Riverview Corridor

Riverview Corridor

Company type	Transit corridor
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	1997
Headquarters	Saint Paul, Minnesota , United States
Area served	Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area
Products	Transit service (bus, proposed streetcar, planned bus rapid transit)
Parent	Ramsey County (planning authority)

The Riverview Corridor serves as a transit connection between Downtown Saint Paul and the Mall of America in Bloomington, passing through the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. This route extends from the Saint Paul Union Depot to the Mall, following West 7th Street and forming a triangular link that connects the endpoints of the Blue Line and Green Line.

Since territorial times, this corridor has played a vital role in transportation, linking downtown Saint Paul with Fort Snelling. Streetcar service operated along West Seventh Street from 1884 until its discontinuation in 1952, after which buses took over the route. From 1998 through 2012, efforts focused on improving bus services, including studies on busways and arterial bus rapid transit (BRT).

Between 2013 and 2017, a renewed evaluation concluded that a contemporary streetcar system—comparable to those found in Portland, Kansas City, and Detroit—was the preferred local transit solution. This plan proposed an alignment along West Seventh Street and MN-5. Nevertheless, Ramsey County terminated streetcar planning on September 6, 2024.

In March 2025, Saint Paul announced plans to refocus on implementing BRT for the corridor, with projected expenses around $500 million and an anticipated launch in the early 2030s.

Geography of corridor

West Seventh Street, also referred to as Fort Road, originally served as a path to Fort Snelling. The initial Fort Road ran further south along the river bluff, with present-day Cliff Street and Stewart Avenue following this historic route. Established in 1849, this road was part of an oxcart trail linking Canada to Saint Paul via Fort Snelling.

West Seventh neighborhood

The West Seventh neighborhood is among Saint Paul's oldest districts, extending along West Seventh Street and bordered by I-35E or the River Bluffs to the north and the Mississippi River to the south. Founded in the late 1830s by discharged soldiers and early settlers, its growth centered around the Upper Landing dock located south of Fort Snelling—a crucial hub for settlers and supply shipments. The neighborhood expanded through successive waves of immigrants employed in local industries situated between the Mississippi River and areas south of West Seventh Street. These workers established residences near their workplaces, forming distinct ethnic communities.

Development progressed southwestward from Uppertown (the Upper Landing) toward Fort Snelling along Fort Road. By 1884, a horse-drawn streetcar operated on a segment of West Seventh Street; it was electrified by 1891 and extended to Tuscarora Street by 1890 and reached the river bluff by 1891. Additionally, four other streetcar lines partially served this corridor en route to Downtown. Initially, the line did not reach Fort Snelling on the Saint Paul side, which posed challenges for soldiers and laborers stationed on the military base. After a new bridge opened in 1909, service extended across the river, connecting with a free streetcar shuttle operating within Fort Snelling. This shuttle was discontinued in 1952 when streetcars were replaced by buses.

The Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport near Fort Snelling began operations in 1921, emerging as a significant transit hub that broadened the corridor’s influence. A transit plan developed by Ramsey County in 1989 recognized this corridor between Downtown Saint Paul and the airport as essential. With the establishment of Mall of America, the corridor’s reach expanded further. In February 1997, Ramsey County officially named it the Riverview Corridor, prioritizing it above the Central Corridor for high-speed transit development.

Challenges in Building I-35E

The federal authorities had envisioned completing a missing segment of Interstate 35E through the West Seventh neighborhood, linking State Highway 5 (known locally as West 7th Street) northeastward to I-94 in downtown Saint Paul. Construction commenced in 1964 with the goal of establishing a six-lane freeway by the 1970s. However, the enactment of the National Environmental Policy Act in 1970, coupled with resistance from the group Residents in Protest 35E (R.I.P. 35E), founded in late 1969, brought work to a standstill. This organization successfully obtained a court injunction to pause construction pending completion of an environmental impact statement (EIS).

