Metro A Line (Minnesota)

Metro A Line

Company type	Bus rapid transit service
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	2016
Headquarters	Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area , United States
Area served	Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan region, Minnesota
Products	Bus rapid transit
Owner	Metro Transit
Website	www.metrotransit.org/a-line

The Metro A Line is a bus rapid transit service operating within the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan region in Minnesota. Managed by Metro Transit, it forms part of the Metro rapid transit system. This line travels along a north-south axis on Snelling Avenue, linking the 46th Street station in Minneapolis to the Rosedale Center in Roseville, passing through Ford Parkway and crossing the Intercity Bridge.

Promoted by Metro Transit as "arterial bus rapid transit" (aBRT), the A Line incorporates features such as off-board fare payment, upgraded station amenities, and transit signal priority. The corridor along Snelling Avenue has a transit legacy dating back to 1905 with streetcars operated by the Twin City Rapid Transit, which were replaced by bus service in 1952. Efforts to enhance this bus corridor began in the early 2000s, culminating in a construction project costing approximately $27 million. The A Line commenced operations in 2016.

Route description

Beginning at its southern endpoint, the A Line starts at the 46th Street station in Minneapolis, a vital interchange point for both bus and light rail services. From there, buses travel eastward along 46th Street, cross the Mississippi River via the Intercity Bridge, then continue east on Ford Parkway until reaching Snelling Avenue. The route then proceeds north along Snelling Avenue, terminating at the Rosedale Transit Center near Rosedale Center mall.

This line serves several prominent regional landmarks including Minnehaha Park, Macalester College, Allianz Field, Hamline University, the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, and Har Mar Mall. Important transit connections include transfers to the Green Line at Snelling & University station and to the B Line at Snelling & Dayton station.

Service

A Line frequency

Day	Time	Frequency	Service hours
Weekday	Morning	10–30 minutes	4:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m.
	Rush hour periods	10 minutes	6:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.	3:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
	Midday	10 minutes	9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
	Evening	10–30 minutes	6:30 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.
Saturday		10–30 minutes	4:00 a.m. – 1:15 a.m.
Sunday/Holiday		10–30 minutes	4:00 a.m. – 1:15 a.m.

Throughout weekdays and weekends during daytime hours, the A Line runs at intervals of every 10 minutes, with less frequent service ranging from 10 to 30 minutes during early mornings and late nights. Route 84, which formerly served Snelling Avenue, continues operating at a 30-minute interval to provide coverage for other areas. Before the A Line's introduction, only Snelling Avenue had consistent 10-minute service with the launch of the Green Line in 2014. The A Line extended this high-frequency service across the entire corridor, boosting annual service hours from 63,300 to approximately 80,900. Operating expenses are estimated at $4.2 million annually.

Ridership combining both the A Line and Route 84 increased from about 3,800 to 5,100 weekday boardings within the first month after launch, representing a growth of roughly 30% over one year. In 2019, nearly 1.7 million trips were recorded on the A Line alone—a year-over-year rise of 3%—indicating strong demand and enhanced transit capacity without negatively affecting traffic conditions.

Features

The A Line integrates elements typical of bus rapid transit, providing service that is six to eight minutes quicker than the former Snelling Avenue route. Transit signal priority operates at 19 out of 34 traffic lights along the corridor, improving schedule dependability. Unlike many BRT systems, this route does not feature dedicated bus lanes, as Metro Transit opted against including them during the planning phase.

By January 2018, punctuality had risen to 94%, an increase from the previous local service’s 90.7%. Stations are spaced approximately apart, decreasing the number of stops from 80 to 20 at key high-traffic points, which reduces both acceleration and stopping durations.

Stations along the A Line come equipped with uniform shelters featuring illuminated canopies, on-demand heating, security cameras, emergency phones, seating, and bicycle parking. The boarding zones are marked by darker pavement to set them apart from adjacent sidewalks. Off-board fare payment is facilitated through ticket vending machines and Go-To card readers, accelerating boarding times and minimizing dwell periods. Pylon signs display real-time bus arrival information; these illuminated markers flash as buses approach. Curbs are elevated with tactile warning strips to enable near-level boarding. Many stops also incorporate bus bulbs that allow buses to remain in travel lanes while picking up passengers.

The initial fleet consisted of 12 new buses priced at approximately $500,000 each—about 10% costlier than standard models—with enhanced standing capacity, stainless steel seating, and complimentary onboard Wi-Fi. These vehicles sport a distinctive exterior design featuring rounded molding edges and brighter digital displays that show real-time service updates and next stops. Of these buses, three were newly purchased while nine replaced existing Gillig contract vehicles; an additional bus was acquired shortly after launch to boost maintenance flexibility and reliability.

The A Line’s clear branding and elevated passenger experience led a transit expert to describe it as "likely the best bus route in the United States." Customer satisfaction levels surpass those of typical local routes. To support operations, Metro Transit assigned six extra police officers dedicated to monitoring and fare enforcement along the A Line.

