The City of Minneapolis is re-envisioning the future of Nicollet Mall. As part of this work, the city is considering plans to close the corridor to vehicle traffic and to move bus service to parallel streets downtown.
Moving buses off Nicollet Mall would be a big change for transit riders. Buses have been traveling on Nicollet Mall since 1967. Today, five routes operate on the corridor, bringing thousands of riders to and from downtown destinations and connecting transit services.
Even so, Nicollet Mall is not without its challenges. Buses are often delayed and take a long time to get from one end to the other, sometimes taking longer than walking. Events on the mall also lead to frequent detours, making it hard to know where to catch the bus.
It’s important to include the voices of transit riders in deciding what comes next.
To help understand how proposed alternatives compare to Nicollet Mall, the city is inviting feedback on plans that would put buses on a combination of Marquette and 2nd Avenues, or 3rd Avenue. We are open to moving buses off Nicollet Mall so long as an option that is as good as or better for transit riders can be put in place.
To fully understand how these options compare to Nicollet Mall, the city is inviting feedback through an online survey and at upcoming events, including a Tuesday, Sept. 24, open house at the Minneapolis Central Library. More information can be found on the city’s website.
A decision is expected early next year, and the earliest buses could leave Nicollet Mall is 2026. Details on construction timing and the phasing of transitions have not been determined.
Thank you for providing your feedback through this engagement process and look for further updates soon!