Hello! This month I will be doing a follow-up report on my previous article, “Transportation Options in Corcoran Neighborhood.”

As many of you may have noticed, new and improved bus signs have been popping up around the city. They can even be found in our own neighborhood. Wendy Adams, a member of our community, even helped design them. In this article, I will be highlighting some of the features the new bus stop signs include.

Starting at the top of the new signs, you can find the route number. This is the route that will serve the bus stop. If you find multiple numbers at the top of the sign, multiple route numbers serve that bus stop. This already is an improvement over the old bus signs, which had no information of that nature at all.

Under the route number you will find the bus stop number. With this number, you can get a wide variety of information if you visit www.metrotransit.org. The bus stop number gives you quick access to planning trips via NexTrip, which is real time information system about when the next bus is due at the stop. Next to the bus stop number on the sign, you will see the resources to text, visit, or call Metro Transit for more information. The text feature is relatively new.  Now you can text your stop number to 27299, and get information on the next 5 bus departures from your bus stop sent to your phone via text message.

If your bus stop has a higher boarding rate, your new sign will include a map panel and frequency table. The frequency table can prove to be very helpful.  Say you missed your bus: With the new chart, you will know how many minutes it will be until the next one arrives! No more just waiting around and hoping. Now you have the facts. At any time, you will know approximately when your next bus will arrive. Helpful!

Another new feature for high boarding rate stops is the map. The map explains the route the bus will travel to get to your destination.  It also explains where the different letters of a bus route will travel to. For example, our own route 22 has four letters: A, B, C, and D. The route 22 variations A, B, and C continue on, and end at the Brooklyn Center Transit Center. The 22 D; however, ends at the intersection of 69th Avenue North and Humboldt Avenue North. This information can all be found on the convenient new map panel of the new bus stop signs.

These new bus stop signs are both very helpful and aesthetically pleasing.  All of the above mentioned features lead to a more pleasant experience with public transportation.  Metro Transit is currently about halfway done with the installations of the new bus stop signs around the Twin Cities. They plan to be done around the summer of 2017. Thanks for reading, and go out and take that bus. You might see a new sign in the process!