MVTA reports ridership gains, defends microtransit and electric fleet as state proposals target suburban providers

Luther Winder, executive director of the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, briefed the Burnsville City Council on MVTA’s expanding services, ridership gains and a push to correct what he called a misleading legislative report.

Winder said Burnsville ridership rose about 4.3% year-over-year and highlighted growth in MVTA’s on-demand Connect microtransit (main-zone ridership up roughly 37% and system-wide Connect up about 33%). He told the council that 65% of Connect customers use the service to travel to and from work and that nearly half of Connect households report annual incomes under $25,000. "Connect is a public-transit alternative to Uber and Lyft," Winder said, noting the $3 base fare and demographic trends that include about 47% customers of color and 60% women.

Winder described operational goals and constraints: average daily rides in the main Connect zone are about 389, average wait time is roughly 27 minutes (MVTA’s goal is 20 minutes or less), and MVTA plans to add vehicles or change routing to reduce cancellations when waits exceed 30 minutes. He said the agency will transition some underperforming local suburban fixed routes to Connect and combine routes (for example, the four-fund service and Route 495) to provide more efficient hourly service.

On sustainability, Winder said MVTA operates five purpose-built all-electric microtransit vehicles (E‑JAZZ) and that the vehicles saved "almost 3,000 metric tons of CO2" in the last year while reducing diesel fuel costs by about $60,000. He asked the council for board approval to purchase additional electric vehicles and flagged operator feedback items (seat ergonomics, winter door behavior) MVTA is addressing.

A major portion of the presentation addressed a Metropolitan Council "high subsidy" report that was circulated at the Legislature. Winder said the report relied on a 2023–24 snapshot that did not account for routes later eliminated, federally funded pilot programs (he cited Route 498 as an example) or private-employer funding that lowers net regional subsidies. "The report makes it look like that route is still ongoing and it's simply not the case," he told the council, arguing the methodology skewed costs and could be used to justify reallocating suburban funding to the Met Council.

Council members pressed MVTA on the bills and the legislative process. Council Member Schultz urged residents and businesses to contact state officials to oppose proposals that would transfer suburban transit funding or management to Metro Transit; he said the council should escalate outreach to the governor’s office if necessary. Winder confirmed MVTA has a webpage that generates support letters for constituents and encouraged residents to contact their legislators.

Council Member Keely and others said the Legislature’s cited subsidy figures reflect a COVID-era dip in ridership and one-off pilot costs, not current performance. Keely noted that MVTA, as an opt-out suburban provider, must balance budgets and cannot operate sustained deficits in the way larger regional operators sometimes do. Several council members said they would continue to press legislators to preserve local suburban service.

The report and discussion did not produce any formal action by the council; the presentation closed after member questions and thanks to MVTA staff. The council asked for regular updates on the legislative developments and MVTA offered operational follow-ups on ridership metrics.