When 5 INVESTIGATES documented a month of rides on the Twin Cities’ newest and most expensive bus rapid transit line, it exposed low ridership and frustrated taxpayers. Metro Transit says those forecasts were developed using software from the Federal Transit Administration. “I wasn’t involved in making the decision to bring it here, but I think transit in metropolitan areas is very important,” Burt said. Ridership is not the only consideration for Nikki Villavicencio, a Maplewood city council member and disability advocate. “As a lifelong advocate, I think equity is always an uphill battle,” Villavicencio said.