MVTA service changes take effect Jan. 13

Connect expansion to Scott County and winter Buck Hill route added

MVTA Connect, MVTA’s point-to-point microtransit service, will expand service to portions of Prior Lake and Shakopee starting with MVTA’s winter service change on Monday, Jan. 13.

Customers book their trips using the free RideMVTA App. Each trip costs $3 and can be paid with credit or debit card via the RideMVTA App. Cash, or Go-To Card. (All Go-To Cards are charged $3 per ride and riders need cash value on the card.)

On-demand trips in the Prior Lake and Shakopee zone will be available to riders on weekdays between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. Rides can booked up to 3 hours in advance of the requested trip time.

On-Demand Service

MVTA Connect is an on-demand service, with pooled trips allowed. During peak demand times, wait times may be higher. MVTA recommends booking trips with consideration of these possible wait times.

MVTA Connect does not accept transfer tickets from fixed route buses. However, if a rider is planning to transfer from Connect to a fixed route, they may ask the driver for a same-day transfer ticket.

Connect rides in the new zone can only be booked within the Prior Lake/Shakopee zone. Riders can use Connect to make regional connections to and from Marschall Road Transit Station. Other major destinations in the zone include: Downtown Shakopee, Downtown Prior Lake, Canterbury Park, Mystic Lake Casino, St. Francis Hospital, Town Square Mall and Southbridge Crossings Park & Ride.

New Prior Lake and Shakopee MVTA Connect zone.

MVTA Connect will now have three zones: the Prior Lake and Shakopee zone; the main zone, which includes Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan and Rosemount; and the Eagan zone.

Buck Hill (Burnsville Transit – Buck Hill)

MVTA will operate a seasonal local weekend route to Buck Hill beginning on January 18 through March 16.  The service will run hourly between 9:39 a.m. and 7:02 p.m. between Burnsville Transit Station and Buck Hill with stops at the Heart of the City  Station and Burnsville Center.

Riders on the Buck Hill route can bring their skis and ski equipment on the bus and keep it securely with them in their seating area.

Riders can connect to the Buck Hill Route at Burnsville Transit Station on weekends using Route 495, which serves Mall of America and Marschall Road Transit Station, and Route 444, which serves Savage Park & Ride, Burnsville Center, Cedar Grove Transit Station, and Mall of America.

Route 465 (Burnsville – Mpls – UMN)

Three additional morning 465 Northbound trips will serve 98th Street Station in Bloomington to increase access to the University of Minnesota. The trips are:

– 7:22 a.m. (98th Street Station pickup at 7:29 a.m.)

– 8:20 a.m. (98th Street Station pickup at 8:27 a.m.)

– 8:40a.m. (98th Street Station pickup at 8:47 a.m.)

Route 480 (Apple Valley – Burnsville – Eagan – St. Paul)

The 5 p.m. 480B Southbound trip will be moved to 5:07 p.m. to increase on-time reliability of the trip.

Route 446 (Eagan – 46th St Station)

Multiple trips will be added to route 446 to provide additional frequency in the afternoons due to rider demand. The following trips will be added:

Northbound: 2:31 p.m.

Southbound: 2:40 p.m., 3:40 p.m., 4:40 p.m.

There also will be a minor re-route for 446 to end using Civic Center Drive in Eagan. Alternative routing and stops will be provided on Wescott Road.

Route 446 will have a minor re-route effective January 13.

Route 495 (Shakopee – Burnsville – MOA – MSP Airport)

Trip times on Route 495 are being updated to improve transfers with the Metro Blue Line, and D Line. 495 times will change by up to 12 minutes. Riders can review update timetables here.

Orange LINK trip times will change one to seven minutes to improve transfers with Metro Orange Line. Orange LINK times will change by up to 8 minutes. Riders can review update timetables here.

Timepoint Removals:

Route 442 (Burnsville Center – Apple Valley – MOA)

Route 497 (Downtown Shakopee)

Timepoints have been removed on Route 442 and Route 497 due to operational concerns. Buses will continue to stop at these locations, but they will not hold until their listed time if they are early and will no longer be present on paper schedules. Customers are advised to arrive to the bus stop at least five minutes before the estimated pick up. Timepoints removed are below:

– Route 442: Garden View Dr at Co Rd 42 NE Corner (#01938); Garden View Dr at Co Rd 42 SW Corner (#01959)

– Route 497: St. Francis Hospital (#01725)

Time Changes:

Route 436 (46th St Station – Viking Lakes – T. Reuters)

Route 475 (Apple Valley – Eagan – Mpls – UMN)

Route 489 (St. Paul – Viking Lakes – T. Reuters – Eagan)

Minor timing changes have been made to Route 436, Route 475, and Route 489 to increase reliability.

Stops Removed:

Route 497 (Downtown Shakopee)

Route 499 (Shakopee – Mystic – Walmart)

Marschall Rd at Hwy 169 off ramp SW Corner (#00914) has been removed due to operational concerns. Riders are advised to use the stop at 17th Ave at Marschall Rd NW Corner (#01784) or Marschall Road Transit Station.

Ice Festival (MOA – Viking Lakes)

MVTA will be providing special event service to the Minnesota Ice Festival in Eagan from the Mall of America on weekends January 11 through February 16.

The ice festival is located at TCO Stadium in Viking Lakes.

The Ice Festival service will run hourly beginning at 10:55 a.m. with the last return trip at 10:15 p.m. on Saturdays and the last return trip at 9:15 p.m. on Sundays.

Fares will be $2 (a local bus ticket). Transfers to and from other routes are free within the 2.5 hour window for regular routes.

Reduced Local Rush Hour Fares

Beginning Jan. 1, local rush hour fixed route fares will be reduced by 50 cents to $2 due to a new regional fare policy update. There will also be multiple changes to youth, senior, metro mobility, all-day, and 7-day passes. Please visit this website for more information.