Metro Transit breaks ground on the B Line from downtown St. Paul to Uptown Minneapolis
Metro Transit held a ceremonial groundbreaking on Monday for the B Line, a bus rapid transit route that will soon link Uptown in Minneapolis to the Union Depot transit hub in downtown St. Paul.
Construction on stations and improvements east of Hiawatha Avenue are expected to get underway this spring, followed by stations west of Hiawatha Avenue a year from now. Service, which will largely replace the Route 21 corridor, the state’s busiest local bus route, is scheduled to roll out in late 2024.
The goal is to improve travel times on the 11-mile corridor by up to 20% through bus-only lanes, transit signal priority, all-door boarding and advance or off-board fare payments.
The groundbreaking, attended by U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and the St. Paul and Minneapolis mayors, among other dignitaries, was held at 2701 27th Ave. South in Minneapolis, a Lake Street stop served by the Route 21 and multiple bus routes located within walking distance of the Blue Line.
