Forest Lake residents who work in downtown Minneapolis can skip the frustrating traffic jams and backups! There is a convenient commuter station, or transit center, is just a hop, skip or jump from most Forest Lake homes!
As a REALTOR® in the north and east Twin Cities metro, I often am asked about the commute to downtown Minneapolis from the Forest Lake area. It is a concern for anyone considering a move to the Chisago, Forest Lake and Wyoming area. A normal traffic free commute from Forest Lake by car to downtown Minneapolis is about 45 minutes. Add in rush hour traffic and travel time can stretch the ride into the city by an additional 20-30 minutes especially with winter storms or summer road construction.
A few years back, Metro Transit started a Forest Lake express route which has since expanded to 2 pick up locations: The Forest Lake transit station and Running Aces in Columbus. The free parking and convenient locations have attracted several commuters.
The Forest Lake Transit Station is located on the Hardwood Creek Trail just west of Highway 61 and 202nd Avenue about a mile south of Forest Lake High School. This location is a great for parents of students who may have to drop off a student the high school, Century or Southwest Junior High as it is just minutes south of any of these schools.
The Running Aces lot is convenient for those commuters on the west side of 35E. It is a Park & Ride lot with ample space to park just off 35E on County Rd 23.
***Check out the Route 288 schedule HERE! ***
Route 288 currently offers 7 south bound and 8 north bound trips daily. Departure times run at just before 6 AM with a last run approximately 8 AM and get commuters downtown in an stress free 45 minute ride! Using shoulders and commuter lanes gets the riders to their downtown workplace destination quickly and safely. Return express rides to Forest Lake start just after 3PM and run approximately every 25-30 minutes until approximately 5:45PM.
If you are considering moving to the north metro but avoided Chisago, Forest Lake and Wyoming due to the commute to Minneapolis, it might be time to expand your location choices. This route does make the commute to downtown Minneapolis a breeze! Communities like Chisago City, Hugo, North Branch, Scandia,Stacy and Lindstrom also will benefit as the transit station location is easily accessible from these communities as well.
Home > Blogs > Teri Eckholm > Minneapolis & St. Paul Real Estate Blog ~ by Native Minnesotan Teri Eckholm
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