MnDOT Options Could Bring Big Changes to Hwy. 77 in Eagan, Apple Valley

The agency wants to improve traffic flow on Hwy. 77 and build a better connection between the Cedar Grove bus station and the highway.

With the reconstruction of Cedar Avenue in Apple Valley nearly complete, the Minnesota Department of Transportation is now turning its attention north, to a stretch of the highway between Interstate 35E and Bloomington. MnDOT officials are in the midst of an engineering study that will assess three options to relieve traffic congestion and create a managed MnPass lane. Although they haven't settled on a solution yet, all three of the choices MnDOT is considering would bring big changes to area. On Tuesday, MnDOT spokesperson John Solberg presented the options to the Eagan City Council during an engineering study update. Here are the details of each possible plan: Get a closer look at each option by clicking on the slideshow above. Which …

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Bus Rapid Transit Route Will Likely Be Operational on June 22

The first phase of rapid transit service will include five stations, beginning at the Apple Valley Transit Station and ending at the Mall of America. Fares will be $1.75 for adults during non-peak times.

Service on the long-awaited Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Transit route—which will eventually stretch from Lakeville to Bloomington—is expected to begin on June 22. Construction delays have pushed back the launch of the rapid transit route, which was originally slated to open up in November 2012, according to a report in the Star Tribune. While the route, known as the Red Line, still needs approval from the Metropolitan Council to begin running, Dakota County, the Met Council and the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority have all recommended the June 22 start date, the Star Tribune reported. The first phase of rapid transit service will include five stations, beginning at the Apple Valley Transit Station and ending at the Mall of America, where it …

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MVTA Says Yes to $6.6 Million Expansion to Eagan Bus Garage

The expansion will serve the soon-to-be-opened Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Transit route.

  Construction is about to begin on a $6.6 million expansion to the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority's bus storage and maintenance facility in Eagan, as the authority ramps up for the opening of a new rapid transit route in Dakota County. The expansion will add more than 24,000 square feet to the existing 80,000-square-foot building, and will expand the storage capacity of the facility from 60 to 100 buses, according to transit authority officials. Construction will also increase the number of maintenance bays from eight to 11 stalls. The project is closely tied to the development of the authority's new Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route, according to MVTA Board member and Eagan City Councilor Gary Hansen. The rapid transit route…

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MVTA Annual Ridership Steady at 2.5 Million Users

Apple Valley's Route 475 saw 47 percent increase.

  Like us on Facebook | Get our newsletter | Follow us on Twitter | Start a blog The Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) netted roughly 2.5 million riders in 2012—thanks in part to strong ridership statistics on Route 475 from Apple Valley to the University of Minnesota. The MVTA's Apple Valley/Cedar Grove/University route saw a 47 percent increase over ridership in 2011, according to MVTA spokesperson Robin Selvig. Another route, the Sunday service between Eagan and the Mall of America, was up 10 percent. Also, Route 477, the Apple Valley express to/from downtown Minneapolis, was the second most popular route in the system during the year. 2012 ridership was only 70,000 riders away from the MVTA's high ridership mark, which was set …

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Rapid Transit Bus Route the Topic at MVTA Public Meetings in Eagan and Apple Valley

The Minnesota Valley Transit Authority wants residents' input on service changes to local bus routes in relation to the opening of the METRO Red Line rapid transit service.

  Like us on Facebook | Get our newsletter | Follow us on Twitter | Start a blog Editor's Note: The following is a news release from the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority. The Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) has scheduled two public meetings to receive input on proposed service changes to MVTA Routes in conjunction with the opening of the METRO Red Line service in Spring of 2013. The meetings are scheduled on Thursday, Jan. 10 from 5-7 p.m. in the Eagan Community Room at Eagan City Hall and on Wednesday, Jan. 16 from 5-7 p.m. in the Regent Room at Apple Valley City Hall.  There will be information regarding MVTA’s current routes and proposed changes to local routes that operate on or feed to Cedar Avenue (Routes 420, 437, 438, …

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STORM AFTERMATH: Motorists Seek a Quicker Afternoon Commute

Monday morning’s rush hour was a commuter’s headache, as traffic crawled on slick highways.

Most Twin Cities freeways were in fair condition at midday Monday, a couple hours after one of the most nerve-racking morning rush hours in recent memory. Commuters across the metro still were stuck in traffic on snow-covered and icy roads heading after the traditional 9 a.m. end of the rush hour. The Star Tribune says that traffic on Interstate 694 in the north metro was crawling as late as 11 a.m. Shortly after 12:30 p.m. Monday, the Minnesota Department of Transportation was reporting that most major highways in the Twin Cities—including I-35E, I-35W, I-94, I-494 and highways 3, 52, 55, 61, 62 and 169—were in fair driving condition. Roads were treated, but snow and icy patches were evident. Authorities were investigating a number of …

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Dakota County Commissions Development Study Along Rapid Transit Bus Line

County officials hope the Red Line—a new rapid bus route stretching from the Mall of America to Lakeville, will bring a new wave of development to the area.

Dakota County officials hope the soon-to-be-open Red Line rapid transit bus route extending from Bloomington to Lakeville will serve as a catalyst for local economic development. But how can cities along the route—including Eagan, Apple Valley and Lakeville—best prepare for and promote development and redevelopment near future bus line stations? That's a question that county planners hope consulting firm Kimley-Horn and Associates can answer this winter. The county is using funding from a $200,000 grant it received earlier this year from a Metropolitan Council program, Corridors of Opportunity, to pay for an extensive, multi-city market study. The intent of the study is to identify strategies to promote the rapid transit line as a …

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Transit Station Construction Begins in Rosemount

The new park and ride will replace the temporary transit stop near the Rosemount Community Center.

Like us on Facebook | Get our newsletter | Follow us on Twitter | Start a blog Editor’s Note: This press release appears on the City of Rosemount website. Construction began [this month] for a park and ride location in downtown Rosemount. When open, it will replace the temporary transit stop outside the Rosemount Community Center. The Rosemount Transit Station will be across from City Hall on 145th Street between Burnley Avenue and the railroad tracks. The 55,000-square-foot site will have parking for 102 vehicles and a shelter with indoor and outdoor seating. The Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) designed the facility and will provide express bus service to downtown Minneapolis. The project is made possible through the cooperation…

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City of Apple Valley Won't Pay for Skyway

Construction bids last week outlined the cost of building two stations—at 140th Street and 147th Street—for the $111.5 million transitway, according to city documents.

MVTA to Provide Busing to State Fair from Burnsville, Eagan

Round-trip fare is $5 cash for all riders age 6 and older; fares are free for children 5 and under.

Like us on Facebook | Get our newsletter | Follow us on Twitter | Blog for us Looking for a way to get to the Minnesota State Fair that doesn't involve searching endlessly for parking? The Minnesota Valley Transit Authority will provide busing to and from Eagan and Burnsville directly to the Minnesota State Fair starting Aug. 23 and running through Sept. 3. On weekdays, State Fair Express buses will operate to/from the Burnsville High School and Burnsville Transit Station (BTS) and the State Fairgrounds. Buses will depart on the hour from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Buses will leave the Fairgrounds to return to the transit station and Burnsville High School every 60 minutes (on the hour) from noon to midnight. On Saturdays, Sundays and on Labor Day, …

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