Twin Cities transit agencies expand on-demand ride services in the suburbs

Metro Transit bills its Micro service as the “bus that comes to you.” Last week, the transit agency brought its shared on-demand door-to-door rides to parts of Woodbury and Roseville.

And starting Monday, the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) is expanding its on-demand service, Connect, to include the southwestern suburbs of Shakopee and Prior Lake.

The new options are meant to fill gaps where traditional buses don’t go and funnel riders to other transit options they may not have had access to, said Metro Transit’s Director of Service Development Adam Harrington.

“Suburban markets can be hard to serve with a single line on a map,” Harrington said. Micro is aimed at connecting suburban riders with the greater transit network.

In Woodbury, where there are no local routes east of I-494, Micro will be centered around the new Gold Line, the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line that, starting in March, will run along I-94 between the east metro suburb and downtown St. Paul.

Of course, the five vans will take riders who use an app or phone to book a trip to any destination within the service boundary; getting on another bus or mode of transit is not required. The Woodbury service area includes East Ridge and Woodbury high schools, M Health Fairview Sports Center, Woodwinds Hospital, the Woodbury YMCA and the Woodbury Lakes and Tamarack Village shopping centers. Micro also will serve parts of Lake Elmo and Oakdale.

In Roseville, Micro means better options to connect with the A-Line and local and express routes stopping at the Rosedale Transit Center, or easier access to destinations such as the Shoreview Community Center, Bethel University, Rosedale Center and any park, school or office within the boundary.

On-demand services are not cheap to run, Harrington said.

“They cost less than Metro Mobility, but more than fixed bus routes,” he said, without providing a dollar figure. But they are becoming more common as transit agencies work to meet riders’ demands for more personalized and accessible options, said Paul Skoutelas, president and CEO of the American Public Transportation Association.

“This shift is not merely a trend, but a direct response to evolving mobility needs, technological advancements and changing urban planning priorities,” he said.

Metro Transit plans to add two Micro service areas a year over the next few years, including around the Maplewood Mall Transit Center, the Northtown Transit Center in Blaine, the 98th Street Orange Line stop in Bloomington, Brooklyn Park’s Starlite Transit Center and in Minnetonka to a tie in to the Southwest light rail line when it opens in 2027. Mendota Heights is scheduled for 2028, when the southern end of the G Line begins.

MVTA’s Connect will now serve downtown Shakopee and Prior Lake, plus Mystic Lake Casino, Canterbury Park, St. Francis Medical Center, Town Square Mall and the Southbridge Crossing park-and-ride.

“It’s always been our intent to grow Connect and there has been support for several years to expand the service to Prior Lake and Shakopee,” said spokesman Richard Crawford. “We have capacity now to launch and we’re looking forward to providing additional transportation connections to riders in Scott County.”

Take the bus to Buck Hill

Starting this weekend, MVTA will run hourly service on Saturdays and Sundays from the Burnsville Transit Station to Burnsville’s Buck Hill between 9:39 a.m. and 7:02 p.m. Buses will also stop at Burnsville Center and Heart of the City stations.

Rides will cost $2 per trip and will continue through March 16. Riders, who can bring their skis and snowboards on board, can take other MVTA routes to the Burnsville Transit Center and transfer to buses going to Buck Hill.

“We have had customer interest in getting to Buck Hill,” Crawford said. “Our entertainment destinations have shown good ridership growth and potential. Buck Hill is a primary winter event destination and parking capacity also has been identified as an issue there.”