Minnesota Valley Transit Authority

Minnesota Valley Transit Authority

Founded	1990
Headquarters	Burnsville, Minnesota
Locale	Burnsville, Minnesota Eagan, Minnesota Apple Valley, Minnesota Savage, Minnesota Rosemount, Minnesota
Service type	Bus/Rapid Transit
Routes	Bus: 22
Fleet	112 Link
Daily ridership	9,000 (Q2 2010)[1]
Operator	Schmitty and Sons[2]
Executive Director	Beverley Miller
Web site	http://www.mvta.com

The Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) is a public transportation agency that provides fixed-route and demand-responsive bus services to several communities in the southern portion of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The service area currently includes the cities of Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, and Rosemount in Dakota County; and the city of Savage in Scott County. MVTA provides service from these areas to key destinations in Minneapolis and St. Paul, as well as the Mall of America in Bloomington. The agency's name refers to the river valley along the Minnesota River.

Governance and structure

MVTA was created in 1990 through a joint powers agreement between the member municipalities and counties. The agreement was executed under a 1984 Minnesota statute that allowed suburban communities in the metropolitan area to create their own transit agencies independent of Metro Transit, the region's primary public transit provider. MVTA was one of several suburban transit agencies (also known as "opt-outs") that were formed as a result.

MVTA is governed by an eight-member board, each member representing the governing body of a member jurisdiction, plus one at-large member and several ex-officio members.

In 2002, the City of Prior Lake withdrew membership from the MVTA.

Service

MVTA's service is designed primarily to transport passengers from the residential suburbs within its service area to job and activity centers in the Minneapolis and St. Paul. While the majority of the agency's ridership is concentrated during peak periods of travel (rush hour), MVTA service operates seven days per week and up to 18 hours per day on some routes.

Upcoming projects

Main article: Cedar Avenue Transitway

^{[citation needed]}

There is a project for Bus Rapid Transit on Cedar Avenue (State Highway 77/County Road 23) due to extreme traffic congestion between Highway 62/Mall of America & County Road 42. The Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Transitway is in the midst of being completed. Changes include: The addition of two new park & ride lots, Cedar Grove Park & Ride & the 180th Street Station and Changes to existing bus feeder routes & new ones.

Main article: I-35W Busway

^{[citation needed]}

In January 2005, MNDOT released their plans to improve transit service on the corridor. They chose BRT as the best option. Changes include: expansion of Route 535's service from just weekdays to everyday service, and route extensions to the University of Minnesota, and south to Burnsville Transit Station, as well as, expand HOV lanes north to 42nd Street, and build a station located in the median of the freeway at 46th Street (now open). Future MNDOT and Metro Transit plans show a new freeway station located somewhere between 76th St and 82nd St., HOV lane extensions to Downtown Minneapolis, and relocating the Lake St. Station to the median of the freeway.

Main article: Robert Street Corridor

^{[citation needed]}

In 2007, Dakota County completed a study on the Robert Street Corridor. The modes of transit considered are Light Rail Transit, Bus Rapid Transit or Commuter Rail. The MVTA communities of Eagan and Rosemount comprise the south end of the corridor.

Bus routes

Routes last effective: September 12, 2011
Next effective changes: Late 2011/Spring 2012

(Note: Routes 440, 460, 464, 465, 470, 472, 476, 477, 478 and 479 make stops at the I-35W Lake Street Freeway Station. Also, most Route 465 trips make stops at South Bloomington Transit Center.)

Route 420

(Flex Route)

• 149 & Pennock (HealthPartners)
• Apple Valley Transit Station
• Galaxie Library
• 157th Street Station
• County Road 42
• Rosemount Plaza
• Rosemount Community Center

Route 421

(Flex Route)

• Burnsville Transit Station
• Lynn Court
• Hamlition Hotel
• Eagle Ridge Junior High School
• Savage City Hall
• Savage Library
• Savage Park & Ride

Route 426

(Local Shuttle Route)

• Burnsville Transit Station
• Nicollet Avenue
• Portland Avenue

Route 436

(Local/Limited Stop Reverse Commute)

• Minneapolis/46th St Hiawatha LRT
• Mendota Heights
• Brown College
• Eagandale
• Blue Gentian
• Highway 55
• Highway 149
• Thomson Reuters

Route 437

(Local & Reverse Commute)

• Cedar Grove Transit Station
• Blue Cross / Blue Shield
• Coachman Oaks
• Yankee Doodle Road
• Argosy University
• Lockheed/Martin
• Unisys
• Eagan Transit Station

Route 438

(Local & Reverse Commute)

• Cedar Grove Transit Station
• Cliff Lake Road
• Diffley Road

Route 440

(Flex Local and Limited Stop Route)

• Downtown Minneapolis
• Mall of America
• Cedar Grove Transit Station
• Blackhawk P&R
• Minnesota Zoo
• Galaxie Library
• Southport Shopping Center
• Pennock Ave
• Apple Valley Transit Station

Route 441

(Local/Limited Stop Route)
(Saturdays Only)

• Mall of America
• Cedar Grove Transit Station
• Palomino Hills P&R
• Minnesota Zoo
• Apple Valley Transit Station

Route 442

(Local/Limited Stop Route)

• Mall of America
• Cedar Grove Transit Station
• Palomino Hills P&R
• Apple Valley Transit Station
• County Road 42
• County Road 38
• Fairview Ridges
• Burnsville Center

Route 444

(Local Bus Stop Route)

