SouthWest Transit

SouthWest Transit is a public transportation agency that is based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The agency was formed in 1986 when the southwest Minneapolis suburbs of Chaska, Chanhassen, and Eden Prairie chose to opt out of the Metropolitan Transit Commission transit system in accordance with Minnesota State Statutes. Under a joint powers agreement between the three cities, they created their own transit system, SouthWest Metro Transit. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 371,300, or about 1,200 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2023.

SouthWest Transit
Headquarters13500 Technology Drive, Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Service typebus service, paratransit
DestinationsEden Prairie, Chanhassen, Chaska, Minneapolis, University of Minnesota, Fairview Hospital Southdale, Southdale
Daily ridership1,200 (weekdays, Q2 2023)[1]
Annual ridership371,300 (2022)[2]
Websiteswtransit.org

Now known as SouthWest Transit, the agency continues to be the public transit agency for Chaska, Chanhassen, and Eden Prairie, as well as Carver. They currently offer service to and from Downtown Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota, Normandale Community College and Best Buy Headquarters.

Service
A map of transit service areas within the Twin Cities metropolitan area with SouthWest transit shown in the southwest corner of the map.
Southwest Transit serves Chaska, Chanhassen, and Eden Prairie in the southwest area of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

In addition to their regular service, SouthWest Transit also offers a number of seasonal services, including State Fair, Twins Express, Vikings Express, Gophers Express, Summer Adventures, select concerts, and more.

SouthWest Transit also operates an on-demand service, SW Prime. This service operates in the cities of Carver, Chanhassen, Chaska, Eden Prairie, and Victoria. Other regional transit providers provide similar services with the Metropolitan Council's Transit Link, Maple Grove Transit's My Ride, MVTA's Connect, Plymouth Metrolink's Click-And-Ride, and Metro Transit's microtransit pilot Metro Transit micro.[3][4]

SouthWest Transit offered a dial-a-ride transit service in the 1990s that required riders to book a trip by phone several days in advance. The service had high rates of trip cancellations and customers no-showing. SW Prime was launched in July 2015 and allowed customers to book a ride by phone or via a smartphone app. The service was initially offered Monday through Friday, but it has since expanded to Saturdays as well.[5][6] The service was expanded to medical rides in 2019.[7] Some service is offered to select areas of Shakopee and I-494 strip.[8][6] Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, around 500 SW Prime rides were served a day. Ridership lowered during the pandemic and in January 2021 was roughly 50% of pre-pandemic ridership, but by June 2022 ridership was 94% of pre-pandemic numbers. SW Prime ridership rebounded faster than SouthWest Transit express ridership.[4]

In 2004 SouthWest Transit was named Transit Agency of the Year by the American Public Transit Association.[9]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, SouthWest Transit initially laid off 50% of its drivers but has since struggled to re-staff its workforce like transit agencies across the nation.[10]

Routes
SouthWest Transit bus at Marquette Ave and 5th St on the Marq2 transit corridor

Bold route number denotes an express route.

Route Origin/Destination Major Destinations/Transit Stations Notes Link
602 East Creek Station

SouthWest Village

SouthWest Station

 Normandale Community College

Best Buy HQ
690 690: SW Station

A: Dell Rd & Hwy 62
C: Chanhassen TS
E: EP Loop
H: Hennepin Village
P: Anderson Lakes & Mitchell Rd

 Downtown Minneapolis
  • Transit Stations: East Creek Station, SouthWest Village, Chanhassen Station, SouthWest Station
  • Downtown Minneapolis: Marquette Avenue Stop D, 2nd Avenue Stop F
 link
695 East Creek Downtown Minneapolis, University of MN
  • Transit Stations: East Creek Station, SouthWest Village, SouthWest Station
  • Downtown Minneapolis: Wells Fargo
  • University of Minnesota
 link
697 Carver Station Downtown Minneapolis
  • Transit Stations: East Creek Station, Carver Station
  • Downtown Minneapolis: 2nd Avenue Stop F, Marquette Avenue Stop D
 link
698 698: East Creek


