Metro Transit, the city of St. Paul and Ramsey County are weighing whether to make three blocks of a dedicated westbound bus lane on Marshall Avenue permanent. A public survey closes March 20. A permanent bus lane from Metro Transit’s Lake Street and 36th Avenue Station in Minneapolis to Marshall and Cretin avenues in St. Paul primarily accommodates the Metro B Line, a bus rapid transit service that travels from Uptown, Minneapolis to downtown St. Paul. An extension of the bus lane was installed in the fall of 2023 from Cretin Avenue to Wilder Street, and described by Metro Transit at the time as a temporary measure while the state completed construction along Interstate 94. Highway construction ended last August, but the bus lane will remain in place at least through spring, according to Metro Transit. The bus lane, which is also open to bicycles and cars making right turns, is “active” weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on-street parking for approximately 40 vehicles is not permitted during those hours, to the chagrin of some property owners. “It hurts my tenants because it makes the availability of parking in the area go way down,” said Thomas Mollner, a Highland Park real estate agent active in the area. “I’ve already had a couple tenants move because of parking. It was done without asking anybody in the neighborhood about it.” Mollner and other critics have called the temporary lane underutilized, but transit officials say the lane has made travel times more reliable for bus services, including the B Line, which debuted in June 2025. Transit advocates say faster service could help draw new tenants who embrace a car-free lifestyle. The survey will be available through March 20 at tinyurl.com/BUSLANE26. Related Articles St. Paul: After 40 years, dragon sign is on the move from Grand Avenue mall Letters: Why do I love my neighbor? Because … Man pleads guilty in large meth case, agrees to be deported after he serves sentence St. Paul City Council approves new rules for drive-throughs St. Paul City Council weighs extending eviction notice to 60 days ...read more read less