Northstar commuter bus to expand, adjust fares
The Northstar Link commuter bus connecting St. Cloud to the Twin Cities' northwestern suburbs will expand service on Monday, a move transit officials hope will boost the route's ridership.
The bus line connects St. Cloud with Metro Transit's Northstar commuter rail line, which runs from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis.
Changes to the bus route's fare structures are to help bring them in line with Metro Transit's fees so riders will eventually be able to ride both the bus and the train with one payment. Single fares, 10-day and month-long passes will all see discounts effective Monday.
Tom Cruikshank, director of planning and marketing for Saint Cloud Metro Bus, said that if usage of the Northstar Link route continues to grow, it's more likely the Northstar rail line will get extended the remainder of the distance from Big Lake to St. Cloud, connecting the city with Minneapolis.
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Cruickshank says the bus line's ridership has grown steadily since its service began in 2009.
"We've only had one month where it wasn't higher than the same month in the previous year, which is astounding," he said.
In 2013, the bus line had about 55,000 riders -- more than double the usage of its inaugural year.
Monday's changes to the bus route will add stops at St. Cloud State University, which has been a major rider generator.