

There are some drawbacks. One, the Gold Line only serves a small portion of Woodbury and the adjoining suburb of Oakdale. There are plenty of employers that are not immediately accessible from any of the stations in these two suburbs. Plus, the route runs through areas that do not have a lot of transit-oriented development. The need for housing and retail along key parts of this route is there, but one must be smart when developing for all incomes. 

There is a solution to one of these problems. If someone wants to shop at Tamarack Village or at other shopping centers in that part of Woodbury or Oakdale, or need to connect to their home, there is Metro Micro available. Using an app, you can order a small van-based bus to connect you from one of the Gold Line stations to anywhere in Woodbury and Oakdale. They are also accessible with a lift for wheelchair-bound passengers. 

One of the questions, have been asked about why Metro Transit and the Metropolitan Council – the coordinating agency for public transit in the Twin Cities – went with bus rapid transit instead of light rail. Bus rapid transit is a less expensive alternative to building rail lines – by around half the cost. This project included road construction, building stations and other operational management enhancements along the route. All told, this project cost $505 million, paid for by Federal, State, and local sources. 

The Gold Line project is not completely finished. In 2027, a new bridge in downtown Saint Paul will open linking the transit guideway with Union Depot. Thay will open up more transfer opportunities, along with links to Amtrak and intercity bus services. By 2029, the route will extend to downtown Minneapolis, eventually replacing the long-running express service between the two downtowns. 

I forgot to mention that I took advantage of the free rides available on the Gold Line’s opening day. To try this service out. I parked the V&R Machine at the new Woodlane Drive Station and park and ride lot, taking the bus to the Maplewood Station, in front of 3M’s headquarters, and back.  

How did it go? For one, I wished there was more accessible seating up front. I also had to be mindful that it is best to board up front to access those seats. Also, I wish drivers would be more aware of a semi-mobile disabled person trying to exit the bus at an intermediary station. Just a nitpick, but for someone with occasional balance issues, that was a “rougher landing” than I wished for. 

Other than, it was a pleasant ride. People were using it to check out the line and we saw accessible usage on the route, as well. There was even interest among some people who were looking for nearby housing, as well. 

Perhaps this is a good start for a new line. I know that this project has a few more things to do to complete it. That, along with opening up a few more bus rapid transit lines in the region and to get the light rail service connected out to Eden Prairie from downtown Minneapolis, among other things at Metro Transit. Maybe, they’ll figure out what to do with reinstating transit service into Excelsior and western Hennepin County. I know…I’m asking a lot. 

The new Metro Transit Gold Line is, after all, a good start. 

All photos by Randy Stern