Help Get the Purple Line on White Bear Ave

Sign the Petition

Read the Full Petition Letter

To: Metropolitan Council Leadership, Ramsey County Commissioners, the cities of Saint Paul and Maplewood, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation

Public transit is an essential service that touches every aspect of daily life. Our community relies on public transportation to get to work and school, see families and friends, and access essentials like employment, groceries, and health care. We need the incoming Purple Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to serve as many people as possible, as well as possible.

White Bear Avenue is a crucial corridor on the East Side of Saint Paul and Maplewood where community members work, eat, live, and play. The addition of the Purple Line would only elevate the quality and efficiency of the roadway. Not only is White Bear Avenue dense with businesses and community infrastructure, but it also serves as a connection for the historically underserved and growing East Side of Saint Paul to the rest of the city.

Today, the corridor is too often dangerous, unwelcoming, and inaccessible because the infrastructure for walking, rolling, busing, and biking is so inadequate. Speeding traffic, narrow sidewalks, and hectic crossings make it difficult to get around and discourage enjoying all the area has to offer. The Purple Line would change that. Choosing White Bear Avenue for the Purple Line’s route will bring new energy, prosperity, and access to local businesses, services, and jobs.

No matter what, we need a Purple Line that serves our community in the best way possible, in the densest area available. We call on the Metropolitan Council, Ramsey County, the Cities of Saint Paul and Maplewood, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation to prioritize their communities and to advocate for the best version of the Purple Line BRT.

Sincerely,

The Purple People Coalition, including Move Minnesota, Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing, East Side Area Business Association, Greater East Side District Council

and co-signers