The METRO Gold Line is set for a vital expansion that will connect the east metro to downtown Minneapolis by 2027. Currently under construction, the Gold Line is a testament to the ever-evolving landscape of Twin Cities transportation. Slated for completion in 2025, this development will operate an efficient bus rapid transit service across 16 stations, linking Saint Paul, Maplewood, Landfall, Oakdale, and Woodbury along the Interstate 94 corridor, as reported by the Metropolitan Council.
With an investment of $505 million, officials report the Gold Line is expected to finish under budget and on schedule, with buses running by March 22, 2025, as noted in a publication by the Metropolitan Council. Extending this line to downtown Minneapolis intends to shake up the status quo, injecting up to $20 million primarily into new buses and station construction. An announcement made by General Manager Lesley Kandaras emphasized that such an expansion "will create a true crosstown route that allows people to travel efficiently between the East Metro and some of our region’s top destinations."
The consequential benefits of this extension are multifaceted. Replacing Route 94, the Gold Line is forecasted to enhance daily commutes, providing service every 10 minutes, stepping up from the approximately 800 riders served between the twin city downtowns on weekdays. Metro Transit's draft service improvement plan, Network Now, envisions the cherry-picked addition of midday service to Route 94 before 2027 to complement community connections to new Gold Line stations.
The METRO network's ambition doesn't end here. With extensions of the Green and Blue Lines underway, and a vision of 12 bus rapid transit lines connecting the Twin Cities, Metropolitan Council Chair Charlie Zelle sums up the epochal changes: "The transportation investments we’re making in our METRO system are fundamentally transforming how people move and connect around our region.” Charlie Zelle added, “Each new service builds on the ones that have come before it, making transit a more attractive and useful option for residents across the Twin Cities," as stated by the Metropolitan Council.
