Plans for bus rapid transit between St. Paul and Woodbury are getting bigger — with a loop of almost two miles through downtown St. Paul.

New plans for the $420 million Gold Line also call for five additional stations downtown, and one more station and a park and ride in Woodbury.

“It seems to be worth the investment. This will make the Gold Line easier to navigate,” said project manager Christine Beckwith.

The Metropolitan Council unveiled the revised plans at recent informational meetings, designed to give the public a chance to react.

Instead of ending at Union Depot, the route is now proposed to extend to Smith Avenue and Sixth Street, near Xcel Energy Center.

The Gold Line will be the state’s first BRT line running mostly on dedicated roadways. Construction of the 9-mile project is expected to start in 2022 and should be completed by 2024.

Roughly half of the Gold Line’s $420 million cost is expected to come from federal sources. The rest will be paid by Ramsey and Washington counties and other local sources.

Buses would arrive every seven minutes during rush hour.

NEW DOWNTOWN LOOP

One exception to dedicated roads would be in the new downtown loop. There, buses would travel on existing streets, mingling with other traffic.

The loop would run from Union Depot north to Sixth Street, then west. At Smith Avenue, it would turn around and return via Fifth Street.

Along the way would be what Beckwith called “half-stations,” handling traffic going only one direction. The half-stations would be smaller, with ticket-selling kiosks and real-time signage for arrival times.

Beckwith said the stations would look distinctive, like enhanced bus stops.

NEW WOODBURY SITE

Planners have also lengthened the route at the other end — in Woodbury.

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2020 National Blue Ribbon Schools recognizes three in east metro Originally, the route was supposed to end in the parking lot of the Woodbury 10 Theatre on Queens Drive. In the revised plan, buses would continue four blocks west to a new station and park and ride at Guider Drive and Woodlane Drive.

The switch will save money, said Beckwith, by avoiding the cost of a parking ramp at the Woodbury 10 site. Instead, commuters will use a surface parking lot.

She said the changes will have no impact on the $420 million estimated cost.

HOW THE ROUTE WILL WORK

Beckwith explained that the downtown loop isn’t the only section where buses will mingle with traffic. Excluding the loop, she said, buses will travel with regular street traffic on 10 percent of the route, or about one mile.

The buses will follow a speed limit of 45 mph when traveling on their own roadways, but will obey the posted speed limits on existing streets.

Officials decided to blend bus traffic with regular traffic where it was too expensive to build a separate roadway. “There are places where the property impact is too much, or there is a pinch point,” said Beckwith.

She said the travel time on the new route from Woodbury to Smith Avenue would be 35 to 45 minutes.

She acknowledged that drivers could travel that distance more quickly in their own cars. Many commuters wanting to go from Woodbury to St. Paul will probably continue to drive or take the express bus, she said.

But the Gold Line is a local bus line, she said, offering frequent all-day service to multiple local stops.

“The same is true with the Green Line,” said Beckwith. The Green Line light rail between St. Paul and Minneapolis is popular — despite the fact that it is slower than driving.

“If you had to get home in the middle of the day,” said Beckwith, “this gives you another option.” Related Articles Lakeland mayor fined $250 over missing disclaimer on campaign material

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Steve Morris of Woodbury was on hand to explain the new plan at a meeting at Grace Lutheran Church in St. Paul.

“I’m a big fan,” said Morris, co-chair of the Gold Line’s Community and Business Advisory Council.

The downtown loop will increase ridership for the Gold Line, he said.

“This is a fantastic opportunity,” said Morris. “It’s a win-win.”