by Dennis Dalman
A secondary “hub” location for St. Cloud Metro Bus will be constructed eventually in Waite Park at Second Avenue S. and Sundial Drive.
Will that mean St. Joseph, west of Waite Park, will someday get Metro Bus service? The answer is not necessarily.
In an interview with the Newsleaders, Metro Bus Marketing and Communications Manager Nate Ramacher said the purpose for the secondary hub is to improve current service, not to expand service, at least not in the near future.
Ramacher said current St. Joseph Mayor Rick Schultz attended a Metro Bus meeting some years ago to get input about bus service but that nothing definite resulted from that contact. Throughout the years, some St. Joseph residents and council members brought up the need for Metro Bus service but nothing came of it – at least not yet.
Ramacher said in the future it would be a good thing if Metro Bus service can, in fact, be extended to St. Joseph, but at this point there are no plans for that.
St. Cloud Metro Bus operates seven days each week and provides almost one million passenger rides that include fixed route, Dial-a-Ride and commuter-bus passenger trips for residents of the cities of Sartell, Sauk Rapids, St. Cloud and Waite Park.
The secondary hub, Ramacher noted, will improve system efficiency, serve underserved and unserved populations, and allow for shorter trips when Metro Bus does make plans for future service.
Ramacher noted Metro Bus recently acquired two parcels of land in Waite Park, but the construction schedule for the secondary hub is not yet known. But before construction does begin, Ramacher noted, Metro Bus will make sure residents are well informed, that their input is considered and that hopefully they are willing to become collaborative partners for the project.
Metro Bus is in the process of updating its long-range transit plan. It’s a study called “Metro Bus Forward.”
The study, to be published in the summer of 2024, will find detailed answers to the following questions:
Are there any places that don’t have service but should?
How are Metro Bus services making your trips easier? Are the trips limiting your ability to get around the service area?
What’s working well, and what isn’t?
“This is an exciting time for our customers,” stated Metro Bus Chief Operating Officer Dave Green in a press release. “As the world changes, we also need to evolve and improve. We want to ensure we always provide the best possible service to our customers and the communities we serve. We cannot wait to share what we have in store for the next seven to 10 years. Stay tuned!”
