Critics sound off on $475 million Rush Line rapid transit line

Bob Shaw, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
·3 min read

Aug. 5—The buses of the Rush Line aren't rolling yet, but protests are.

A group called the No Rush Line Coalition is fighting the proposal for the $475 million rapid-transit bus line from St. Paul to White Bear Lake.

"When I look at this, it makes my head explode," said group member Jiggs Lee. They say the 89 daily bus trips is too many for White Bear Lake, that ridership will be low, and that it will wreck eight miles of the Bruce Vento multi-use trail.

The group is fighting the Rush Line with petitions, lawn signs and the website norushline.com. It also hosts a booth in the weekly Marketfest in White Bear Lake.

Andy Gitzlaff, Ramsey County senior transportation planner, said the group's concerns have already been taken into account, and that construction of the 15-mile project will begin in 2024.

The Rush Line is one of several rapid-transit bus lines being proposed or built in the metro area, including the Gold Line connecting Woodbury and St. Paul.

TRANSIT TIME, RIDERSHIP QUESTIONED

The opponents say Rush Line will not rush at all. It will take 47 minutes for a rider to go from St. Paul to White Bear Lake — roughly twice as long as the driving time.

"This is called rapid transit," said Tim David, the organizer of the group. "But it will not be a fast ride."

And, he said the ridership will be low. "You are going to have a lot of empty buses," he said.

David cited a survey by the Rush Line showing that 20 percent of area residents would use the bus "a few times a month" or more. Roughly 9 percent would take it daily.

The Rush Line will offer service every 10 minutes during rush hours, and every 15 minutes at other times. The buses would travel on roadways and bridges built exclusively for them — including overpasses at Minnesota Highway 36 and Interstate 694.

Ramsey County's Gitzlaff said 21 stops on the line were picked to help workers get to the 100,000 jobs within a half-mile of the route. Roughly 7,400 rides per day are projected by 2040.

But those estimates were made before the pandemic.

COVID meant a drop in transit users in the metro area, where ridership dropped in half in 2020. Group member Lee said that some declines will be permanent, because workers who learned to work at home won't want to return the workplace.

'A LOT OF THOSE JOBS CAN'T BE DONE REMOTELY'

But Ramsey County's Gitzlaff said officials expect ridership will rebound — especially along the Rush line route. "We have over 50 hospitals and clinics," he said. "A lot of those jobs can't be done remotely."

Bus advocates say the Rush Line is designed for people with no access to cars. But there are very few of those, said Lee, and they are being served now with three bus programs — Metro Mobility, the non-profit Newtrax and Transit Link.

The two-lane bus-only road would be built along eight miles of the Bruce Vento multi-use trail. Ramsey County's Gitzlaff said the buses and bikes will co-exist peacefully, along parallel paths.

Protestors say the bus lanes will require tearing out miles of greenery. "It's abominable," said organizer David. "They are taking away the green corridor."

For information about the Rush Line, visit https://www.ramseycounty.us/