Public transit is for everyone

Many people riding a bus.

Investment in public transit benefits all county residents. It helps people get to where they need to go – work, school, healthcare, groceries – regardless of age, income or mobility challenges. Our transit projects also include safety and accessibility improvements for people rolling, walking and cycling as well. Everyone benefits from reduced pollution and more opportunities for healthy activity. 

Our role in major transit projects 

Ramsey County partners with other local agencies to expand access to public transit. For example, we partner with Metro Transit and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) in the development and construction of bus rapid transit (BRT), light-rail transit (LRT) and passenger rail as well as improvements to the local bus system.   

We lead the early planning stages for major transit projects like the METRO Green, Gold, and Purple Lines. Communities share their preferences, insights and guidance which we balance with technical analysis to figure out the best options. That research looks at things like environmental impact and overall cost. Communities and local agencies then review and approve our recommendations which become part of the Metropolitan Council’s regional transportation plan. From that point, Metro Transit leads the design, construction and operation of the project.   

Recent examples 

BRT. Traveling in a dedicated bus lane, passengers on METRO Gold Line travel through Saint Paul, Maplewood, Landfall, Oakdale and Woodbury in only 35 minutes. Ramsey and Washington Counties, through the Gateway Corridor Commission, initiated studies on this corridor in 2010. Following the completion of environmental analysis and adoption of the preferred option into the region’s transportation policy plan, Metro Transit became the project lead while the counties continued to fund nearly half of the total project cost. Service started March 22, 2025. 

Passenger Rail. Amtrak Borealis provides a second daily passenger train between Union Depot in Saint Paul, Milwaukee and Chicago, stopping at many smaller cities and towns in between. Ramsey County participated in studies and planning led by MnDOT and WisDOT starting in 2015. Service started May 21, 2024 with Borealis ridership exceeding 200,000 passengers in its first year. 

LRT. People travel between the Twin Cities on METRO Green Line over a million times each year. The route takes you from Union Depot in downtown Saint Paul, through the State Capitol and University of Minnesota, to Target Field in downtown Minneapolis. Ramsey County led the project starting in 2001 and transferred it to Metro Transit in 2006. Service started on June 14, 2014.