MVTA reports rising ridership, microtransit growth and funding uncertainty in Burnsville update

Minnesota Valley Transit Authority officials outlined service trends, capital work and funding needs during a Burnsville City Council meeting on April 22, saying systemwide ridership is up but still below pre‑pandemic levels and that the agency needs clearer, dedicated funding to expand microtransit and frequency.

MVTA Chief Development Officer Matt Biden told the council the authority "operate[s] a fleet of 70 buses," runs 24 fixed routes, manages 14 park‑and‑ride/transit stations and two garages, and is working to balance fixed‑route service with growth in MBTA Connect, its microtransit service. "In March 2025, our system wide ridership is at 46% of pre pandemic levels," Biden said, noting progress from 38% in 2023 and 43% in 2024.

The update matters because MBTA officials said funding uncertainty constrains service changes the agency would otherwise make. Biden and Community and Economic Development Director Joya Stetson said the 0.75 percentage point metro sales and use tax enacted by the Legislature in 2023 increased regional transit funding, but all revenue flows to the Met Council for distribution. Biden said MBTA is pressing the Met Council and the state Legislature for a clear statutory allocation of funds for suburban providers so the agency can plan more service expansions and fleet investments.

Officials highlighted MBTA Connect, the agency's on‑demand shared ride service. Biden said Connect saw a 44 percent year‑over‑year ridership increase in 2024 with an average daily ridership of about 430 rides and an average customer wait time near 25 minutes. "About 65% are actually using the service to get to and from work," Biden said. He added that the $3 fare makes the service a lower‑cost alternative for some riders who would otherwise use private ride‑hail options.

Stetson described outreach and pilot partnerships that used Connect to address parking strain and access at local destinations. She said MBTA piloted weekend service to Buck Hill ski area in January–March and worked with Burnsville High School and the Burnsville Chamber on transit payment cards for student internships.

Officials also discussed vehicle and capital projects. Biden said MBTA has purchased new Aegis fully electric vehicles for Connect and is modernizing its Burnsville bus garage; that modernization is fully funded and under way. The agency also has planning and grant funding for reconfiguring the Burnsville Transit Station to improve pedestrian and bus operations.

On performance measures, Biden said express service ridership is up about 10% year‑over‑year while local fixed‑route ridership declined by about 2%, a shift partly attributed to reallocating resources toward Connect. Event service was a bright spot: MBTA reported more than 217,000 special‑event rides in 2024, a record that officials said was partly inflated by emergency service to Valleyfair during summer flooding (an estimated 30,000 additional rides during about 10 days of work).

Council members pressed MBTA on timing and funding. When asked about merging Connect zones to provide through‑service across suburbs, Biden said the agency's goal is to merge zones within roughly two years, contingent on vehicles and stable funding. He said MBTA currently receives a Met Council allocation but believes the share is insufficient for its coverage needs; he noted MBTA received $10 million from the regional sales tax distribution and is seeking a more formulaic approach.

Biden and Stetson also flagged near‑term service impacts from construction: County Road 13 work will affect Route 444, and MBTA said it has rider messaging and detour plans in place. The presentation concluded with a request for ongoing council support as MBTA pursues legislative changes and Met Council negotiations to secure more predictable funding.

Burnsville officials asked follow‑up questions about service frequency to MSP Airport (Route 495V currently runs every two hours) and transfer rules; MBTA staff said transfers are available and that they are evaluating hourly service on some airport runs.

The presentation ran about 35 minutes and included multiple council questions and substantive staff follow‑ups; no formal council action was taken on MBTA items at the meeting.