Metro Transit to reroute buses during RNC

Metro bus
A Metro Transit bus in downtown St. Paul. Some bus routes will be detoured or experience delays during the Republican National Convention in the city from Sept. 1-4.
MPR Photo/William Wilcoxen

Metro Transit bus riders in St. Paul should expect detours and 10-minute delays the week of the Republican National Convention.

More than 30 routes will be affected. Some stops may be relocated as far as six blocks away.

Customer services director Bob Gibbons acknowledges that may be difficult for riders who are elderly or disabled.

"Anyone who's a little bit older, or has a little bit more trouble walking, would be the most inconvenienced. What we were trying to do, though, was balance the punctuality of the service with the walking distance," said Gibbons. "If we brought the buses as close as we could to people, but those buses we knew were routinely going to experience unacceptable delays, that's not very good service, either."

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Gibbons says 25 extra buses will be in service to accommodate more riders. The transit agency will also increase its staff to help riders find their way.

Transit supervisors will use a satellite system to track bus performance and deploy extra buses if necessary.

Gibbons says some downtown Minneapolis bus riders could also experience delays as convention delegates are en route from Minneapolis to St. Paul.

The changes will be in effect from Aug. 29-Sept. 5.