Downtown Minneapolis, University of MN
  • Transit Stations: Carver Station, East Creek Station, SouthWest Village, Chanhassen Station, Southwest Station
  • Downtown Minneapolis: 2nd Avenue Stop F, Marquette Avenue Stop D
  • University of Minnesota
 The 698L Stops at East Creek or Carver Station if requested. link
699 699: Carver Station


Downtown Minneapolis
  • Transit Stations: Carver Station, East Creek Station, SouthWest Village
  • Chaska: Clover Field Park & Ride, Stoughton Ave, Pioneer Tr
  • Downtown Minneapolis: 2nd Avenue Stop F, Marquette Avenue Stop D
 link
Normandale Shuttle SouthWest Station Normandale Community College

Park & Ride Facilities
SouthWest Station in Eden Prairie under construction in anticipation of Southwest LRT

SouthWest Transit operates out of the following park-and-ride locations:

  • Southwest Station – Hwy 212 & Prairie Center Drive, Eden Prairie
  • SouthWest Village – Hwy 212 & Hwy 101, Chanhassen
  • Chanhassen Transit Station – 500 Market St., Chanhassen (next to the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre)
  • East Creek Station – Hwy 212 & Hwy 41, Chaska
  • Carver Station – Hwy 212 & Jonathan Carver Pkwy, Carver

Park and ride expansions

SouthWest Transit opened three new park & ride facilities near Highway 212. The first, SouthWest Village, is at County Road 101 and Highway 212 in Chanhassen. The second new park & ride is East Creek Station in Chaska. That facility was opened in early June 2008 at the southwest corner of Highway 212 and County Road 41. The third new park & ride is Chanhassen Transit Station opened in December 2011 and is located north of Highway 5, just next to the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres on Market St.

Due to near capacity issues, in 2007 the East Creek Station Park and Ride CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality – a federal program) grant submittal was approved for the construction of 450 park and ride stalls, a transit station and busway. The new 450 stalls are structured parking (a ramp), and the station includes passenger waiting areas along with vending and restroom facilities. The total project cost $7.8 million. Bidding for the construction of the ramp and station is expected to take place in the spring/summer of 2012, with construction beginning later in the summer/fall and an opening of the new facility in September 2013. SouthWest is also in discussion with private developers to develop approximately one acre of land currently set aside for future development use. Options for the site include office, neighborhood commercial, and day care.[11]

Records

Records of the SouthWest Transit Commission are available for research use. They consist of annual reports (1997–2005); management plans and budgets (1992–1993, 1995); oversight (1993–1994); and On the Move rider newsletter (2005).[12]

Ridership

The ridership statistics shown here are of fixed route services only and do not include demand response services.[13]

250,000
500,000
750,000
1,000,000
1,250,000
1,500,000
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022

See also

References
  1. "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. September 13, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  2. "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2022" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  3. Harlow, Tim (March 6, 2022). "Metro Transit will pilot on-demand rides this summer in north Minneapolis". Star Tribune. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  4. Pan, Henry (9 September 2022). "Metro Transit tests new Uber-Lyft-like service on Northside". Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  5. Harlow, Tim (January 2017). "A public Uber service? In southwest metro, officials say it works". Star Tribune. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  6. "SW Prime is an On-Demand Ride Service for Eden Prairie, Chaska, Chanhassen and Carver". swtransit.org. SouthWest Transit. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  7. Moore, Janet (November 5, 2019). "SouthWest Transit expands service to help riders reach medical appointments". Star Tribune. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  8. Harlow, Tim (January 11, 2021). "SouthWest Prime now goes to Shakopee". Star Tribune. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  9. "SouthWest Transit is Proud of Many Awards from Over the Years". swtransit.org. SouthWest Transit. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  10. Pan, Henry (25 March 2022). "Pandemic dealt a blow to transit — is it permanent?". Minnesota Reformer. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  11. "Southwest Transit -- East Creek". Southwest Metro Transit. 2011.
  12. SouthWest Transit Commission Records
  13. "The National Transit Database (NTD)". Retrieved July 6, 2023.
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