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Carver County approves joint powers agreement with Southwest Transit to fund a countywide transit and mobility study
Summary
The county authorized a joint powers agreement with Southwest Transit to produce a transit and mobility study, reimbursement-based, to support service planning and a 2026 Regional Solicitation funding application. Staff and consultants said the effort will include six tasks and three rounds of public engagement.
The Carver County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 19 approved a joint powers agreement (JPA) with Southwest Transit to commission a transit and mobility study intended to guide service expansion and support a 2026 Regional Solicitation funding application.
Public Works Director Rob Gent explained the county’s rapid growth and available state funding through the Transportation Advancement Account created in 2023 as background for the study. Eric Hansen of Southwest Transit told the board the study will help document need, fit into regional planning and strengthen future grant applications for transit expansion; he said the county’s recent microtransit and Transit Link work shows demand for expanded services.
Stantec project manager Ella Rasp described a six-task scope that will combine analysis of population, jobs and origin-destination travel patterns with three rounds of stakeholder engagement, alternatives development (including microtransit), a final report and help preparing the regional funding application.
Board members discussed costs and timing. Commissioners referenced a figure of roughly $152,000 for the work during the meeting and noted the study is intended to position the county for the 2026 Regional Solicitation through the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB). The county’s contribution will be on a reimbursement basis to Southwest Transit under the JPA. Several commissioners framed the expenditure as an investment that could unlock larger matching funds later; Southwest Transit and county staff said their agencies are also contributing staff time and in-kind work to the effort.
Microtransit and mobility goals: Commissioners asked about microtransit — described by Southwest Transit as an on-demand, shared-ride service similar to an app-based ride-hailing service that functions as an enhanced demand-response product. Hansen said about 60% of microtransit riders use that service because they do not have a car and that much of existing ridership is job-related, underscoring the study’s potential role in economic development and workforce access.
Action and next steps: The board authorized the JPA with Southwest Transit to proceed; the agreement delegates project management to Southwest Transit with reimbursement from Carver County and establishes a steering group of county and transit staff and stakeholders. Stantec will lead the technical work, produce a final report, and prepare a funding application for the 2026 Regional Solicitation. Southwest Transit and county staff noted they had already expanded surveys and contributed staff time to support the study.
