Green rail lines with icons of people in a meeting and person sitting by a tree. Text says: "Connecting Communities"

METRO A LINE

The METRO A Line connects communities

The METRO A Line began service in 2016 and has since enriched and connected our communities. Along the transitway, more than $1 billion has been invested in bringing more housing options, workplaces, businesses, parks, and more to our communities. The A Line connects residents with accessible housing, jobs, grocery stores, small businesses, and communities.

History of the METRO A Line

Construction of the A Line began in 2015 and became operational in 2016. The A Line brought together regional planners, community members, businesses, and cities to make the A Line benefit all people that it serves. Input from our metro communities guided the plan and design of the A Line.

The A Line was the Metropolitan Council’s first project to install bus rapid transit on high-capacity roadways in developed areas in the seven-county region. Learn more about bus rapid transit.

What is happening on the A Line?

We're connecting communities.

Nearly $1 billion has been invested on the line to bring jobs, homes, and more accessible by affordable transit.

The A Line connects Minneapolis, St. Paul and Roseville. The METRO Green Line and METRO Blue line are accessible by the A Line. With no more than one connection route, residents along the line can reach Minneapolis, St. Paul, Roseville, and Bloomington. When the Green Line expansion is operational, residents will be able to reach St. Louis Park, Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie.

Homes are being built.

Through 2023, communities have permitted 3,600 residential units along the A Line, worth nearly $500 million.

Housing can be expensive, which is why affordable housing has become a priority along the A Line. About 28% of the housing permitted and built along the A Line from 2014 to 2023 is defined as affordable. With easy access to the A Line, our communities’ economically disadvantaged residents can easily and affordably access jobs, homes, businesses, and more.

Businesses have the opportunity to grow.

Commercial development worth more than $415 million has been permitted and built on the A Line corridor from 2014 through 2023. This will include making space for restaurants, hotels, stores, and more will attract small business owners to these communities.

Communities invest in amenities and connections where we build transit.

From 2014 through 2023, communities have permitted more than $131 million for schools, churches, and other community spaces and amenities along the A Line. That investment will connect residents with public spaces and facilities, parks and green spaces, walking and biking paths, and more.

We're creating jobs

Since 2014, nearly $17 million in industrial development has brought jobs and workplaces to communities along the A Line.

Industrial development along the A Line will bring jobs to the area, with more than $16.7 million invested in industrial facilities, factories, and more.

Since 2016, the A Line has been providing communities with easy access to homes, jobs, businesses, parks, events and music, and so much more. Learn more about the A Line.

Notes: Information based on data for the 2024 development trends report, which will be published soon. Market forces will impact when developments open. For more information, view the reports released by the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) office, or contact them at [email protected].