Five years ago, John Foell decided he and his wife could get by with a single vehicle. So he sold his car and started riding the bus to work instead.
Traveling south on Route 141 this week, the New Brighton resident said he hasn’t regretted the decision in the least.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time I get along just fine and the other 1 percent of the time I can usually find a ride,” said Foell, who rides the bus every weekday to his job at Target’s Minneapolis headquarters.
Others interviewed on a recent Route 141 southbound trip said they, too, have found taking the bus to be a more-than-adequate replacement for driving. While many have retained their cars, they said Route 141 provides a much simpler, inexpensive way of getting to and from downtown Minneapolis.
“I sincerely find taking the bus to be easier than driving,” said Claire McFall, who takes Route 141 to her job at the marketing firm The Lacek Group. “I just like not having to think first thing in the morning.”
McFall boarded Route 141 as the bus made its way through northeast Minneapolis on Johnson Street NE. By that time, almost every seat had been filled with commuters and students making their way downtown.
Southbound Route 141 buses run from New Brighton to Minneapolis on Old Highway 8, 37th Avenue and Johnson Street NE, passing several large residential developments and shopping centers, including the Quarry Shopping Center, Silver Lake Village and Garden View Apartments. Buses enter downtown via East Hennepin Avenue and continue on Hennepin Avenue to the Minneapolis Community and Technical College.
Route 4 travels a similar path north of downtown Minneapolis but continue south to Bloomington.
Route 141 was created following the collapse of the Intestate 35W Bridge in 2007 to help mitigate traffic impacts as drivers sought alternative entries to the downtown area. It has remained in place to supplement Route 4 during rush hour periods. Route 141 runs six times each weekday morning and seven times each weekday evening.
Several customers about Route 141 said they appreciated the additional rush hour service because it provides more scheduling options and can be slightly faster than Route 4. An end-to-end trip on Route 141 takes approximately 45 minutes.
Patrick Vesperman, who lives in New Brighton, has been riding for the last two years and believes he could drive to work faster than commuting by bus. But he said he prefers leaving the car at home because riding the bus saves him money and provides time for reading while listening to podcasts and tuning into sports talk on KFAN.
“Plus, this is a way to get to work without getting angry at other drivers,” joked Vesperman, who also works at Target.
Not everyone who uses Route 141 is going to work in downtown Minneapolis.
Cleveland Savage, who lives in Uptown, was returning to Minneapolis on Route 141 following an overnight shift in New Brighton. Savage doesn’t own a car and said transit was essential to landing a job in the suburbs, where the type of engineering firms he wants to work at are typically located.
"When I go to interviews, they always ask if I have a car,” he said. “I think the bus is probably better because it won’t break down.”
While there are no immediate plans to change service to New Brighton, community officials are expecting additional growth and believe transit will play a role in the community’s future.
One area of particular interest is New Brighton Exchange, a 100-acre area in the northwest corner of Interstates 35W and 694 where city officials hope to attract corporate tenants. Next year, more than 100 single-family homes will be built on a part of the site.
“We certainly recognize that transit is an important part of development and value it,” said Grant Fernelius, New Brighton’s Community Development Director.
Route 141 At a Glance
Type: Urban Limited Stop
Service: Route 141 runs between New Brighton and downtown Minneapolis, primarily along Old Highway 8 and Johnson Street NE. In Minneapolis, buses cross the Mississippi River on East Hennepin Avenue and continue on Hennepin Avenue to the Minneapolis Community and Technical College. There are six southbound trips each weekday morning and seven northbound trips each weekday evening. In Minneapolis, St. Anthony and New Brighton, Route 141 follows the same path as Route 4, which continues south to Bloomington offering more frequent service that runs throughout the day and on weekends. The Route 141 corridor includes several large residential developments and shopping centers, including the Quarry Shopping Center, Silver Lake Village and Garden View Apartments.
Route length: Approximately 11 miles
Vehicles: 40-foot standard buses
Stops: 70 northbound, 67 southbound
Ridership: More than 79,000 customer boardings in 2012
History: During World II, special buses ran to New Brighton and the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant, which is now being positioned for redevelopment. Streetcars ran on Johnson Street NE to 33rd Avenue NE until 1954. Route 141 was created following the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge to mitigate traffic impacts on local streets and provide commuters a quicker trip to downtown Minneapolis. Rush hour service to New Brighton has been retained as a complement to Route 4.
Future: No significant service changes are planned at this time