Metro Transit is seeking public comment through October 4 on a 2026 update to Network Now, its framework for expanding and restructuring service in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul region.

The proposal focuses on connecting buses to the METRO Green Line Extension when rail service begins in 2027 and improving the Highway 55 corridor. It also revises the implementation schedule because operator hiring has progressed more slowly than anticipated.

New connections and two proposed routes

Metro Transit proposes routing or frequency changes on routes 36, 38, 46, 615 and 705 to connect with nine of the Green Line Extension's 16 stations. New Route 617 would operate every 60 minutes daily, connecting southwest Minneapolis with Minnetonka, Hopkins and St. Louis Park. The single weekday Route 25L round trip would be discontinued.

In the Highway 55 corridor, new Route 757 would provide all-day service between Plymouth, Golden Valley and downtown Minneapolis, with hourly weekday extensions to the University of Minnesota. Routes 30, 705, 716 and 758 would change, while parts of routes 705, 716 and 755 would be discontinued.

Metro Transit's comment form lets riders identify affected routes and state whether the proposal meets their needs by time and location.

Workforce capacity changes the timetable

Metro Transit says approximately half of planned service growth had been implemented by August 2026. Most changes in this update are expected by the end of 2027, but the agency now expects to hire enough operators to complete all Network Now improvements by the end of 2028.

For transit leaders, practical questions include:

• whether running and recovery time support reliable operations;
• how operator requirements change by phase and time of day;
• what riders lose when route segments are removed;
• whether bus-rail transfers are timed and accessible; and
• how performance will be measured before the next phase.

Public review continues through October 4

Metro Transit plans in-person meetings September 16, 21 and 23 and an online session September 24. Comments will be included in a final proposal for Metropolitan Council consideration later in 2026. The current proposal is not a final service schedule.