Metro Transit has pretty ambitious plans to dramatically improve both local and express bus service over the next 10 to 15 years, but it comes with a hefty price tag: $72.3 million a year.

On the upside, it could increase ridership by nearly 16 million annually.

The agency has come up with its Draft Metro Transit Service Improvement Plan, a list of 122 improvements that by 2030 would increase service frequency on existing routes, coordinate routes to make connections easier and introduce more reverse commute options for those heading from the core cities to the suburbs. It also includes adding 11 arterial Bus Rapid Transit lines that would run on urban streets such as Penn Avenue.

The plan will be the subject of five public meetings between Nov. 5 and 17 and a public hearing on Nov. 18. The Metropolitan Council will adopt the plan sometime in early 2015.

For now, the plan is basically a wish list since Metro Transit does not have the money to expand service. The agency says no cuts to existing service are planned, but new service would only be added as funds allow.

"Strong express and local bus service is critical to connecting residents to economic and recreational opportunities," Metro Transit General Manager Brian Lamb said. "The draft Service Improvement Plan provides a strong vision that builds on our existing network and will make our region better-connected than ever."

Metro Transit originally came up with a list of 165 potential service enhancements. Each were scored using various criteria and ranked as High, Medium or Low. Forty-one earned a high ranking and 81 medium and were identified as the top priorities. The 43 that scored a low mark were dropped from the plan, but could be considered at a much later time.

Of the 122 enhancements under consideration, 77 expand geographic coverage and improve network connectivity, 71 improve frequency on existing routes and 62 include service that starts earlier in the morning or runs later into the evening. The plan also includes 14 reverse commutes routes.

None of the enhancements will occur without more resources. The plan estimates that if all local and express bus service enhancements were enacted, Metro Transit would need an additional $72.3 million annually by 2030. That is 33 percent more than the agency's 2015 operating budget.

The plan calls for many of the enhancements to be enacted in the next five years, "but we'll take a graduated approach. We don't expect to make them all at one time," said spokesman Drew Kerr.

Projects that return the biggest bang for the buck and meet the goals of connectivity, productivity and equity would be phased in first, Kerr said.

The draft projects that extra bus service would generate about 16 million new rides a year and require about 100 additional buses.

Many of the proposed improvements would address gaps in service and came after a comprehensive system-wide review of both urban core routes and suburban and express routes. The plan seeks to better integrate the bus system with other transit networks such as the commuter rail and light-rail lines and the Red Line BRT, Kerr said.

"We need strong local and express bus service to connect to all these transit networks, and provide the connections to where people need to go," he said.

Here is the schedule of public meetings and the public hearing:
A public hearing will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 18 at the Metropolitan Council Chambers, 390 N. Robert Street, St. Paul.

  • 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 5, at the Hennepin County Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis.
  • 1 to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 8, North Community YMCA, 1711 W. Broadway Ave., Minneapolis.
  • 6 to 7:30 p.m Nov. 13., Hennepin County Southdale Library, 7001 York Ave. S., Edina.
  • 1 to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 15,, Conway Recreation Center, 2090 Conway Ave., St. Paul. Served by routes 74, 80 and 219.
  • 6 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17, Anoka County Northtown Central Library, 711 County Hwy. 10 NE, Blaine.