The B Line is Coming Soon, But Improvements Are Already Here
On a frigid Tuesday afternoon, the Route 21 bus is predictably packed as it travels down Lake Street in Minneapolis. Tucked into a single seat next to the door, Freeda looks out the window, seemingly lost in thought while everyone else has their heads down, consumed by their cell phones.
“I’m still getting settled here,” she shares, happy to talk to a fellow rider inquiring about her experience on the bus. “I left Florida with nothing but my purse. I’m a DV (domestic violence) survivor and I’m starting an organization to help other victims. I got a little office in Uptown and I’m finishing up two grant applications today.”
Freeda rides—and relies on—transit everyday. She takes the train to get to work at the airport. She takes the bus to get around for her daily needs, including the logistics of starting her new organization. And she’s noticed the changes on the 21 line in recent months. The red bus lanes. The new bus shelters. She hopes these improvements will add up to spending fewer wasted minutes waiting for transit and more time for her passion as a community member “just trying to make the world a little bit better.”
Riders like Freeda are the reason Move Minnesota launched our Boost the Bus campaign to push decision-makers to speed up and improve the reliability of Metro Transit’s most-used routes. Simple and inexpensive fixes like bus lanes and signal priority can make a big impact—and we’re starting to see the benefits of our advocacy hit the streets with progress on the B Line.
A $65-million project funded through a mix of federal, state, and Metropolitan Council resources, the METRO B Line is a planned bus rapid transit line that will connect people in Minneapolis and Saint Paul with faster and more convenient transit service in the Route 21 corridor along Lake Street and Marshall and Selby avenues. Construction started last year and upgraded stations—with heaters and NexTrip signs—are now operational from Fairview to Hiawatha, and red bus lanes are painted nearly the entire westbound trip through Minneapolis.
According to Metro Transit reports, people took more than 10,000 daily rides on Route 21 before the pandemic, making it the agency’s second busiest bus route. But Lake Street was also one of the slowest transit corridors in the region, with buses moving an average speed of 8 miles per hour during peak times. The B Line promises to make service approximately 20% faster than current travel time by stopping less often, allowing people to board faster, running in bus-only lanes in some locations, and stopping at fewer red lights.
Monique says the improvements have already made her bus rides faster. As the train rumbles above, Monique is staying warm in a new heated bus shelter at the Midtown Station on a Wednesday morning, sharing her excitement about the in-unit washer and dryer in her new apartment nearby with fellow riders. She relies almost exclusively on public transit to get around and today she’s heading to the doctor. “But they don’t open until 10 [a.m.], and I woke up wanting these crackers they got at the gas station so I’m going there to kill some time,” she says.
It’s been a rough few months of heavy construction along the corridor, but now the 21 coasts down Lake Street in a dedicated red bus lane. “It’s been slow this summer,” she says, “but now it’s faster. It’s definitely better than before.”
The benefits of speeding up service are significant. While buses make up just 2% of vehicle traffic, they carry approximately 20% of people traveling on Lake Street. But, with faster service that number could be even higher. Brian is one of those potential riders. He’s sitting in the back of the 21 this Tuesday afternoon with his groceries but says he only rides the bus once or twice a week—when his girlfriend takes the car for her job. “It’s for sure faster and the bus lanes help a lot,” he says of the improvements on the 21. “The shelters are nice but it’s the waiting. I’d ride more if I didn’t have to wait as much.”
Thanks in part to new resources from the metro sales tax that advocates and lawmakers secured during the 2023 legislative session, Brian and other riders can look forward to much shorter wait times in the very near future. When the B Line begins operation in Minneapolis and Saint Paul in June 2025, buses will come every 10 minutes—in addition to the 21 continuing to serve all the local stops every 30 minutes.
It’s not just people on the bus who will benefit from all these improvements either. Today, Lake Street is the highest crash corridor in Minneapolis, and one of the highest in all of Hennepin County. Upgrades to Lake Street, happening in conjunction with the B Line project, are expected to reduce crashes and enhance safety for everyone on this important Twin Cities street—whether we bus, walk, roll, or drive.
We are excited about the improvements riders are already experiencing and can’t wait for the METRO B Line to start serving people this summer! Great bus service makes our Twin Cities an even better place to live, work, play, and get around. But we need more bus routes with service that is quick and convenient and there when we need it. In 2025, our Saint Paul Volunteer Team will be working to boost the bus in Saint Paul. Get involved here or sign our Boost the Bus petition to show your support!