Metro Red Line (Minnesota)

METRO Red Line
Red Line bus at Mall of America station in 2022.
Overview
System	Metro
Operator	Metro Transit
Vehicle	Gillig Low Floor BRT Plus 40'
Status	Operational
Began service	June 22, 2013[1]
Route
Route type	Highway bus rapid transit
Locale	(Hennepin County) Bloomington, Minnesota (Dakota County) Eagan, Minnesota Burnsville, Minnesota Apple Valley, Minnesota Planned: Rosemount, Minnesota Farmington, Minnesota Lakeville, Minnesota
Start	Mall of America
Via	MN 77 (Cedar Avenue)
End	Apple Valley
Length	10.1 miles (16.3 km)
Stations	5 (7 planned)
Service
Level	Daily
Frequency	Every 20 minutes
Weekend frequency	Every 30 minutes
Journey time	20 minutes
Operates	4:00am – 12:00am
Route map Legend  D Line  Mall of America Blue Line & Green Line Cedar Avenue Bridge over the Minnesota River Cedar Grove Cliff Road (2020-2025) I-35E Palomino Hills (2020-2025) 140th St 147th St Apple Valley Transit Center 161st St (after 2040) Glacier Way (after 2040) Lakeville Cedar (2040) 195th St (after 2040) 215th St (2040) All stations are accessible This diagram: view talk edit ← {{{previous_line}}}  {{{system_nav}}}  {{{next_line}}} →

The Metro Red Line is a bus rapid transit line between the Twin Cities suburbs of Bloomington, Minnesota and Apple Valley, Minnesota. The Red Line travels primarily on Minnesota State Highway 77 and Cedar Avenue from the Apple Valley station in Apple Valley, north through Eagan, Minnesota, to the Mall of America station in Bloomington where it connects to the Metro Blue Line. The line has bus rapid transit elements including bus-only lanes, specially branded vehicles, transit signal priority, and dedicated stations.

The line was designed to ease traffic congestion along the Cedar Avenue corridor. During planning the project was known as the Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Transitway until it was renamed the Red Line in 2011 as part of a regional branding of the Metro system. After a few construction schedule setbacks, the line officially began operation on June 22, 2013. The Red Line cost $21 million but a further $34 million was spent on express bus service upgrades, and $57 million on roadway expansion for a total project cost of $112 million. A further $15 million was spent to construct an improved passenger station that no longer requires buses to exit the highway and saves 10 minutes on a round trip journey. The line was operated by the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority under a contract from the Metropolitan Council until December 5, 2020, when Metro Transit took over operations.

An extension to Lakeville is planned with an opening in 2040.