Eden Prairie councilors urge residents to contact lawmakers over potential changes to transit funding

Council members at the March 3 Eden Prairie City Council meeting warned that state-level moves to reconfigure transit funding could jeopardize Southwest Transit’s service to Eden Prairie and urged residents to contact lawmakers.

Council Member Lisa Tumi introduced the topic after referencing a Star Tribune article about high‑subsidy routes and funding flows through the Met Council. Speakers described a long-standing “opt‑out” model in which suburban providers like Southwest Transit operate separately from Met Council services and noted recent legislative interest in shifting how the regional transit funding pool is allocated.

At the meeting a council speaker characterized Southwest Transit as an efficient, award‑winning opt‑out provider and said ridership has been growing. Meeting participants urged residents to use swtransit.org’s legislative action page to tell legislators they oppose losing local service. "We're urging people to tell your legislators how you feel about losing this critical service," a council speaker said.

Councilors also named area legislators (as discussed at the meeting) and encouraged constituents to contact them and neighboring officials in cities served by Southwest Transit. A separate council member recalled serving as chair of the Southwest Transit Commission and noted statewide recognition for the agency in 2024.

The council did not take any formal legislative action at the meeting; members limited their remarks to urging public engagement and reminding residents that legislative decisions affecting transit funding would be made at the state level.