The city of Fridley will get new bus service all to itself starting Monday, March 5, 2012.
Buses on the new Route 810 will circulate within Fridley 12 times a day—six trips each in the morning and afternoon commuting periods.
The bus route connects Northstar Commuter Rail trains at Fridley Station with two major employers: Medtronic's Rice Creek Campus and . Along the way, it also runs through several commercial and residential sections of the city.
Beginning at Fridley Station, buses travel in a counter-clockwise direction around a square (see map PDF):
- east on Mississippi Street to Old Central Avenue
- north on Old Central Avenue to Osborne Road
- west on Osborne Road to University Avenue
- south on University Avenue to 61st Avenue and back to Fridley Station
According to a Metro Transit statement announcing the new route, there are 5,355 entry-level jobs in the area that the Route 810 serves.
All but one of the new route's 12 daily trips take place during rush hour, when bus fare is $2.25 (see schedule PDFs). Bus riders pay a surcharge to transfer to a Northstar train.
The new bus service will continue at least through 2012, under a Metro Transit contract with MV Transportation Inc. Half the funding coming from a federal Job Access and Reverse Commute grant, according to Metro Transit.
