Metro B Line (Minnesota)
| Company type | Bus rapid transit service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | June 2025 |
| Headquarters | Minneapolis–Saint Paul , United States |
Area served | Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area |
| Owner | Metro Transit |
| Website | metrocouncil |
The Metro B Line represents a bus rapid transit service operating within the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area of Minnesota, managed by Metro Transit as a component of the Metro system. Commencing service in June 2025, it links Saint Paul Union Depot with Bde Maka Ska located in Minneapolis' Uptown district, following the corridors of Lake Street and Selby Avenue. This line supersedes Metro Transit's former Route 21, introducing enhancements such as transit signal priority, exclusive bus lanes, and all-door boarding to improve operational speed and overall service experience.
Historically significant east-west routes, Lake Street and Selby Avenue have served transit needs since the early 1900s, initially through streetcar lines until their replacement by buses in the 1950s. The concept for the B Line was initiated in 2014, with complete construction financing secured by 2020. Groundbreaking took place in 2023 and construction proceeded through 2024. Although the line officially launched on June 14, 2025, planned opening celebrations were canceled due to security issues following shootings involving Minnesota legislators earlier that same day.
Background
This transit corridor boasts a rich history dating back to streetcar operations by the Twin City Rapid Transit Company along Selby Avenue and Lake Street starting in 1906. Following the transition from streetcars to buses during the 1950s, Route 21 continued to serve this pathway between Uptown Transit Center and downtown Saint Paul's Union Depot.
Previously, buses traversed the historically recognized Selby Avenue Bridge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, spanning over Ayd Mill Road. After the bridge was replaced in 1993, bus routes were rerouted northward to University Avenue. Due to rising ridership levels, Metro Transit opted to maintain this detour even after completion of the new bridge.
Between 2011 and 2012, Metro Transit evaluated eleven urban corridors for potential bus service upgrades, including Snelling Avenue, Penn Avenue, and Chicago Avenue—now operating as the Metro A, C, and D Lines respectively.
In 2019, Route 21 accommodated more than 10,000 daily riders on weekdays, ranking it as Metro Transit's second most heavily used route. Additionally, a limited-stop Route 53 operated during peak periods along Lake Street and Marshall Avenue before continuing via I-94 to downtown Saint Paul. Average travel speeds recorded in 2019 were approximately 10 mph for Route 21 and 13.2 mph for Route 53, placing Route 21 among the slowest bus routes in the Twin Cities network. The initial B Line project budget was estimated at $54 million as of May 2019. By October of that year, $16 million had been allocated through a federal grant toward a $26 million total. Complete funding was finalized when $35 million was included in the state bonding bill passed in October 2020.
Early in 2019, project planners considered extending the B Line beyond Snelling Avenue into downtown Saint Paul via Selby Avenue. Six alternative alignments between Snelling Avenue and Lexington Parkway were evaluated, all designed to connect with the METRO A Line. Within downtown Saint Paul, the B Line would share upgraded stations alongside the forthcoming Metro Gold Line, terminating at Union Depot.
The finalized B Line route differs from Route 21 by removing the northward detour onto University Avenue through Hamline-Midway introduced as a temporary measure in 1993. Ridership analysis supported this modification by prioritizing longer-distance travelers while also avoiding traffic congestion on University Avenue. Enhanced north-south bus services are intended to offset this route adjustment.
Before launching the B Line, Route 53 was discontinued in March 2025 after being suspended since 2020 due to driver shortages.
Service
| Service Period | Operating Hours | Headway |
|---|---|---|
| Early Morning Weekdays | 5:00 a.m. – 6:30 a.m. | Every 15 to 30 minutes |
| Weekday Daytime | 6:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Every 10 minutes |
| Evening Weekdays | 7:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. | Every 15 to 30 minutes |
| Saturday | 5:30 a.m. – 1:30 a.m. | Every 10 to 30 minutes |
| Sunday | 5:30 a.m. – 1:30 a.m. | Every 10 to 30 minutes |
Throughout daytime hours on both weekdays and weekends, the B Line operates at intervals of approximately every 10 minutes, while early mornings and late evenings see service frequencies extending up to every half hour. The introduction of the B Line resulted in the elimination of route 21, which was substituted by a reinstated route 27 running hourly to cover local stops along Lake Street. Service to Selby Avenue and the Midway shopping district was transferred to route 72, which operates on a half-hour schedule. Furthermore, routes 23 and 612 were consolidated into route 38, which parallels the B Line between Excelsior Boulevard and Lyndale Avenue.
