Minneapolis has five Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes: the A line (2016), C line (2019), D line (2022), Orange line (2021), and Red line (2013). The city will soon get one more: the E line, "A bus...
Minneapolis has five Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes: the A line (2016), C line (2019), D line (2022), Orange line (2021), and Red line (2013). The city will soon get one more: the E line, "A bus rapid transit upgrade that will substantially replace parts of Route 6 in the Hennepin Avenue corridor, serving uptown Minneapolis."
E line BRT construction will begin in 2024. The route will offer passenger service in 2025. The route appears to cover a relatively wide array of demographics and land uses, and will attract a range of riders: commuters, students, shoppers, etc. from both established and up-and-coming neighborhoods.
Arterial bus-rapid transit is roughly 20% faster than regular bus service, because passengers pay before boarding, and there are two entrances to hop aboard — reducing long queues as people fumble for their fare.
Drivers have signal priority at busy intersections, and the stops are more spread out (every fourth of a mile in the E Line's case) than those on regular bus routes.
Unlike traditional BRT buses, arterial buses generally operate in traffic, though the E Line will travel in dedicated lanes in Uptown and northeast Minneapolis.
the E Line will connect with a number of other transit lines now operating: Green and Blue Line light-rail, the Orange Line BRT, and the C and D arterial BRT lines.
Unfortunately:
The longstanding goal of converting the Metro Transit bus fleet to electric vehicles doesn't appear to be in the offing for the E Line. Spokesman John Komarek said the current range and reliability for charging don't make electric buses "a good fit."
I'm sure this depends on the model, but electric buses seem to offer 300+ mile ranges (apparently the technical record is over 1100 miles on a single charge). I'm not sure what the issue is. Operating on a completely fixed route, surely the agency can design schedules in such a way that charging can reasonably be accomplished on the E line. I'm sure that charging infrastructure is a concern, but there is a lot of federal money available for this right now: the state just has to agree to it.
I hope that the mass transit offering continue to expand. I'm hoping (one day) they have a bus or light rail that goes back and forth following Hwy 62. I commute from Southdale Mall to the...
I hope that the mass transit offering continue to expand. I'm hoping (one day) they have a bus or light rail that goes back and forth following Hwy 62. I commute from Southdale Mall to the intersection of Hwy 62 and Hwy 169 often.
Minneapolis has five Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes: the A line (2016), C line (2019), D line (2022), Orange line (2021), and Red line (2013). The city will soon get one more: the E line, "A bus rapid transit upgrade that will substantially replace parts of Route 6 in the Hennepin Avenue corridor, serving uptown Minneapolis."
E line BRT construction will begin in 2024. The route will offer passenger service in 2025. The route appears to cover a relatively wide array of demographics and land uses, and will attract a range of riders: commuters, students, shoppers, etc. from both established and up-and-coming neighborhoods.
Unfortunately:
I'm sure this depends on the model, but electric buses seem to offer 300+ mile ranges (apparently the technical record is over 1100 miles on a single charge). I'm not sure what the issue is. Operating on a completely fixed route, surely the agency can design schedules in such a way that charging can reasonably be accomplished on the E line. I'm sure that charging infrastructure is a concern, but there is a lot of federal money available for this right now: the state just has to agree to it.
I hope that the mass transit offering continue to expand. I'm hoping (one day) they have a bus or light rail that goes back and forth following Hwy 62. I commute from Southdale Mall to the intersection of Hwy 62 and Hwy 169 often.