transit authority founded 1990 headquarters burnsville minnesota locale minneapolis st. paul southern region including burnsville eagan apple valley savage rosemount lakeville a shakopee prior lake service type bus routes 30 fleet 146 daily ridership 9 500 q3 2012 1 operator schmitty and sons 2 executive director beverley miller website http www.mvta.com the minnesota valley transit authority also known by the acronym mvta is a public transportation agency that provides fixed route and demand responsive public bus services between various communities in the southern portion of the minneapolis st. paul metropolitan area and to select destinations within minneapolis and st. paul located in minnesota . the agency s name refers to the river valley along the minnesota river in the region . contents 1 service area 2 governance and structure 3 service 3.1 metro red line 3.2 metro orange line 3.3 robert street transitway 3.4 bluexpress 4 bus routes 4.1 notes 4.1.1 route 420 4.1.2 route 421 4.1.3 route 426 4.1.4 route 436 4.1.5 route 437 4.1.6 route 438 4.1.7 route 440 4.1.8 route 442 4.1.9 route 444 4.1.10 route 445 4.1.11 route 446 4.1.12 route 460 4.1.13 route 464 4.1.14 route 465 4.1.15 route 470 4.1.16 route 472 4.1.17 route 475 4.1.18 route 476 4.1.19 route 477 4.1.20 route 478 4.1.21 route 479 4.1.22 route 480 4.1.23 route 484 4.1.24 route 489 4.1.25 route 490 4.1.26 route 491 4.1.27 route 492 4.1.28 route 493 4.1.29 route 495 4.1.30 route 497 4.1.31 route 499 5 transit centers park and rides 6 see also 7 references 7.1 notes 8 external links service area edit the mvta service area currently includes the cities of apple valley burnsville eagan lakeville and rosemount in dakota county ; and the cities of savage shakopee 3 and prior lake 3 in scott county . mvta also provides service from these areas to key destinations in the cities of minneapolis and st. paul as well as the mall of america in bloomington . governance and structure edit mvta was created in 1990 through a joint powers agreement between the member municipalities and counties . the agreement was executed under a 1984 minnesota statute that allowed suburban communities in the metropolitan area to create their own transit agencies independent of metro transit the region s primary public transit provider . mvta was one of several suburban transit agencies also known as opt outs that were formed as a result . mvta is governed by an eight member board each member representing the governing body of a member jurisdiction plus one at large member and several ex officio members . in 2002 the city of prior lake withdrew membership from the mvta . in 2013 the mvta starts providing service to lakeville even though it is not apart of the company s service party . in september 2014 the city of prior lake re joined the mvta and the city of shakopee had its membership administered . 3 service edit mvta s service is designed primarily to transport passengers from the residential suburbs within its service area to job and activity centers in minneapolis and st. paul . while the majority of the agency s ridership is concentrated during peak periods of travel rush hour mvta service operates seven days per week and up to 18 hours per day on some routes . metro red line edit the metro red line is a bus rapid transit line running along cedar avenue state highway 77 county road 23 from the mall of america to apple valley transit station . due to extreme traffic congestion between highway 62 mall of america & county road 42 enhanced public transit was needed . the metro red line was chosen for the transitway as an alternative for regular driver s who want a faster way across the cedar avenue bridge . additions for the new service include the addition of many new stations and park & ride lots and changes to existing bus routes & the addition of new local and express bus service . mvta began service on the metro red line on june 22 2013 . metro orange line edit in january 2005 mndot released their plans to improve transit service on the corridor in i 35w . they chose brt as the best option . changes will include expansion of metro transit route 535 s service from just weekdays to everyday service and coversion into metro orange line brt with a route extension to kenrick avenue p & r. hov lanes have been extended north to 42nd street with a freeway median station at 46th street . future mndot and metro transit plans show a new freeway station located on the american blvd overpass hov lane extensions to downtown minneapolis and relocating the lake st. station to the median of the freeway . metro transit will be the primary operator of the line with the mvta being a project partner . construction of stations is expected to start in 2017 with the line anticipated to open in 2019 . robert street transitway edit main article robert street corridor in 2007 dakota county completed a study on the robert street corridor . the modes of transit considered are light rail transit streetcar and bus rapid transit . the mvta communities of eagan and rosemount comprise the south end of the corridor . bluexpress edit bluexpress logo used 2007 to 2015 mvta merger . bluexpress buses prior to 2015 . bluexpress was a public transit service