Metro Transit tests out ride-share program in section of north Minneapolis

By KSTP

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There’s a new way for neighbors to get around north Minneapolis.

Metro Transit is trying out a new pilot program called Metro Transit Micro that provides on-demand service within a small section of the city.

This includes the Near North, Bryn Mawr, and Harrison neighborhoods in north Minneapolis and the edge of downtown.

“I can’t really drive because I have really bad anxiety,” said Natoya Camphor, who used the service on Friday.

Camphor says she depends on public transportation.

A Metro Transit Micro bus is show Friday, Sept. 16, 2022, in Minneapolis. (KSTP)

“It’s better for my situation,” Camphor said.

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Metro Transit Micro is the first public ride-share service in Minneapolis.

“We have never had anything like this before in our region,” Metro Transit spokesman Drew Kerr said.

It works similarly to other ride-share services such as Uber or Lyft. Riders can download the Metro Transit Micro app and request a pickup and drop-off from their location of choice.

“It’s something that we’re providing in a small coverage area here in north Minneapolis, try something new, try something different,” Kerr said.

That coverage area is only 2.5 square miles, and Kerr says riders must be picked up and dropped off within this area.

“We have five vehicles available and we need them to be ready when the people are ready that want to ride, so we have to have a relatively small coverage area,” Kerr said.

Metro Transit Micro’s coverage area is bounded by Xerxes Avenue to the west, Interstate 94 to the east, Dunwoody Boulevard and Interstate 394 to the south and West Broadway Avenue/Golden Valley Road to the north. (Courtesy of Metro Transit)

This is a pilot project, but if it’s a success, Metro Transit says a similar service could expand to other parts of the Twin Cities.

“We want to know how do people use it, do they like the service, where else could we use the service, what demand it out there,” Kerr said.

It runs seven days a week from 5 a.m. until midnight for the same cost as a regular bus fare. Metro Transit calls it a learning experiment.

Camphor says she wants to see Metro Transit Micro make its way to Brooklyn Center.

“Yeah, I would love to use it in the future,” Camphor said.