Will the "Bronze Line" finally deliver on years of promises to east metro commuters?
Residents of the eastern Twin Cities metro area have long been promised a transit line that would connect downtown Minneapolis and Maplewood. Now, there's a brand new proposal for a rapid bus line.
Originally dubbed the Purple Line, Metro Transit says the forthcoming Bronze Line will connect Union Station in Downtown St. Paul to the transit hub at Maplewood Mall.
The line will stretch 10 miles and feature 22 stops along a corridor that has long been short on public transit.
Mayor Melvin Carter says this will be a boost for St. Paul.
"We can build a product that serves the east metro, improving accessibility, reliability and safety for our riders, and as we build the new future for our downtown in St. Paul," Carter said.
And likewise, Maplewood Mayor Marylee Abrams says it will be a boost for everyone in her community, making getting around the east metro and to critical structures like a soon-to-be-expanded M Health Fairview St. John's Hospital to the struggling mall.
"We have expectations of things that are going to be happening at the Maplewood Mall, our businesses, our residents," Abrams said. "This is going to be a really important transit line for them."
Ramsey County will be footing 90% of the estimated $375 million cost, according to a county commissioner.
While east siders have been waiting for decades for this transit service, they'll have to wait a little longer. Planning is expected to take three years, with construction expected to begin in 2029 — and service finally going live in the early 2030s.
The Bronze Line will combine some bus-only rapid transit roadways with regular traffic lanes, where buses will merge and share the road with regular traffic.
