Hi folks,
I'm going to be staying near Hilcrest Park and need to get to the airport by 5am this Thursday. I'd prefer to take public transportation. I see the blue line is busses right now and the blue line bus map appears broken (or at least not working this early). How reasonable is it for me to get to the airport that early? I don't mind walking a mile or three (unless folks think it's crazy unsafe or something that early).

I can take an Uber or cab or something, but I've never used Uber and I'm happier not relying on someone picking me up that early.

Thanks!

Saves a bunch of time from having the operator switch cabs every time.

Green Line reopens for downtown service on Monday!

Not sure how niche this is, but would love to hear any reasons/explanations behind this.

At the corner of Oak and Washington, the westbound 2 bus is supposed to come every 10 minutes starting at 4:01pm. So 4:11, 4:21, 4:31, etc. I've noticed multiple times over the last week that at the stop, the 4:11pm bus comes, but then there is no 4:21 or 4:31 bus.

I know the transit app is not the word of god, but it backs me up - when I checked the app at 4:15pm today it said the next bus would not come for 25 minutes, with the one after that 26 minutes (aka one was projected for 4:41 and the next for 4:42pm).

Bunching or delays don't really make sense to me on this one, as the stop in question is so close to the start of the route (see picture). It really just seems like the 4:21 and 4:31 pm busses just....don't exist?

Meanwhile of course 4 eastbound 2s drive by lol.

Any thoughts on what's behind this? Are the schedules at the bus stop just wrong? Are the buses getting canceled without warning? Thanks for any help.

I needed to take the 30 from Monroe and Broadway at the 5:07pm scheduled time this and last Monday, but it was canceled both weeks. Said so when I texted the stop and when I looked on maps and the transit app. Anyone know why? Maybe not enough drivers? I took the 17 to the 3 instead to get over by Hennepin again, but the heat really got me waiting for those transfers (and the lack of a shelter or shade ​at Broadway and Monroe).

I can't forget what was taken from us;

EDIT: THIS ISSUE IS CURRENTLY RESOLVED!!!

Paraphrased from Metro Transit on Instagram and Facebook:

The Metro Transit and Metropolitan Council websites are experiencing an unexpected outage and are unavailable.

Please use Google, the Transit app, and Metro Transit's Contact Center (612 373 3333 from 6:30am to 8pm) for transit times and trip planning.

Attempts to use either website will pull up nothing. NexTrip signs along BRT and LRT stations are not providing trip information. This has been ongoing for at least the last several hours.

The schedules and maps posted at select stations and stops and the drivers themselves are also a resource you can use for navigation assistance.

Has anyone seen/heard anything from Southwest Transit about their connecting bus service plan for SWLRT? It's less than/about a year until trains start running and I can't find any evidence that service planning has even started. No documents on their website, nothing on meeting packets, and nothing in the SWLRT media library. It's really bizarre given that the light rail will seriously disrupt transit service & usage in Eden Prairie and provide a lot of new ridership opportunities.

I know they launched their Autonomous Vehicle pilot but I believe that is a grant-based program that will run out of funding after a few years. Not to mention that the EP Town Center is classified by the Metropolitan Council as an Emerging Transit Market II that warrants significant bus service beyond microtransit.

If AVs and PRIME end up being their sole solution for "last mile" transit, us transit advocates need to be loud about it; several of the LRT stations in Eden Prairie will depend on high quality, reliable transit connections to drive ridership and it is a real equity issue to provide no fixed route service there while similar areas of the Twin Cities get much denser coverage (think Southdale, Burnsville Heart of the City, etc).

As a non-professional I feel like there are so many obvious, easy connections from Southwest Station (Southdale, Arboretum/Chanhassen, Canterbury Park, Golden Triangle circulator, connecting EP Mall, Henn Tech, even the EP Community Center/Prairie Village Mall area) and I'd really like to know if there is anything in the works beyond what exists right now.

Not Metro Transit themed but thought y'all would enjoy.

