Some bus and light rail changes happen on December 12th. For new schedules and a detailed summary look here, for a summary of major changes look below:
Route 4: Buses will return to Lyndale Avenue over 494.
Route 5: Some weekday 5F (26th Ave Branch) trips will become 5M (Brookly Center) or new 5L (33rd-Fremont) trips. Schedule times will also change because the Chicago Avenue detour is ending.
Route 6: Buses will follow a new routing in the Centennial Lakes area of Edina.
Route 14: Frequency will be reduced to every 20 minutes during midday and Saturday periods, every 15 minutes during peak hours, and every 30 minutes during evenings. Service along 38th Street will be moved to 42nd Street, Cargo Road service will be eliminated, and most 14A trips will become new 14H trips, with an extention to a new terminal at 56th & Chicago.
Route 55 (Hiawatha Light Rail): A new station at 34th Avenue & American Boulevard in Bloomington is expected to open on Dec. 12th.
Routes 68 & 71: Weekday service will be extended from Inver Hills Community College to the Arbor Pointe retail district south of 80th & Cahill. Route 71 will have an added NB trip leaving Concord & Concord Exchange on weekdays at 11:20 pm.
Route 146: 146C trips will become 146A trips. Use route 578 or 587 for alternate service to Benton Avenue or Tracy Avenue.
Route 264: This new rush hour route will travel between the Twin Lakes Park & Ride near County Road C & 35W and Downtown Minneapolis, with 7 AM trips and 8 PM trips.
Route 275: An added trip to Downtown St. Paul leaves Cub Foods Park & Ride at 7:16 am.
Route 535: Buses will once again serve 35W & 46th Street.
Route 542: Buses will serve Penn, 76th/77th, and Lyndale, back to American Blvd instead of serving American Blvd and Newton/76th. 542B trips will serve Knox Ave Park & Ride for connections to route 576.
Route 576: 576B buses will use 76th/77th to Lyndale Avenue instead of Penn Ave. and American Blvd.
Route 579: This new route will begin 1/19/2010 and will offer 4 peak hour trips each way from Southdale Park & Ride to the University of Minnesota.
Route 597: Three new trips will be added each way.
Route 824: Trips began serving Fridley Station on November 16th.
Route 888 (Northstar Commuter Rail): Afternoon trips leave 5 minutes later than previously scheduled.
Routes 20, 805, and 811: Trips were retimed for connections with Northstar trains.
Plymouth Metrolink: Routes 743 and 747 were combined. Routes 773 and 777 were combined. Routes 791 and 792 were combined. Midday trips on Route 774 were combined into Route 795. Route 776 was extended further north in Plymouth.
BlueXpress: Reverse Commute trips renumbered to Route 491.
SouthWest Transit: Various changes take effect including less service on Routes 603, 684, 685, and 697 and more service on routes 690, 695, 698, and 699. Service to Victoria is eliminated and service to Market Park & Ride is reduced to service on Route 685 only, as this Park & Ride will close for construction of a ramp soon.
Marquette/2nd Avenue: Marquette and 2nd Avenues have been reconstructed and will reopen on Dec. 14th. Buses will make less stops in Downtown Minneapolis. These routes are affected: 133, 135, 146, 156, 250, 260, 261, 264, 270, 288, 460, 464, 465, 467, 470, 472, 476, 477, 478, 479, 490, 535, 552, 553, 554, 558, 576, 578, 587, 597, 673, 680, 684, 685, 690, 691, 697, 698, 699, 742, 747, 760, 761, 762, 763, 765, 766, 767, 772, 774, 776, 777, 780, 781, 782, 783, 784, 790, 793, 795, 824, 850, 852, 854, and 889. Route 829 will move to Nicollet Mall.
On March 20, 2010 routes 589, 664, 665, 667, 668, 670, 671, 672, 674, 675, 677, 756, and 825 will move to Marquette and 2nd.
Central Avenue Signal Priority: Routes 10, 118, and 829 will have faster trips due to new signal priority on Central Avenue NE.
