Metro Transit Seeks Public Input on Orange Line Stations

Preliminary designs for six stations for the METRO Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, which will link Richfield to Burnsville and downtown Minneapolis, are complete and ready for public feedback. Officials want to know what riders think of the amenities located on the platforms. Your feedback will help refine the design.

Amenities include bike parking, benches, real-time bus arrival information, heating, trash and recycling bins, a station marker, and an information kiosk. Energy-efficient LED lighting will be used at each station, according to a news release. All stations will be ADA accessible and include higher curbs to make it easier to board the bus. The Orange Line will not have completely “level boarding,” but the higher curbs will reduce the vertical gap between the bus and platform for near-level boarding.

There will also be a textured warning strip on the edge of the platform for passenger safety. In some locations, new sidewalks will be added to better connect the stations to the surrounding neighborhoods.

Orange Line Stations

• Nicollet Avenue Station
• Burnsville Parkway Station
• 98th Street Station
• American Boulevard
• 76th Street Station
• 66th Street Station

Other Stations

46th Street Station: Engineering

46th Street Station is an existing station which opened in 2010 and was the first BRT station to be constructed in the Twin Cities. This station is located between the northbound and southbound lanes of I-35W, allowing buses to pick up and drop off customers without leaving the freeway. This two-story station provides connections to local bus routes on the 46th Street bridge and is near the Nicollet Avenue commercial corridor.

Lake Street Station: Engineering

Lake Street Station in Minneapolis will be a new, two-story transit station, located between the northbound and southbound lanes of I-35W. This configuration will allow customers to board both Orange Line and I-35W express bus routes on the freeway level, and will provide easy connections to Lake Street, local bus routes, and the Midtown Greenway. The station will be fully ADA accessible and provide a significant upgrade in comfort and safety over existing bus stops.

Construction of the Lake Street Station is part of a major investment in street, transit and accessibility improvements for customers. The I-35W Lake Transit/Access Project includes a redesign of the freeway between I-94 and 42nd Street. The project is being led by MnDOT in partnership with Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, and Metro Transit.

Downtown Stations: Operating

METRO Orange Line signage and ticket vending machines will be integrated into the existing transit stations on Marquette and 2nd Avenue in downtown Minneapolis.

In accordance with the Access Minneapolis Downtown Action Plan, BRT access should connect from I-35W to MARQ2 as directly as possible, and may require changes to striping, signals and/or ramps in the vicinity of 12th Street and Highway 65. A preferred concept and planning-level design will be produced in 2015.

Image via Metro Transit