Regional transit authority reports ridership gains, expands on-demand service in Eagan

Minnesota Valley Transit Authority officials gave the Eagan City Council a progress report on June 10, saying the agency has seen year‑over‑year ridership gains, expanded its on‑demand Connect service into all seven member cities and is planning service increases tied to special events and development if funding holds.

Luther Winder, CEO of the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, told the council the agency operates a midsize system with roughly 170 buses, 24 routes, 14 park‑and‑rides and two garages and that Eagan is an original member that receives extensive service. Winder said overall agency ridership rose about 10% from 2023 to 2024 and that year‑to‑date 2025 ridership was up roughly 7½% compared with the same point in 2024.

The authority described Connect as an on‑demand service that launched with two retired vehicles in 2019 and now operates roughly 26 vehicles systemwide (about six dedicated to Connect in and near Eagan at one point), with shared rides and app‑based booking up to three hours in advance. Winder said average daily rides are about 529 and average wait time is about 21 minutes; the agency targets 20–25 minutes and adds vehicles when wait times exceed that goal.

Winder and council members discussed the interplay between fixed‑route service and Connect. Winder said the agency has shifted hours from some lower‑performing local fixed routes into Connect, reducing certain local service by about 10% to reallocate resources, which helped Connect ridership grow but also depressed local fixed‑route counts. He said the intent is to restore or rebalance fixed routes where demand supports it but that doing so requires vehicle and personnel resources.

Officials also described service tied to special events and recent changes: MBTA will operate 15‑minute frequency service between Eagan Transit Station and the community center for Artfest (June 21–22) and Fun Fest (July 4). The agency added real‑time signage and lighting improvements at Eagan Transit Station and said it purchased electric vehicles for some Connect service, with the agency receiving positive early operational feedback on those vehicles.

Winder flagged funding uncertainty as a central constraint on longer‑term plans. He said a proposed regional sales tax bill discussed during the state legislative session could have increased MBTA funding to about $27 million per year, up from roughly $10 million now; the agency did not secure that allocation in the session. Without additional regional funding, Winder said MBTA will continue to reallocate existing service and refine its footprint rather than pursue a major expansion into new zones.

Council members and MBTA staff noted ongoing coordination opportunities: MBTA said it is discussing airport routing, additional hourly service on route 45, frequency increases on routes 444 and 475 and possible partnerships with local hotel and tourism stakeholders to promote transit use for events and facilities. Winder said airport trips and longer out‑of‑service‑area Connect runs remain possible if additional funding is available, but the agency is reluctant to pull vehicles from core zones while demand is rising.

The presentation closed with MBTA saying it will continue vehicle and shelter upgrades, add charging infrastructure for electric buses, and pursue federal, state and local funding opportunities while working with Dakota County and member cities to advocate for additional regional allocations.

Ending: MBTA officials asked the council to continue coordinating on event service and development plans and warned that sustained service expansion will depend on new funding or reallocation of existing resources.