METRO E Line opens Dec. 6, replacing Route 6

Opening on Saturday, Dec. 6, the new METRO E Line will bring frequent all-day bus rapid transit (BRT) service between Edina and downtown Minneapolis, mainly along France and Hennepin avenues, and from downtown Minneapolis to the University of Minnesota campus, primarily on University Avenue and 4th Street.

The E Line will replace today’s Route 6, which will be discontinued.

A family-friendly community celebration event will happen from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Minneapolis College, 1415 Hennepin Avenue South in Minneapolis. At 10 a.m., a ribbon-cutting ceremony and media event will precede the community event.

The new E Line is the last of three METRO BRT lines to open in 2025, following the Gold Line’s opening on March 22 in the east metro and the B Line’s opening along Lake Street, Selby and Marshall avenues on June 14. The E Line is the region’s eighth BRT line. By 2035, Metro Transit will have at least 15 BRT lines.

Connecting to current and future BRT and LRT lines, the E Line will offer faster service to and from such top destinations as Southdale Shopping Center, the 50th & France commercial area, Linden Hills, Uptown, Minneapolis College, downtown Minneapolis, and the University of Minnesota. It offers connections with the Blue, Green, B, C, and D lines.

Where the E Line operates, service adjustments

Opening a new line usually means service adjustments. On Saturday, Dec. 6, Route 6 between Edina and the University of Minnesota will be permanently discontinued and replaced by the E Line.

New Route 36 will replace some local Route 6 service along Hennepin and Xerxes avenues between Uptown Transit Station and Edina.

Route 6 buses operated anywhere from every five to every 30 minutes, and served stops that were close together, affecting the route’s speed. E Line service will be available roughly every 10 minutes daily between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.; every 12 minutes during most other times of the day; and every 15-30 minutes in the early morning and late evening. E Line service will be faster since it serves fewer stations with amenities like heating, lighting, benches, emergency phones, bike parking, and NexTrip real-time schedule signs.

How to pay – an important difference

On Route 6 buses, customers paid when they got on the bus. On all METRO lines – including the new E Line – customers must pay their fare BEFORE they get on the bus or train. Customers can buy a ticket from the ticket machine with cash or a credit card, tap their Go-To Card/pass to the station’s card reader; or activate a ticket from the Metro Transit app then get on through any of the bus’ three doors for faster boarding.

Why this corridor needed BRT

Historically, buses carry about 45% of people traveling on segments of Hennepin Avenue but make up less than 3% of vehicle traffic. Hennepin Avenue also has been one of the slowest transit corridors in the region. During rush hours, buses moved at an average speed of 8 mph. Frequent stops, lines of customers waiting to board, and red lights meant that buses were moving less than half the time.

Hennepin Avenue improvements

The project involved designating key segments of bus-only lanes with red paint that will make the E Line a fast, reliable transportation option. Technology that allows buses to “ask” for signal priority will help keep buses moving through intersections.

With the E Line opening Dec. 6, the region’s METRO network will grow to more than 120 miles, putting 38% of the region’s car-free households, 30% of the region’s renter households, and 28% of the region’s total jobs within a half-mile of a METRO station.

Learn more at: metrotransit.org/e-line-project