Southwest Transit reports 20.5% ridership gain, outlines county mobility study and service expansions

Eric Hansen, CEO of Southwest Transit, told the City of Chaska council on May 5 that the agency recorded 537,877 passenger trips last year, a 20.5% increase over 2024, and outlined several expansions and studies aimed at growing service in Carver County.

"About Southwest Transit, we basically do have three basic services: fixed routes, our Southwest shuttle special-event service, and Southwest Prime," Hansen said, describing how those services now include a new fixed route along the 494 corridor to the airport and an increase in special-event and on-demand trips.

Hansen and a City representative on the Southwest Transit commission said growth came largely from expanded special-event service and Prime on-demand rides. Hansen said roughly half of this year’s ridership increase—about 60,000 passenger trips—was tied to special-event service, and that the Renaissance Festival alone carried about 30,000 riders. He also said Southwest Prime serves local needs such as grocery and work trips and that in Chaska the top Prime pickup/drop-off locations include Cub Foods, Target, Cloverfield Marketplace Apartments and Lake Grace Manor Apartments; the presentation cited 1,206 pickups and 1,474 drop-offs at the Cub Foods location.

Mikayla, a City representative on the Southwest Transit commission, emphasized the service’s role in daily needs: "It represents the true need in our community to have transit like this," she said, noting the service helps people reach work, food and medical appointments.

Hansen described recent and planned changes: a new fixed route (route 686) running from Southwest Station to the airport, which began service March 31 and operates roughly 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week; an autonomous-vehicle pilot launched last month in Eden Prairie; and a planned northward Prime expansion that could begin drawing on a grant in 2026 to serve areas such as Minnetonka.

He said Southwest Transit will lead a countywide mobility study after Carver County commissioners "approved moving forward with the mobility study" during a recent meeting; Southwest Transit staff will convene a stakeholder group including city staff to identify county transit needs. Hansen said Southwest Transit also is exploring later evening service and Sunday Prime service in response to demand.

On funding, Hansen advised council members that a state-authorized 0.75-cent sales tax for transit will generate a large pool over decades but that Metropolitan Council allocations and county shares limit predictable funding for smaller providers. He said Southwest Transit’s current estimate of local allocation is about $7.5 million (dependent on collections) and noted the sales tax is projected to generate roughly $32 billion over 30 years; he and commission representatives said they continue to press for a more stable, dedicated share for agencies like Southwest Transit.

No city action was required on the presentation. Council members and staff thanked Southwest Transit for service to Chaska and noted the value of transit for employers and residents.

What happened next: Hansen invited questions; council members discussed local event service (Cubs games, Taste of Minnesota) and the role of transit in reducing parking demand. The presentation closed with Hansen reiterating the agency’s balanced budget performance and its strategy of using grants and partnerships to expand services.

Ending: Councilmembers encouraged residents to support transit funding conversations at the county and state level and to participate in upcoming outreach for the Carver County mobility study.