Although the Saint Paul City Council initially endorsed I-35E in 1974, it later shifted support to an alternative proposed by R.I.P. 35E: upgrading Pleasant Avenue into a four-lane boulevard alongside other routes such as Shepard Road or the Lafayette Freeway as components of I-35E. The group opposed any direct linkage to I-94 near the State Capitol. The EIS finalized in early 1975 emphasized that completing I-35E was essential for connecting downtown Saint Paul to the Interstate network and favored the original Pleasant Avenue alignment.

In May 1975, legislation passed by the Minnesota Legislature imposed a halt on I-35E construction but permitted consideration of alternative state highway corridors. Among these were two routes offering direct connections to I-94 and a third parkway option without such a connection. By September 1981, Saint Paul officials, Mn/DOT, and the Metropolitan Council collectively supported establishing a direct connection. A bill enacted in March 1982 lifted restrictions on parkway links to I-94, allowing I-35E to utilize that pathway. Around this time, the final EIS received approval despite ongoing lawsuits from groups including R.I.P. 35E filed in early 1983. The EIS was ultimately upheld, enabling construction to continue. The segment of I-35E extending from Highway 5 northward to I-94 officially opened on October 15, 1990—26 years after initial groundbreaking.

Possible Route Alignments

Multiple corridor alternatives converge on the Mall of America as a terminus point, aiming to serve both the Airport and Downtown Saint Paul. The four principal route options include West Seventh Street, Interstate 35E, Shepard Road, and the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks. West Seventh Street presents the most straightforward path but necessitates expanding existing right-of-way. Interstate 35E benefits from available right-of-way but follows a lengthier route that bypasses several important neighborhoods. Shepard Road provides a direct line into Downtown but fails to serve many areas generating significant ridership. The Canadian Pacific Railway corridor roughly parallels West Seventh Street yet involves considerable challenges related to property acquisition.

All proposed routes cross the Mississippi River between Saint Paul and Fort Snelling predominantly via the Fort Road Bridge, constructed in 1960 by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and engineered by Sverdrup & Parcel Engineering Company. This bridge is the third iteration at this location; earlier structures were erected in 1880 and 1912 respectively. While most proposals rely on using the Fort Road Bridge, one alternative suggested employing a rail spur heading north over the Ford Parkway Bridge. Both bridges formerly accommodated streetcar traffic but raise concerns about their suitability for light rail conversion, including issues like load-bearing capacity and potential tunnel expansion on the Fort Snelling side.

Bus Rapid Transit evaluations from 1997 to 2002

The corridor was first recognized for transit enhancement efforts around 1989 and officially designated as the Riverview Corridor in 1997, following Ramsey County’s decision to prioritize it over the Central Corridor. A 1998 analysis conducted by the Ramsey County Rail Authority concluded that light rail was not cost-effective in this area, recommending a busway as a more viable alternative. In 2000, during a state budget surplus of $525 million, Governor Jesse Ventura committed $44 million toward a busway initiative generally associated with this corridor.

By 2004, plans had been established for a route running along West Seventh Street through Saint Paul’s East Side extending to Maplewood Mall, with service intervals planned at every 7.5 minutes. Unlike the existing Bus Route 54, this proposed service would operate exclusively on West Seventh Street rather than using I-35E. The project included widening West Seventh by four feet between I-35E and Smith Avenue to accommodate dedicated bus lanes and implementing traffic signal priority systems. Additionally, the Phalen Corridor segment was intended to become a dedicated transitway featuring 23 stations and optional pre-boarding fare collection.

The allocation of funding for the busway was controversially added into unrelated legislation without public hearings, provoking opposition primarily from House Republicans who eventually conceded to conclude the legislative session. Detractors argued that the project largely duplicated current Metro Transit Route 54 service and highlighted modest ridership forecasts—16,000 daily for light rail versus 12,000 for the busway. Support was notably stronger among residents of Saint Paul’s East Side compared to those along West Seventh Street, where concerns were raised about potential reductions in parking availability and sidewalk space due to street widening. In March 2002, $40 million of the originally allocated $46.1 million was withdrawn to help balance the state budget, largely influenced by opposition and insufficient backing.