• Mall of America
• Metcalf Junior High
• Cedar Grove Transit Station
• Traverlers Trail
• 122nd Street
• Highway 13
• Burnsville Transit Station
• Heart of the City
• Nicollet Square
• Burnsville Parkway
• Burnsville Center
• Savage P&R
• MVTA's Flagship Route

Route 445

(Local Bus Stop Route)

• Mall of America
• Cedar Grove Transit Station
• Blue Cross / Blue Shield
• Coachman Oaks
• Yankee Doodle Road
• Argosy University
• Lockheed/Martin
• Unisys
• Eagan Transit Station
• Duckwood Drive
• Eagan Town Center
• Dodd & Opperman (Thomson Reuters / Eagan YMCA)

Route 446

(Local/Limited Stop Route)

• Minneapolis/46th St Hiawatha LRT
• Mendota Heights
• Brown College
• Parkview Plaza (446P)
• Eagandale
• United States Postal Service (Minnesota HQ)
• Eagan Transit Station
• Eagan Town Center
• Eagan City Hall
• Cascade Bay
• Wescott Square
• Lexington & Diffley (Cub Foods)
• Braddock & Diffley (Eagan High School / Dakota Hills Middle School)

Route 460

(Express Route - Burnsville to/from University of Minnesota)

• Minneapolis/Gateway Ramp
• University of Minnesota
• I-35W Lake Street Freeway Station
• Burnsville

Route 464

(Express Bus Stop Route - Savage to/from Downtown Minneapolis)

• Minneapolis/Gateway Ramp
• I-35W Lake Street Freeway Station
• Heart of the City Park & Ride
• Burnsville Parkway
• County Road 42
• Savage Park & Ride
• Downtown Savage

Route 465

(Express/Limited Stop Route - Apple Valley to/from University of Minnesota)

• Minneapolis/Gateway Ramp
• University of Minnesota
• I-35W Lake Street Freeway Station
• Burnsville Transit Station
• Fairview Ridges Hospital
• Burnsville Center
• Redwood Community Center
• County Road 42
• Apple Valley Transit Station

Route 470

(Express Route - Eagan to/from Downtown Minneapolis)

• Minneapolis/Gateway Ramp
• Downtown Minneapolis
• I-35W Lake Street Freeway Station
• Argosy University
• Lockheed/Martin
• Unisys
• Eagan Transit Station
• Blackhawk Park & Ride

Route 472

(Express Route - Eagan to/from Downtown Minneapolis)

• Minneapolis/Gateway Ramp
• Downtown Minneapolis
• I-35W Lake Street Freeway Station
• Cliff Square
• Blackhawk Park & Ride
• Thomas Lake Area
• Cedar Grove

Route 475

(Express/Limited Stop Route - Eagan to/from University of Minnesota)

• Minneapolis/Gateway Ramp
• Downtown Minneapolis
• I-35W Lake Street Freeway Station
• Cedar Grove Transit Station

Route 476

(Express Route - Rosemount to/from Downtown Minneapolis)

• Minneapolis/Gateway Ramp
• Downtown Minneapolis
• I-35W Lake Street Freeway Station
• Palomino Park & Ride
• Eastview High School
• Garden View Drive
• 140th Street
• Essex Area
• Connemara Trail
• Rosemount Community Center

Route 477

(Express Route - Lakeville to/from Downtown Minneapolis)

• Minneapolis/Gateway Ramp
• Downtown Minneapolis
• I-35W Lake Street Freeway Station
• Palomino Park & Ride
• Apple Valley Transit Station
• 157th Street Station
• Lakeville Cedar Park and Ride

Route 478

(Express Route - Rosemount to/from Downtown Minneapolis)

• Minneapolis/Gateway Ramp
• Downtown Minneapolis
• I-35W Lake Street Freeway Station
• Rosemount Community Center
• Rosemount Market Area
• Minnesota School District 196 Office Site

Route 479

(Express Route - Apple Valley to/from Downtown Minneapolis)

• Minneapolis/Gateway Ramp
• Downtown Minneapolis
• I-35W Lake Street Freeway Station
• 157th Street Station

Route 480

(Express Bus Stop Route - Apple Valley, Burnsville & Eagan to/from Downtown Saint Paul)

• Downtown St. Paul
• Eagan Transit Station
• Blackhawk Park & Ride
• Burnsville Parkway
• Heart of the City Park & Ride
• Palomino Park & Ride
• Apple Valley Transit Station

Route 484

(Express Route - Eagan to/from Downtown Saint Paul)

• Downtown St. Paul
• Argosy University
• Lockheed/Martin
• Unisys
• Blue Cross / Blue Shield
• Cedar Grove

Route 489

(Limited Stop Reverse Commute - Eagan to/from Downtown Saint Paul)

• Downtown St. Paul
• Lexington Circuit
• Thomson Reuters
• Ecolab
• Parkview Plaza

Transit centers and park-and-rides

• Burnsville Transit Station (1995)
• Apple Valley Transit Station (1999)
• Eagan Transit Station (1999)
• Savage P&R (1999)
• Blackhawk P&R (2002)
• Palomino Hills P&R (2002)
• Heart of the City P&R (2004)
• 157th Street Station (2006)
• Rosemount Community Center (2008)
• Lakeville Cedar (2009)
• Cedar Grove Transit Station (2010)
• 215th Street Station (2014)

See also

• Metro Transit (Minnesota)

External links

• MVTA Official Website

References

1. ^ "Ridership Report Archives". American Public Transportation Association. http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Pages/RidershipArchives.aspx. Retrieved September 21, 2010. 
2. ^ Schmitty and Sons Transit Service