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MetroNEXT

Throughout 2021, Metro staff engaged with more than 1,000 community participants to develop MetroNEXT, an aspirational and achievable vision to deliver better transit for a more connected region. In April 2022, Metro’s Board of Directors adopted the final plan, which will be implemented in phases leading to 2030. To learn more about MetroNEXT, view the final documents below and review other background information on this page.

A digital copy of the MetroNEXT Final Executive Summary can be downloaded here.

A digital copy of the MetroNEXT Final Plan can be downloaded here.

Plan Appendices:
Appendix A: Transit Suitability Index
Appendix B: Low-Density Service Assessment
Appendix C: Transit Route Design Principles
Appendix D: Scenario Cost Estimates + Evaluation Criteria
Appendix E: Record of Public Comments

Status Update

As our community recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, Metro will identify timelines and funding for implementing the various projects and initiatives prioritized in MetroNEXT. Fully implementing the plan would require increasing Metro’s annual operational budget from $33 million in 2021 to $52 million by 2030.

Community Engagement

Twenty public meetings were held throughout the MetroNEXT process utilizing a combination of in-person and virtually hosted opportunities for community participation. More than 1,500 comments were received through a variety of channels including virtual engagement tools, written comments, and survey responses. This feedback provided critical direction to shape the MetroNEXT recommendations. A record of the public comments throughout the MetroNEXT process is available here.

Topics of Exploration

Understanding the Landscape

To kick off the MetroNEXT initiative, we established a common baseline by reviewing ridership numbers, demographics, and other factors influencing the services we provide. With the feedback we received, we’re considering future ORBT corridors and other high-frequency service opportunities.

The community feedback for this phase was collected from March 25 – April 8, 2021. Check out what we heard from the community in our first round of outreach!

All previous meeting recordings are available on the Metro YouTube channel here.

View the Understanding the Landscape presentation here.

Rider Amenities

We know the service we provide is more than just buses. Long before you get onboard, you plan your trip, gather information, travel to the stop, and wait until the vehicle arrives. There are many ways we can work to improve this experience, such as bus stop upgrades, rider notifications, and improving first mile/last mile connections.

In-person and virtual meetings were hosted in November and December 2021.

All previous meeting recordings are available on the Metro YouTube channel here.

View the Rider Amenities presentation here.

Routes + Schedules

One of the most important aspects of our transit system is determining the amount of bus service on each route. Should it arrive every 15 minutes or every 30 minutes? Should it operate on evenings and weekends? What tradeoffs are necessary within Metro’s current budget and operational capacity, and how might this change in the future?

In-person and virtual meetings were hosted in November and December 2021.

All previous meeting recordings are available on the Metro YouTube channel here.

View the Routes + Schedules presentation here.

The Rapid Transit Network

Our community has responded positively to the first year of service on ORBT – but we’ve heard loud and clear that one rapid transit line just isn’t enough! Through careful analysis and stakeholder input, we’ve identified 24th Street from Ames Avenue to Q Street as our next area to study for rapid transit upgrades. We also discussed long-term plans for additional rapid transit lines to be studied in the future.

In-person and virtual meetings were held in November and December 2021.

All previous meeting recordings are available on the Metro YouTube channel here.

View The Rapid Transit Network presentation here.

Fare Payments + Policies

We’re rethinking the way people pay for Metro’s services. K-12 students have made great use of our new fare-free pilot program thanks to a generous community partner. Plus with the recent rollout of our new UMO system, bus and MOBY riders can now pay using a smart card or mobile app! This technology opens up new possibilities and considerations for how we can reduce the barrier of fare payment for our riders.

In-person and virtual meetings were held in December 2021.

All previous meeting recordings are available on the Metro YouTube channel here.

View Fare Payments + Policies presentation here.

New Types of Service

Metro currently offers ORBT, local + express routes, and paratransit service. As we look to the future, we’re considering additional types of service to best meet the needs of our growing region, such as micro-transit options and vanpooling.

In-person and virtual meetings were held in December 2021.

All previous meeting recordings are available on the Metro YouTube channel here.

View the New Types of Service presentation here

Finalizing the Path Forward

Three scenarios were developed to illustrate different types of improvements that could be prioritized with a similar level of future transit investment. Feedback on these scenarios helped develop the final MetroNEXT plan.

In-person and virtual meetings were held in February and March 2022.

Check out an overview of MetroNEXT transit scenarios with our CEO and Senior Transit Planner here.

You can review the scenario overview in English. The scenario materials are also available en Español.

All previous meeting recordings are available on the Metro YouTube channel here.

View the MetroNEXT Transit Scenarios presentation here.

MetroNEXT Draft Plan

The draft MetroNEXT plan was presented for public comment in April 2022. A virtual recording of the presentation is available here. Una grabación en español de la presentación de MetroNEXT está disponible aquí.

A digital copy of the MetroNEXT Draft Executive Summary can be downloaded here.

A digital copy of the MetroNEXT Draft Plan can be downloaded here.

Plan Appendices:
Appendix A: Transit Suitability Index
Appendix B: Low-Density Service Assessment
Appendix C: Transit Route Design Principles
Appendix D: Scenario Cost Estimates + Evaluation Criteria
Appendix E: Record of Public Comments

Comments received during this phase were provided to Metro’s Board of Directors, who voted to adopt the final MetroNEXT plan on April 28, 2022.

FAQs

Curious to learn more about MetroNEXT? View our Frequently Asked Questions document:   English | Spanish

Contributing Plans

Improvements to public transit have been studied through a variety of previous community efforts. We’re exploring ideas & recommendations from these sources, which provide great context for our work.