Minnesota Valley Transit Authority
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| Areas Served | Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Rosemount, Savage, Prior Lake and Shakopee, Minnesota |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Fleet Size | 118 |
| Number Of Routes | 24 |
| 2011 Ridership | 2,588,183 [1] |
Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) Is the transit provider for the communities of; Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, and Rosemount in Dakota County, Savage, Prior Lake and Shakopee in Scott County, Minnesota.
Overview
MVTA was formed in 1990 when the communities of Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Rosemount, and Savage, Minnesota opted-out of Metro Transit service under a provision of the MN State Legislature. This provision allowed suburban communities to opt-out of receiving Metro Transit service and collect property taxes directly to operate their own service. In 2001 funding for transit shifted from property taxes to the motor vehicle sales tax, which the MVTA currently receives it's funding from.
On January 1, 2015, transit in Prior Lake and Shakopee (operating under the BlueXpress brand) were merged into the MVTA.
MVTA currently operates 29 fixed and flex routes in the seven communities it serves. These routes are primarily express routes which operate from 10 park-n-rides to the downtowns of St. Paul and Minneapolis, MN. Local service is also provided in each community. Bus maintenance and operations are contracted to Schmitty and Sons.
Bus Rapid Transit
The MVTA is expected to begin operating the Cedar Ave. BRT line in 2012. This line will serve Cedar Ave. from the Bloomington, MN area to the Lakeville, MN area with stops in Apple Valley and Eagan, MN.
Naming
The proper name for the line will be the Red Line. This will conform to the Metropolitan Council's regional transitway network naming system, known as Metro.
Stations
Initially the line will operate with five stations or stops. These are: 28th Street/Mall of America (exact location is unknown currently); Cedar Grove Transit Station; 140th Street Station; 147th Street Station; and Apple Valley Transit Station.
Additional stations will be added to the line as funds become available for expansion.
Vehicles
The MVTA has purchased 7 Nova Bus LFX 40' units to operate on the line.[2] these vehicles will be used specifically for the BRT service and will feature a unique livery and Metro system styling to set them apart from the regular fixed-route service fleet.
Facilities
Headquarters
MVTA management and customer service is based out of the Burnsville Transit Station located at Highway 13 and Nicollet Avenue in Burnsville, MN.
Operations Faciliites
- Burnsville Bus Garage
- Address: 11550 Rupp Dr. Burnville, MN[3]
- Eagan Bus Garage
- Address: 3600 Blackhawk Road, Eagan, MN
Passenger Facilities
The MVTA system has a number of transit stations and park-n-ride lots, all of these facilities are served by at least one express route with service to a major destination.
| Facility Name | Parking | Bike Rack/Lockers | Climate Controlled Waiting | Newspaper Racks | Public Pay Phone | Restroom(s) | Vending Machines | Location |
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| Apple Valley Transit Station | 750 Spaces |  |
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15450 Cedar Avenue South, Apple Valley, MN | ||
| Blackhawk Park & Ride | 283 Spaces | |
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Cliff Road and Blackhawk Road, Eagan, MN | ||||
| Burnsville Transit Station | 1300 Spaces | |
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100 East Highway 13, Burnsville, MN |
| Cedar Grove Transit Station | 150 Spaces | |
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4035 Nicols Road, Eagan, MN | |||
| Eagan Transit Station | 750 Spaces | |
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Yankee Doodle Road and Pilot Knob Road, Eagan, MN | |
| Eagle Creek Park & Ride | Yes | |
6600 Eagle Creek Boulevard, Shakopee, MN | |||||
| Heart of the City Park & Ride | 370 Spaces | |
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126th St. and Pillsbury Avenue, Burnsville, MN | |||
| Lakeville Cedar Park & Ride | 191 Spaces | |
18040 Cedar Avenue South, Lakeville, MN | |||||
| Palomino Hills Park & Ride | 304 Spaces | |
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Pennock Avenue south of Palomino Drive, Apple Valley, MN | |||
| Rosemount Community Center | Yes | 13855 S. Robert Trail, Rosemount, MN | ||||||
| Savage Park & Ride | 195 Spaces | |
141st Street and Huntington Avenue, Savage, MN | |||||
| 157th St. Station | 250 Spaces | |
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Pilot Knob Road between 160th St. and 157th St. Apple Valley, MN |
Fares
MVTA is part of the regional transit fare system. See the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area Transit Systems Fare Description for more information.
Fleet
Current Roster
The active MVTA fleet consists of the following bus models:
Notes:
- Fleet operations are based out of two garages, located in Eagan and Burnsville, MN
On Order
| Fleet number(s) | Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | Passenger Seats | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBD (11 buses) |
2020 | Gillig | TBD | TBD | TBD |
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Retired Bus Roster
Historically the MVTA bus fleet has consisted largely of second-hand units, many of which were transferred from Metro Transit
Notes:
- The MVTA also operated a large number of vans used for vanpool service
- Additional units, most of which were cutaways, were also part of the fleet
Routes
A current listing of MVTA operated routes is available in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area Transit Systems Overview
External Links
References
- ↑ [1]MVTA Website: MVTA Celebrates 2011 Ridership as Second Highest Ever
- ↑ Nova Bus: New Partnership Betwen MVTA and Nova Bus Retrieved on May 14th, 2012
- ↑ [2]Minnesota Valley Transit Authority: MVTA Board
- ↑ MVTA Board Meeting Packet, March 2012 Retrieved March 22, 2012
- ↑ Metropolitan Council: Business Item 2017-66 Authorize Execution of Contract Options with Gillig LLC
- ↑ Metropolitan Council: Business Item 2017-170 Authorize Execution of Contract Options with Gillig LLC
- ↑ Metropolitan Council: Business Item 2019-160 Authorize Execution of Contract Options with Gillig LLC Utilizing the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Gillig Bus Contract – 11 buses