Stations

Station	Neighborhood(s)	City	Opened	Connections	Fall 2019 Weekday Ridership
Rosedale Transit Center	Roseville		REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Routes 32, 65, 87, 223, 225, 227, 264, 801	693
Snelling & County Road B				65	393
Snelling & Larpenteur	Falcon Heights			Route 61	201
Snelling & Hoyt-Nebraska	Como	Falcon Heights, Saint Paul		No routes	79
Snelling & Midway Parkway		Saint Paul	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	No routes	No regular service
Snelling & Como			REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Route 3	269
Snelling & Hewitt	Hamline-Midway			No routes	135
Snelling & Minnehaha				Route 67	240
Snelling & University	Hamline-Midway, Union Park			Green Line, Routes 16, 21, 84	1,120
Snelling & Dayton	Union Park			B Line, 53	238
Snelling & Grand	Macalester-Groveland			Route 63	359
Snelling & St. Clair				Route 70	119
Snelling & Randolph	'Macalester-Groveland, Highland Park ' | Route 74			270
Snelling & Highland	Highland Park			Route 84	144
Ford & Fairview				Route 84	56
Ford & Kenneth				Routes 23, 46, 70, 74, 84, 87,134	154
Ford & Finn				Routes23 ,46 ,70 ,74 ,84 ,87 ,134	228
Ford & Woodlawn				No routes	52
46th Street &46th Avenue	Hiawatha ,Minneapolis	Minneapolis ,Minnesota		Route23	52
46th Street &Minnehaha				Routes7 ,9	84
46th Street station (Metro Transit)	Ericsson ,Minneapolis			Blue Line ,Routes7 ,9 ,46 ,74 ,436 ,446	699

History

From 1905 until 1952, streetcars operated along Snelling Avenue, serving as a vital cross-town transit link. The route extended south of Larpenteur Avenue, passing near Como Park via Como, Pascal, Arlington, and Hamline Avenues. In 1947, a shuttle bus service was introduced, extending northward from the intersection of Snelling and Como Avenues to Roselawn Avenue in Roseville. This shuttle eventually connected with the bus services that replaced streetcars after their discontinuation in 1952. At its height, the Twin City Rapid Transit Company provided service every 10 minutes during peak hours and every 15 minutes off-peak along this corridor. The Snelling Streetcar Shops, later converted to the Snelling Bus Garage at Snelling and University Avenues, supported multiple transit lines. Portions of these facilities were later redeveloped into commercial space and Allianz Field.

Efforts to reintroduce streetcars along this corridor began in the early 2000s. A neighborhood plan for Macalester Groveland, published in 2001, advocated for studying streetcar options on Snelling Avenue. Between 2012 and 2014, the City of Saint Paul allocated $250,000 toward a feasibility study for a streetcar network, identifying Snelling Avenue as one of five key transit corridors due to favorable land use patterns. Although a full-length streetcar route along Snelling was not proposed, a segment between Hamline University and Selby Avenue was considered viable. Other corridors ranked lower because of reduced ridership and limited redevelopment opportunities. Ultimately, the Snelling + Selby Corridor was not chosen as an initial starter line.

In 2010, bus service on Snelling was provided by Routes 84 and 144. Route 84 operated every 15 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays from Rosedale Center with multiple branches near Ford Parkway; Sunday service ran every half hour. Route 144 served westbound passengers from Ford Parkway via Interstate 94 to the University of Minnesota and downtown Minneapolis during peak periods only. Following the Green Line's inauguration in 2014, Route 84’s frequency increased to every 10 minutes daily with consolidated branches, while Route 144 was discontinued due to low ridership—averaging only 144 daily trips—and availability of alternative transfer options. These changes had minimal impact on travel times.

The Metropolitan Council’s 2008 Transit Master Study for 2030 identified arterial bus rapid transit (BRT) corridors aimed at doubling regional ridership by that year. In 2011–2012, Metro Transit evaluated eleven corridors carrying roughly 90,000 weekday riders—nearly half of all urban transit users—with expected ridership growth of 20–30% after BRT implementation. Corridors were assessed based on cost-effectiveness, ridership potential, and travel time improvements; Snelling Avenue and West Seventh Street emerged as leading candidates for BRT deployment by 2014.

Initially called the Snelling Avenue Bus Rapid Transitway, the project was renamed the A Line in 2013 when arterial BRT routes adopted letter designations. The Metropolitan Council approved the A Line route in 2014 as the region’s first arterial BRT initiative with an anticipated opening in late 2015; studies for northern extensions proceeded concurrently. Local neighborhood plans along Snelling supported enhancements to transit accessibility.

Funding sources included $14.6 million from CMAQ grants, Metropolitan Council contributions, and MnDOT Trunk Highway Bonds—reflecting Snelling’s status as State Highway 51—with additional backing from state legislation. Design review processes delayed construction contract approval until June 2015, postponing the opening from late 2015 to mid-2016. Construction bids exceeded initial estimates by approximately 45%, increasing total costs to $27 million compared to an earlier estimate of $25 million. Metro Transit commenced testing A Line buses in February 2016; official service began on June 11, 2016.

Future

Before the A Line's construction commenced, Ramsey County along with the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce requested that the Metropolitan Council examine the possibility of extending the route. In November 2013, the Council agreed to assess an extension terminating at the redevelopment site of the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in Arden Hills, referred to as Rice Creek Commons. This proposed extension would introduce 10 additional stops, linking key locations such as the University of Northwestern – St. Paul, Bethel University, and significant employers including Land O'Lakes and Boston Scientific to the wider transit system.

Nonetheless, the final report released in September 2016 determined that there was no available funding and that ridership levels did not support immediate expansion. Instead, it advocated for promoting land use and development patterns that encourage transit usage. The comprehensive planning documents for Roseville and Arden Hills incorporate strategies for a potential A Line extension and highlight the importance of considering Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) within corridor development efforts.

See also

• Metro Transit
• Metro Red Line
• Metro C Line