Riverview Corridor - Current Status

Current Status

In 2002 plans were announced to introduce improved interim bus service along a portion of Route 54. The plan changed Route 54 from traveling along Interstate 35E from West Seventh to Downtown Saint Paul, to entirely along West Seventh and operating every 15 minutes as opposed to every 30 minutes. The change added 3 minutes to the 20 Minute trip from the Airport to Downtown and the 30 minutes trip from the Mall of America to Downtown. When money from the project was cut in March 2002, this was the extent of the Route's improved service. Plans to change and improve service reappeared when Metro Transit redesigned their service in 2003. Bus Route 69 from Maplewood Mall to along West Seventh via Downtown Saint Paul had its route west of Downtown, along West Seventh, eliminated. In 2004 bus Route 54 was changed to its current form. It is currently a limited stop route and is one of 12 routes that operate as a Hi-Frequency route with service every 15 minutes or better. It is one of three routes that operates as a Hi-Frequency Route along its entire route.

The route is still considered an important corridor by the Metropolitan Council. In the Metropolitan Council's 2030 Transportation Policy Plan, West Seventh Street and East Seventh Street are two of nine arterial streets that are recommended for bus rapid transit. The arterial bus rapid transit ways are located in built up areas that have limited right of ways, making light rail or dedicated bus ways not feasible. The corridors would have limited stop service and use technology improvements to shorten trip times. The Metropolitan Council plans to build six of the nine by 2020 and the rest by 2030. Some of the corridors are also being studied for other transit modes. On January 23rd, 2013, the Saint Paul City Council voted in favor of requesting the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority to conduct a new transit study of the Riverview Corridor.