Route
The Metro B Line commences at the intersection of Lake Street and France Avenue within Minneapolis’s West Maka Ska area, following Lake Street eastward until reaching the Mississippi River. Crossing east of the river, the line proceeds along Marshall Avenue and Selby Avenue before arriving at Summit Avenue in Saint Paul. At Summit Avenue, the route turns northward into downtown Saint Paul’s street grid, utilizing 5th Street for eastbound travel and 6th Street for westbound. Nearing Union Depot’s northern entrance, B Line vehicles stop at two stations before concluding service at the central bus terminal.
Stations
Stations dedicated to Metro Transit's arterial Bus Rapid Transit (aBRT) differ from standard local stops by featuring distinctive pylon signage equipped with real-time arrival information and audible announcements. Passenger amenities include shelters outfitted with lighting, heating elements, emergency communication devices, security cameras, seating accommodations, bicycle racks, and trash receptacles. Platforms are elevated to enable near-level boarding through any door. Fare payment is required prior to boarding via Go-To card readers or ticket vending machines.
Connections
Serving as a vital east-west transit corridor within Metro Transit’s network, the B Line interfaces with numerous regional and local transit options. It will provide future connections to the Metro Green Line extension (Southwest LRT) at West Lake Street station and to the forthcoming Metro E Line along Hennepin Avenue. Additionally, the B Line links with the Metro Orange, D, and Blue Lines while sharing a station with the A Line at Snelling and Dayton avenues. Its eastern Saint Paul stops coincide with those of the Metro Gold Line.
Longfellow Longfellow Cooper| Station | Neighborhood(s) | City | Connecting Routes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake & France | West Maka Ska | Minneapolis | Route 17 | |
| West Lake Street | Cedar Isles Dean, West Maka Ska | Route 17, Metro Green Line | ||
| Lake & Dean/West Bde Maka Ska | Cedar Isles Dean | Routes 17, 38 | ||
| Lake & East Bde Maka Ska | Lagoon & East Bde Maka Ska | Cedar Isles Dean, East Bde Maka Ska | Routes 17, 38 | |
| Lake & Hennepin | Lagoon & Hennepin | East Isles, Lowry Hill East, South Uptown, East Bde Maka Ska | Routes 6, 17, 27, 38, 114, Metro E Line | |
| Lake & Lyndale | Lowry Hill East, Whittier, Lyndale, South Uptown | Routes 4, 27, 38, 113 | ||
| Lake & Nicollet | Whittier, Lyndale | Routes 18, 27 | ||
| Lake & I-35W | Whittier, Phillips West, Central, Lyndale | Routes 27, 460, 465, 467, 470, 472, 475, 477, 600, 695, Metro Orange Line | ||
| Lake & 4th/5th | Phillips West, Central | Routes 11, 27 | ||
| Lake & Chicago | Phillips West, Midtown Phillips, Powderhorn Park, Central | Route 5, Metro D Line | ||
| Lake & Bloomington | Midtown Phillips, East Phillips, Powderhorn Park | Route 14 | ||
| Lake & Cedar | East Phillips, Corcoran, Powderhorn Park | Routes 22, 27 | ||
| Lake Street/Midtown | East Phillips, Longfellow, Corcoran | Route 27, Metro Blue Line | ||
| Lake & Minnehaha | Longfellow | (Routes)7, (27) | ||
| (Route)9 | ||||
| Station | Neighborhood(s) | City | Connections | |
|---|---|---|---|---|