SouthWest Transit

SouthWest Transit is a public transportation agency that is based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The agency was formed in 1986 when the southwest Minneapolis suburbs of Chaska, Chanhassen, and Eden Prairie chose to opt out of the Metropolitan Transit Commission transit system in accordance with Minnesota State Statutes. Under a joint powers agreement between the three cities, they created their own transit system, SouthWest Metro Transit. In, the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of.

Now known as SouthWest Transit, the agency continues to be the public transit agency for Chaska, Chanhassen, and Eden Prairie, as well as Carver and Victoria. They currently offer fixed route service to and from the Southwest Minneapolis Suburbs, Downtown Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota, Normandale Community College and Best Buy Headquarters. In addition to fixed route services, they offer microtransit services (Southwest Prime) for communities in the SouthWest Suburbs as well as special event services to events around the Twin Cities such as sports games, concerts, the state fair, and other highly attended events.

Service
In addition to their regular service, SouthWest Transit also offers a number of seasonal services, including State Fair, Twins Express, Vikings Express, Gophers Express, Summer Adventures, select concerts, and more.

In 2004 SouthWest Transit was named Transit Agency of the Year by the American Public Transit Association.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, SouthWest Transit initially laid off 50% of its drivers but has since struggled to re-staff its workforce like transit agencies across the nation.

Southwest Prime
SouthWest Transit also operates a microtransit service, SW Prime. This service operates in the cities of Carver, Chanhassen, Chaska, Eden Prairie, and Victoria. Other regional transit providers provide similar services with the Metropolitan Council's Transit Link, Maple Grove Transit's My Ride, MVTA's Connect, Plymouth Metrolink's Click-And-Ride, and Metro Transit's microtransit pilot Metro Transit micro. SW Prime was the first microtransit service to launch in the Twin Cities. The service accepts the region's low-income fare program. Drivers of the service belong to a union.

SouthWest Transit offered a dial-a-ride transit service in the 1990s that required riders to book a trip by phone several days in advance. The service had high rates of trip cancellations and customers no-showing. SW Prime was launched in July 2015 and allowed customers to book a ride by phone or via a smartphone app. The service was initially offered Monday through Friday, but it has since expanded to Saturdays as well. The service was expanded to medical rides in 2019. Some service is offered to select areas of Shakopee and I-494 strip. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, around 500 SW Prime rides were served a day. Ridership lowered during the pandemic and in January 2021 was roughly 50% of pre-pandemic ridership, but by June 2022 ridership was 94% of pre-pandemic numbers. SW Prime ridership rebounded faster than SouthWest Transit express ridership. Ridership in August 2023 was higher than pre-pandemic ridership in 2019. In 2024, Southwest Transit plans to replace the Prime service along the I-494 corridor to the Mall of America with a fixed-route service which will help reduce costs.

Routes
Bold route number denotes an express route.

Park & Ride Facilities
SouthWest Transit operates out of the following park-and-ride locations:


 * Southwest Station – Hwy 212 & Prairie Center Drive, Eden Prairie
 * SouthWest Village – Hwy 212 & Hwy 101, Chanhassen
 * Chanhassen Transit Station – 500 Market St., Chanhassen (next to the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre)
 * East Creek Station – Hwy 212 & Hwy 41, Chaska
 * Carver Station – Hwy 212 & Jonathan Carver Pkwy, Carver

Park and ride expansions
SouthWest Transit opened three new park & ride facilities near Highway 212. The first, SouthWest Village, is at County Road 101 and Highway 212 in Chanhassen. The second new park & ride is East Creek Station in Chaska. That facility was opened in early June 2008 at the southwest corner of Highway 212 and County Road 41. The third new park & ride is Chanhassen Transit Station opened in December 2011 and is located north of Highway 5, just next to the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres on Market St.

Due to near capacity issues, in 2007 the East Creek Station Park and Ride CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality – a federal program) grant submittal was approved for the construction of 450 park and ride stalls, a transit station and busway. The new 450 stalls are structured parking (a ramp), and the station includes passenger waiting areas along with vending and restroom facilities. The total project cost $7.8 million. Bidding for the construction of the ramp and station is expected to take place in the spring/summer of 2012, with construction beginning later in the summer/fall and an opening of the new facility in September 2013. SouthWest is also in discussion with private developers to develop approximately one acre of land currently set aside for future development use. Options for the site include office, neighborhood commercial, and day care.

Records
Records of the SouthWest Transit Commission are available for research use. They consist of annual reports (1997–2005); management plans and budgets (1992–1993, 1995); oversight (1993–1994); and On the Move rider newsletter (2005).

Ridership
The ridership statistics shown here are of fixed route services only and do not include demand response services.