Major transit upgrade recommended for Central Avenue

Central Avenue is slated for a major transit upgrade this decade as part of Metro Transit's next round of bus rapid transit projects.

The regional transit agency finalized a recommendation last month to add a bus rapid transit line called the METRO F Line that would run between downtown Minneapolis and Northtown Mall via Central and University avenues.

Bus rapid transit (BRT) blends bus service with infrastructure similar to a light rail line. Riders pay fares at ticket machines before boarding. Buses make fewer stops, significantly speeding up travel time time. They also receive signal priority at traffic lights.

The estimated $81 million project includes funding for "enhanced shelters," which would be located on average 0.43 miles apart, including stops adjacent to the Waite Park neighborhood at 37th Avenue and 33rd Avenue. Service would run every 10 minutes for most of the day, seven days per week.

Route 10 would continue to operate approximately every 30 minutes along a path similar to the existing Route 10N, which runs through Spring Lake Park and Fridley along Central and Monroe avenues north of 53rd. Route 59 would be eliminated.

Metro Transit already provides BRT service along three corridors, including the METRO A Line along Snelling Avenue and the METRO C Line between downtown and Brooklyn Center. Five more BRT lines are set to open in the next few years.

Pending full funding, construction would begin on the Central Avenue line in 2025 with service starting the following year. A Johnson Street BRT line to replace the existing Route 4 is also under consideration between 2030 and 2040. —Dan Haugen

Riding the bus today? Here’s what you need to know.

A map of the proposed METRO F Line Bus Rapid Transit route along Central and University avenues. Pending full funding, construction on the project would start in 2025.