Metro Transit Route 21, in service in the Twin Cities since the 1950s, is gone, and the new B Line, which opened for service on June 14, is now providing rapid transit service in the Lake Street, Marshall Avenue, and Selby Avenue corridor.
“I know people don’t like change, but sometimes change is good,” said Antoine Whylly, operator and relief instructor at Metro Transit.
Whylly has been with Metro Transit for 11 years. A bus driver, like his father, he recently helped train 200 bus operators on the new B Line.
“That was an experience, getting people comfortable and relaxed to operate the big machines safely and with passengers on,” Whylly explained.
The “big machines” are the new buses on the B Line that are 60 feet long with a wider aisle, more seating, and two doors for riders to get off.
The space is nice, but the benefit riders told Whylly they appreciate most is the faster, more efficient service.
“I had a passenger who had to get to downtown Minneapolis, and with the B Line, they could connect a lot faster,” Whylly explained. “People can make their appointments, interviews, or get to a destination in a timely fashion. There’s so many stories on this line.”
There are more than 100,000 people, many without access to a vehicle, within a 10-minute walk of the new B Line. Through its first three weeks of service, it is seeing about 7,900 average weekday rides, up 23% compared to ridership on the Route 21 on the same dates last year, according to Metro Transit.
The B Line is a $74 million project that included 2 years of construction. Now the 13-mile trip from Union Depot in St. Paul to the west end of Minneapolis at Lake Street and France Avenue takes just over an hour with a total of 33 stops. Metro Transit says the B Line route includes dedicated bus lanes to bypass traffic and get to destinations 20% faster as compared to Route 21, which had 90 stops and a speed of 8 miles an hour, according to Metro Transit.
Whylly says speed and frequency of the new line are getting rave reviews from passengers. “They say they love it. If you miss a bus, you don’t have to wait long for the next one.”
Metro Transit’s B Line runs from 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays. On Sundays and holidays, service will run until 1 a.m. Buses pick up and drop off every 10 to 15 minutes mornings and evenings, and every 30 to 60 minutes during the late night and early morning hours.
“It’s fast and reliable and on schedule. I think it’s just a smoother ride,” Whylly also likes to point out to riders, an added perk on the new buses.
“If you’re phone is dead or running low, we got a charge port. You can charge it right on the bus.”
The cost to ride the B Line remains the same, $2 for full fares and $1 for youth, seniors, and income-qualified residents in Metro Transit’s Assistance program.
With the summer construction season in full swing, the B Line even provides an option for people who own a vehicle. Is it faster than driving? Whylly says it’s worth testing out. “You just have to come out and experience it. See for yourself.”
Check out a video and details about the new B Line here.