In this edition...
  • Lake Street to Downtown in 3 Minutes, 40 Seconds
  • Metro Transit Zero Emission Bus Plan
  • Move Minneapolis Extends Office Hours
  • Finding My Way Downtown
  • 10th Ave Bridge Reopening
  • ABC Ramps Public Art Survey
Lake Street to Downtown in 3 Minutes, 40 Seconds
Two massive silver metallic arches rise up from the middle of the newly rebuilt I-35W as it crosses over Lake Street in South Minneapolis. The window filled arches are separated in the middle by two bus lanes running in opposing directions. Below the freeway, two elegant matching staircases ease passengers down to Lake Street level from opposite sides of the street in the glass enclosed structure. Part Jetsons, part Grand Central Station – this is Lake Street Station. It’s positioned at the crossroads of many bus routes including the new METRO Orange Line BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) that launches on December 4, 2021.





The station serves the following routes at the freeway level:

  • Metro Transit express routes 553, 578, 597 and METRO Orange Line
  • SouthWest Transit routes 600 and 695

At the Lake Street level, the following routes are served:

  •  Metro Transit local routes 21 and 27
This $20 million station is the crown jewel of the $ 150 million METRO Orange Line that zips bus passengers on (mostly) dedicated bus lanes from Burnsville into the heart of downtown Minneapolis, avoiding congestion. For riders who once used the tiny bus shelter perched above Lake Street on an embankment just a few feet from racing freeway traffic, this station is luxurious! Additionally, with a direct link to the Greenway just 30 yards from the station, bicyclists now have a straight shot into downtown.
The Lake Street Station is currently open Monday – Friday, 5 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. Building hours will be extended to weekends when the Orange Line starts service on Dec. 4, 2021 – the Orange Line will run 7 days a week.

Buses have a dedicated exit ramp into downtown, gliding right onto the bus lanes of 2nd Ave South and Marquette Ave. Trip time from the Lake Street station to 2nd Ave S and 8th Street is under 4 minutes – faster than any car can get there and with no need to worry about parking.
Metro Transit Zero Emission Bus Transition Plan
The Metropolitan Council is developing a Zero-Emission Bus (ZEB) and electric vehicle transition plan, to be finalized by February 15, 2022.

In November 2021, Metro Transit held two Zero Emission Bus Summits to engage with stakeholders. The summits included both informational presentations and interactive portions. The presentations provided background, technical aspects, and context for electric buses.

The interactive portion of the summits included facilitated discussion around equity considerations for the implementation and use of electric buses. Participants provided feedback around how Metro Transit should prioritize and measure equity and environmental justice in the transition to electric buses. Participants also provided feedback on the population characteristics and environmental factors that Metro Transit has already identified.

Metro Transit is conducting outreach to neighborhood organizations in Minneapolis and St. Paul in November 2021. Everyone is invited to take Metro Transit’s survey regarding the transition plan by clicking the button below. The survey closes on November 30th, 2021.
Move Minneapolis Extends Office Hours

As more employees explore new sustainable commute routines, Move Minneapolis is excited to offer hands-on assistance with your many multimodal options. Our growing team has extended office hours weekly, Monday – Thursday, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. You can find us at the skyway level of the Young Quinlan Building, 81 South 9th St, Suite 200, within the Minneapolis Regional Chamber Offices. We look forward to helping you with carpool registration, individual transit planning, bike route or parking options, and tips for whichever mode you want to explore. If you’ve already mastered your commute, stop in and brag about what you’ve learned!
Finding My Way Downtown
To the uninitiated, bike commuting downtown may be a little intimidating. New Move Minneapolis employee Catherine has learned a lot about biking downtown in her first few weeks. Come along for the ride and learn more about downtown bike commuting in a new blog post, where Catherine documents challenges and triumphs, highlights some great downtown bicycle infrastructure, and shares what she’s learned about downtown biking along the way. Read the full story on the Move Blog
Blog Post by Catherine Windyk
10th Ave Bridge Grand Reopening
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on November 16th, 2021 to celebrate the reopening of the 10th Avenue bridge, which spans the Mississippi River from the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood to the Cedar Riverside neighborhood and the University of Minnesota West Bank. The bridge closed in March 2020 for repairs to the arches and support columns, replacement of a failing water main, and the addition of enhanced bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure on the bridge’s surface.

Prior to the closure, the 10th Avenue bridge included 2 motorized traffic lanes in each direction, a sidewalk on the East side, and one narrow bike lane in each direction. The newly reopened bridge includes a wider sidewalk on the East side, an additional sidewalk on the West side, a two-way protected bikeway separated from motorized traffic by a concrete barrier, and one motorized traffic lane in each direction. 
Public Art Survey for ABC Ramps Mobility Hub

Have a say in a public art space. Your input is needed on the locations, stories and art you’d like to see in and around ABC Ramps Mobility Hub. This year ABC Ramps is developing a Comprehensive Public Art Plan that will guide future investment in public art within the facility and maximize the impact of art toward meeting the overall objectives of the facility, including: Sustainability, Safety, and Neighborhood Connectivity.
Move Minneapolis is a 501c4 nonprofit that promotes sustainable transportation.

Support is provided by a federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant in partnership with the United States Department of Transportation, the Metropolitan Council, the City of Minneapolis, MnDOT, Hennepin County, and the downtown community.