Increased crime in downtown Minneapolis around bus stops prompts the mayor, police and businesses to pressure the transit agency to move 7th Street's bus stops three blocks away from the downtown entertainment district.
"Yet the idea of moving the bus stops is opposed by Metro Transit and many of the bus riders it is designed to protect. Some said they would feel more vulnerable catching a bus along 4th Street, because there are fewer people around to report illegal activity. Moving bus stops might only shift criminals to a less populated street, where it would be harder to find help if they were attacked, some argue."
Just relocating one main bus route would require two additional buses to serve the longer route and additional turns at an annual cost of around $500,000. The transit agency also has concerns about the ability of 4th Street to handle increased bus traffic. And some bus riders feel the move is prompted by racism since many of the bus riders are black.