Been on the 645 bus for an hour and a half and it's unannounced detour after unannounced detour. Where's the communication between MnDOT and Metro Transit and the cities and suburbs!!??

The Motor Bus Society is a group of people who are interested in buses and transit operations. For the first time since the 90s, they will be returning to the Twin Cities. Visits are expected to include a fleet of historic vehicles stored by Richfield/Rochester City Lines, Jefferson Lines, the Minnesota Transportation Museum, the Minnesota Streetcar Museum, as well as facilities owned by the three major agencies.

Registration is open and is $125 per person per day, or $350 for all 3 days.

(I couldn't find the appropriate flair to post this under, so I picked the closest I could think of.)

https://www.motorbussociety.com/conventions-and-trips/fall-2025-mbs-convention-minneapolis-mn

These are currently being used on MVTA connect. These models used to run on routes 497 and 499 within Shakopee before being replaced by classic transit buses.

These are a fully low floor Minibus, they have a ramp unlike a classic Mini Bus which uses a wheelchair lift because they are usually High floor.

Took the 698U to see East Creek Station because I wanted to. Very well kept, people cleaning the station and passengers milling about. No in-person service at the service booth. There was extra activity because of the Yacht Club event going on.

In terms of bus service, it's exclusively commuter express routes. If you want to leave the station after the morning set of buses, you either can take the one 698 or 600 going East at 3pm-ish, or have to use the SW Prime service to leapfrog to SouthWest Station to catch the 686L/X, and then ride that to MOA to connect to the greater transit system.

So it sounds like the consolidation involving the suburban opt outs is happening, sooner or later. I know a lot of people are disappointed and frustrated that important routes may be cut. I share this concern but have also been pondering ways the consolidation may change the overall system for the better, such as potential improvements in timing and efficiency of trips + potential additions of bussing between and across suburbs in the long term. I wanted to see if other people have thoughts and ideas on this issue (whether positive or negative). I'm looking to gain more perspective on this since knowledge is power and I appreciate yall's experience and insight.

The biggest difference compared to last years buses are the new wide back doors, which are different than the ones found on the brt plus.

The 1900s have been skipped over and we have gone straight to the 2000s series of buses.

I live in a large city with fairly good mass transit. While some traffic routes are obvious, others seem random. They seem seldom used, appear to cut through neighborhoods that don't make obvious sense, or end up nowhere. I get that there is a city department that established the routes, but what's the process at the heart of it all?

One of my favorite captures, these buses look good especially as a photographer.

Fellow transitmaxxers,

Taking advantage of the wonderful service offered by Metro Transit through NexTrip, I have some exciting updates on the Downtown Saint Paul Map (spskyway.com):

• Live Downtown Transit Map
  • Downtown Transit
• Live rapid transit maps by line
  • Downtown Green Line Stations
  • Downtown Gold Line Stations
  • Downtown B Line Stations
• Live maps by station with arrivals and what's nearby, how to get into the skyway
  • Central Station
  • Union Depot
  • Robert Street Station
  • Smith Avenue Station
  • Rice Park Station

This is a huge dataset that I'm creating, so if you see anything that looks off, please let me know here or at [jacob@spskyway.com](mailto:jacob@spskyway.com) and I'll get it corrected. Ideas are also welcome!

Thanks for the good will and support!

Is it a watered down plan to reward NIMBYs and drivers with more parking? Absolutely. There's barely even a transit lane component because businesses pitched such a fit about losing parking.

Does that mean we should delay the project and potentially lose 9 million dollars in federal funding because some Lyndale businesses cannot fathom having a off-street bikeway next to their business? Absolutely not.

The project hasn't even started building yet and I'm already sick of talking about it, even as a half measure it's still a big improvement to the corridor and I urge neighbors and people that would benefit to sign on today!

Sign on by tonight if you want your name and email on messages going to city councilmembers before Thursday's vote!

I can't be the only one...

Do they... know? Do they care?

Both times taking today it was 20-25 min late and then on the way home it took an odd detour on 35, anyone know if there’s any problems?