C Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) will serve North Minneapolis’ Penn Avenue Corridor. The line is scheduled to begin construction and subsequent service in the coming months. As a result, much of the transit service currently provided by the Route 19 bus line will be replaced by the C Line.
One of the most significant changes coming to the Route 19 is changes to its branch lines, known as Route 19H and Route 19Y. These branches extend from Penn Avenue into residential neighborhoods along Thomas, Washburn, Xerxes, and 42nd Avenues and into eastern Robbinsdale. The three options Metro Transit is proposing for branch service are:
Option A
Modified combination of Y and H branches
New service on Thomas Ave south of Dowling
3-4 southbound trips in the morning and 3-4 northbound trips in the afternoon
Trips continue to the north to serve Brooklyn Center Transit Center
No midday, evening
Option B
Modified version of H branch
3-4 southbound trips in the morning and 3-4 northbound trips in the afternoon
Trips continue to the north to serve Brooklyn Center Transit Center
No midday, evening or weekend service on Thomas Ave
Option C
No branch service
All rapid bus and local service operates on Penn Ave
The Victory Neighborhood Association and Metro Transit are collecting feedback on how residents feel about the proposed changes. Please weigh in with your feedback and your ideas by:
- Contacting Metro Transit’s customer service team: 612.373.3333 or service.development@metrotransit.org
- Attending the Penn Avenue Improvements Open House: Thursday, March 22, 6:30-8pm, UROC, 2001 Plymouth Avenue North, Minneapolis
- Completing ViNA’s survey by following this link.
Of the options presented Option A will serve the neighborhoods best. However, not having service go to the Theo Wirth Parkway is a mistake. It takes away the option of expansion into Robbinsdale which is necessary and should have been completed several years ago. There needs to be east-west transit and Robbinsdale needs to be incorporated. Aside from getting to Robbinsdale from Mpls., riders from Robbinsdale need more options to get to Mpls and the C and D lines.
For pity’s sake, this is not the first time reduction or elimination of these services has been proposed! We need *more* service, not less. We need it to *extend into* Robbinsdale, not cut back out of North Minneapolis. I am so sick of service being cut, so ridership goes down, so service is cut, so ridership goes down, …. If you need to do something differently, fine, talk with the people who are riding the bus and talk with neighborhood groups; figure out how best to *expand* your service and get *more* riders!
I agree with Kris Brogan’s comment about the need to better connect Robbinsdale and North Minneapolis. It’s cumbersome to take the 32 south to Lowry to take the 19 north and back again.
There was a proposal a few years ago to run the 19R through residential Robbinsdale, with various street options given. The whole idea was overruled by the residents but possibly attitudes could have changed in the intervening years, in favor of such an arrangement.
I am tired of seeing service cut back and rates go up because ridership drops. I agree with Kris that we need more connection between Northside and Robbindale. It is hard for our older residents and families with small children to walk farther and farther, and to cope in difficult weather. I would use the bus more if I didn’t have to bus a circle around the neighborhood and back to run my errands.
I notice that my comment of a few days ago somehow disappeared. A few years ago there was the Route 19R extension, There were several options given, most of them on residential Robbinsdale streets. Apparently public opinion was very strongly against the 19R, but viewpoints could have changed. It is cumbersome to take the 32 south/east and then to take the 19 north from Lowry, while it would only take a few minutes traveling through Robbinsdale.
As stated above, I guess option A is the better of the choices but there needs to bemore service lines period. With th light rail going through Robinsdale soon it would be nice to have more busses headed that way.