Bus and train ridership is still down, but Metro Transit bets on expansion

The intersection at University and Snelling avenues has long been a hub for transit in the Twin Cities.

At one time, it was streetcars. Now, it’s the crossroads of the Green Line light-rail and the A Line bus rapid transit route.

It’s also a site where some of the system’s problems — fewer riders post-pandemic and ongoing struggles with crime — are most visible. But on Thursday at University and Snelling, Metropolitan Council Chair Charlie Zelle brought a message of optimism for Metro Transit’s continued expansion to the annual State of the Region address.

The council, which oversees Metro Transit, is banking on plans for growth, opening new routes in 2025 and beyond.

In a speech at Allianz Field, Zelle said that with the opening of several new lines in the coming years, people coming to the stadium for soccer games will be able to get there easily from many corners of the metro.

“Whether you come from Woodbury, Eden Prairie, Bloomington, Roseville, Minneapolis or St. Paul, you’ll have high-quality, reliable and frequent service directly to this location,” he said.

This year, the Met Council will open a record number of new transit lines, all bus rapid transit:

Metro Transit has several other projects in the works but not opening this year. That includes the Green Line extension, through the west metro to Eden Prairie, expected to open in 2027 after delays and cost overruns, and the planned extension of the Blue Line.

The Met Council is betting on a built-out system to grow ridership. The number of passengers tanked during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to a drop in ridership, the system had trouble hiring operators amid a tight labor market and faced increased crime. Metro Transit has worked to address issues of crime and fare payment by sending agents aboard to enforce fares and rules.

Riders are coming back slowly, Metro Transit data show. Systemwide, ridership was down about one-third in November 2024 compared to December 2019, before the pandemic.

Zelle said crime was down 6% on transit in 2024, with a particular drop in serious crime.

Though crime is down and enforcement presence is up, the light-rail system in particular faces public perception issues, and smoking and drug use aboard trains remains a challenge.

During the State of the Region welcome speech, Minnesota United owner Bill McGuire, who is planning to develop a hotel and more around the stadium, acknowledged the challenges the region faces, but said building out the transit network remains critical to the Twin Cities.

“It will be an embarrassment for all of us if we do not take advantage of what we already have and build on it further,” he said.

Zelle opened his remarks Thursday acknowledging the uncertainty of federal funding for local and regional projects, after the Trump administration’s attempt to freeze a wide swath of federal funds.

“It was indeed not a quiet week as the federal administration has been advancing its agenda on many fronts,” Zelle said, nothing that a funding freeze would have presented an “incredible hardship” on Minnesota.

“I just want you all to know that as future actions may or may not occur ... we will think carefully about how we can best support local communities in whatever happens,” he said.