Hennepin Avenue bus rapid transit should live up to the name “rapid”

The E Line BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) for bus route 6 is coming to Hennepin Avenue in 2025. Construction is set to begin in 2024. E Line BRT will run about every 10 minutes 7 days a week, while the existing local route 6 will scale back to every 20 minutes. Metro Transit is currently accepting feedback on their Corridor Plan until April 8. Comment HERE.

The E Line BRT is a $60 million investment in transit service for our neighborhoods. We have to do all we can to ensure we deliver on the promise of quick and reliable service. Traveling from Uptown to Downtown on bus rapid transit should actually live up to the name “rapid.” The E line BRT, and Hennepin improvements, would also benefit transit riders outside the Uptown area trying to get to Southdale or Berry on University Avenue (Westgate Green LRT station). History has shown that with investment in BRT infrastructure, ridership grows. In March 2021, City of Minneapolis Public Works Engineer Allan Klugman stated that the current 6,600 bus riders per day is expected to become 14,000 bus riders once the E Line bus rapid transit is added. Bus ridership is already nearly 50% of the rush hour mode share.

Bus Mode Share Graphic. On a typical weekday at 8 am, buses are 3% of motor vehicles and move 49% of people on Hennepin Avenue. In the afternoon peak hour, buses are 2 % of motor vehicles and move 45% of people on Hennepin Avenue.

Benefits of BRT:
💛 Faster, more frequent service
💛 Pre-boarding fare payment for faster stops
💛 Neighborhood-scale stations with amenities
💛 Larger & specialized vehicles
💛 Buses get traffic signal priority for faster trips
💛 Riders can board or exit from any of 3 bus doors (on 60 ft buses)
💛 Stations with heat, lighting, and real-time departure info

We encourage you to submit a comment:
💛Ask for dedicated transit lanes (including on Hennepin Avenue)
💛Support far-side bus station placement at 43rd & Upton intersection, they moved the southbound one. We’re requesting they change it back. This means less delay to transit riders and better service.

Comment HERE

Other useful E Line BRT resources:
Final Countdown: E Line Comment Reminder
How to Build Great E Line Stations
Why Don’t They Just Build a Train?