Enhancements to bus service and arterial BRT evaluation

In 2002, announcements were made regarding interim improvements to Route 54 bus service, which would be rerouted entirely along West Seventh Street with increased frequency from every 30 minutes to every 15 minutes. This adjustment added approximately three minutes to trips connecting the Airport, Mall of America, and Downtown Saint Paul. However, funding reductions in March 2002 delayed these enhancements until Metro Transit redesigned services in 2003. The western portion of Bus Route 69 along West Seventh Street was discontinued. Currently, Route 54 operates as a limited-stop route with high frequency, running every 15 minutes or better. In 2018, Route 54’s service was extended beyond Downtown Saint Paul to reach Maplewood Mall through a $7.2 million federal grant project aimed at boosting weekday ridership from 4,200 to an anticipated 6,500 by 2021. This extension included new buses, shelters, and operational funding; half of the trips now run between Mall of America and Maplewood Mall with frequencies of every 20 minutes during peak hours and every 30 minutes during off-peak times.

The Metropolitan Council established an objective within its Transportation Policy Plan to double transit ridership by the year 2030, identifying arterial bus rapid transit (BRT) as a critical approach toward achieving this goal. Among nine arterial corridors recommended for BRT development were West and East Seventh Streets. The subsequent 2030 Transit Master Study further outlined characteristics of arterial BRT and advocated conducting corridor-specific studies.

Between 2011 and 2012, Metro Transit undertook evaluations of eleven corridors for their suitability for BRT implementation with an initial target launch date set for 2014. By 2012, Snelling Avenue and West Seventh Street had emerged as leading candidates for BRT deployment. Limited-stop operations on West Seventh were seen as facilitating integration with future BRT services. Although originally planned for a 2016 opening as the second-highest priority corridor, implementation was postponed to allow Ramsey County additional time for transit option studies. Ultimately, the Metro B Line designation was assigned to the Lake Street–Marshall Avenue–Selby Avenue route connecting Uptown Minneapolis with Downtown Saint Paul.

Modern streetcar initiative

On January 23, 2013, the Saint Paul City Council tasked the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority with examining the Riverview Corridor. Between 2014 and 2017, the authority undertook a Pre-Project Development study that assessed various transit options, potential alignments, engineering challenges, community priorities, and financial implications. The analysis determined that light rail was not a suitable choice but suggested further investigation into a streetcar system featuring smaller vehicles and stations.

Subsequent to the study, the Ramsey County Board endorsed a route along West 7th Street, with construction anticipated to commence no sooner than 2028. In 2023, three proposals were unveiled: two involving streetcar alternatives and one proposing enhanced bus service. The streetcar plans necessitated upgrades to the Fort Road Bridge and the addition of a station at the Mall of America, with service potentially launching by 2032. Projected expenses for the streetcar options were approximately $2.1 billion, substantially exceeding the $121 million estimated for an arterial bus rapid transit solution; however, these figures included significant infrastructure projects such as the reconstruction of West Seventh Street and a new Mississippi River bridge.

On September 6, 2024, Ramsey County declared the termination of the Riverview Corridor project in response to public opposition. Commissioner Rafael Ortega highlighted concerns raised by the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) regarding lane reductions on the updated Fort Road Bridge and their potential impact on airport traffic as a primary reason. Additionally, local businesses expressed resistance due to anticipated construction disruptions and the loss of on-street parking.

Revitalized bus rapid transit study

In March 2025, Saint Paul initiated a renewed effort to develop bus rapid transit along the Riverview Corridor under the name "The New West 7th Corridor." This planned 12.5-mile route will incorporate 21 stations, including 16 newly established stops. Notable transit enhancements consist of bypassing the Interstate 494/34th Avenue interchange in Bloomington, establishing a bus guideway and regional trail along a Canadian Pacific Rail spur within Saint Paul, as well as implementing dedicated bus lanes and signal priority throughout the corridor. Initial cost projections range from $450 million to $500 million, with service anticipated to begin in the early 2030s.

External links

• Riverview Corridor project website
• Archived Metro Transit Project Page