Maple Grove To Expand Express Bus Service to the U of M
University of Minnesota students and staff members who don’t feel like driving to campus have the option of taking an express bus from Maple Grove. City officials say they’re doing so in record numbers.
“It’s up from last year,” said Michael Valverde, Maple Grove’s transit and transportation planner. “Last year was about 19,000 [people]. This year we’re definitely going to break that.”
The Maple Grove Transit station offers two express buses to the University of Minnesota campus from Monday-Friday.
One bus departs at 6:57 a.m., the other departs at 8:03 a.m.
The return trips back to Maple Grove depart at 2:45 p.m. and 4:45 p.m.
Maple Grove Transit is seeing ridership for the Route 789 service to the University of Minnesota exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
Valverde says the express service to and from the U of M is so popular that they’re looking to add additional buses to help meet the demand.
“We’re looking at our data and ridership is up over pre-pandemic levels,” said Valverde. “So, we’re asking the public, what times work for them if we’re going to add a trip in the morning and a trip in the evening? What’s going to be the most useful thing for them?”
Maple Grove would like to add the additional bus service this semester, but Valverde says the expanded service likely wouldn’t happen until the spring semester.
Related: Maple Grove Transit Sees Surge in Bus Riders to State Fair
