Metro D Line (Minnesota)

For other uses, see Line D (Prague Metro).

Metro D Line
Metro D Line bus at Brooklyn Center Transit Center.
Overview
SystemMetro
OperatorMetro Transit
GarageFred T. Heywood
VehicleNew Flyer XD60[1]
StatusOperational
Began serviceDecember 3, 2022; 23 months ago (2022-12-03)[2]
PredecessorsRoute 5
Route
Route typeBus rapid transit
LocaleMinneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota
StartBrooklyn Center Transit Center
ViaEmerson Avenue, Fremont Avenue, Chicago Avenue
EndMall of America
Length18.5 mi (29.8 km)[3]
Stations40 (8 one-way station pairs)
Service
Ridership23,600 (2030 average weekday estimate)[3]
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The Metro D Line is a bus rapid transit line in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota. The 18.5-mile (29.8 km) route primarily operates on Fremont and Chicago Avenues from Brooklyn Center through Minneapolis to the Mall of America in Bloomington.[4] As part of BRT service, the D Line features "train-like amenities" including improved station facilities, off-board fare payment, modern vehicles, fewer stops, and higher frequency.[5] The current alignment would substantially replace the existing Route 5, the highest ridership bus route in Minnesota.

Portions of the local bus Route 5 were identified for bus rapid transit improvements by Metro Transit in 2013. Other corridors were developed first such as the Metro A Line which opened in 2016. Following an agreement by the city of Minneapolis to align the Bottineau LRT away from the center of north Minneapolis, Metro Transit agreed to prioritize the Penn Ave and Emerson-Fremont Avenues corridors as next in line for project development. While the Penn Ave corridor became the Metro C Line, the Emerson-Fremont corridor was combined with the Chicago Ave corridor to make up the full extent of Route 5 and became the D Line. Project development began in 2017 and after some delays, full project funding was identified in 2020. Construction began in 2021 and the line opened on December 3, 2022.

  1. ^ Moore, Janet (March 17, 2021). "Met Council to spend $122 million on biodiesel buses". Star Tribune. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  2. ^ Harrington, Adam; Funk, Brian (June 13, 2022). "Operator Hiring Update and June 2022 Service Preview" (PDF). Metropolitain Council. Metro Transit. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Addendum to the Arterial Transitway Corridors Study" (PDF). metrotransit.com. Metro Transit. January 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  4. ^ "D Line (Chicago-Fremont Rapid Bus)". Metro Transit. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  5. ^ "Rapid Bus". Metro Transit. Retrieved December 6, 2018.