operated by the two cities of prior lake and shakopee . it consisted of five bus routes the 490 491 492 496 and 498 . in september 2014 the two cities reached a deal with the mvta to merge their services . as of 1 january 2015 all former bluexpress services and its five routes are now operated by the mvta . bus routes edit routes last effective may 21 2016 next effective changes august 20 2016 notes edit routes 460 464 465 470 472 476 477 478 479 491 and 492 make stops at the i 35w lake street powderhorn station a demonstration route between dakota county technical college rosemount and apple valley is being considered for operation . route 436 offers service from the 46th street metro blue line station to ecolab boulder lakes and thomson reuters in eagan . route 440 offers rush hour service to va medical center . route 465 offers service from burnsville to the south bloomington transit center and the university of minnesota campus . route 475 offers direct service to both the university of minnesota and the minnesota zoo . route 489 offers service from union depot in downtown st. paul to ecolab boulder lakes and thomson reuters in eagan . route 491 offers service from cedar grove eagan to southbridge crossings in shakopee . route 490 offers service from marschall road transit station shakopee to the university of minnesota . route 495 demonstration route between mall of america burnsville and shakopee being slated for operation starting on august 20 . 4 route 420 edit flex route apple valley to from rosemount apple valley transit station galaxie library 147th street pilot knob road embry path county road 42 rosemount crossing rosemount transit station rosemount community center route 421 edit flex route burnsville savage circular burnsville transit station lynn court hamlition hotel eagle ridge junior high school savage city hall savage library savage park & ride route 426 edit shuttle route burnsville burnsville transit station nicollet avenue portland avenue evergreen avenue county road 11 county road 42 southcross road route 436 edit local limited stop reverse commute eagan to from minneapolis 46th street station mendota heights brown college eagandale blue gentian road highway 55 highway 149 ecolab shuman campus boulder lakes business park dakota county eagan recycling center thomson reuters route 437 edit reverse commute eagan to from cedar grove cedar grove transit station blue cross blue shield kennebec yankee doodle road argosy university unisys eagan transit station route 438 edit local route eagan cedar grove transit station twin cites premium outlets eagan cedar grove mall 5 cliff lake rahn road blackhawk p & r cliff square thomas lake road route 440 edit local route apple valley to from minneapolis va medical center cedar grove transit station twin cites premium outlets eagan cedar grove mall 5 palomino park & ride minnesota zoo johnny cake ridge road pennock ave 140th street station 147th street station galaxie library garret ave southport shopping center apple valley transit station route 442 edit local route apple valley to from burnsville apple valley transit station whitney drive garden view road county road 42 county road 38 evergreen drive buck hill fairview ridges burnsville center route 444 edit local bus stop route savage & burnsville to from bloomington mall of america metcalf junior high cedar grove transit station traverlers trail 122nd street highway 13 burnsville transit station heart of the city nicollet square burnsville parkway county road 5 burnsville center county road 42 savage p & r route 445 edit local bus stop route eagan to from cedar grove cedar grove transit station twin cites premium outlets eagan cedar grove mall 5 blue cross blue shield donald ave coachman oaks yankee doodle road eagan transit station duckwood square eagan town center opperman drive argenta trail thomson reuters route 446 edit local route eagan to from minneapolis 46th street station highway 110 victoria rd. lexington parkview plaza mendota plaza mendakota country club sunfish lake st. thomas academy convent of the visitation rogers lake mendota heights business park le cordon bleu brown college avalon business center lockheed martin oakview business park eagandale corporate center drive lexington circuit minneapolis usps national distribution center 6 eagan transit station eagan town center eagan promenade eagan city hall & civic arena cascade bay wescott road denmark ave duckwood drive northview park road elrene road lexington diffley outlet center & athletic fields braddock trail eagan high school dakota hills middle school route 460 edit express route burnsville to from downtown minneapolis minneapolis gateway ramp i 35w lake street freeway station burnsville transit station route 464 edit express bus stop route savage to from downtown minneapolis minneapolis gateway ramp i 35w lake street freeway station heart of the city park & ride burnsville parkway county road 42 savage park & ride downtown savage route 465 edit express limited stop route burnsville to from university of minnesota university of minnesota campus minneapolis gateway ramp i 35w lake street freeway station south bloomington transit center burnsville transit station fairview ridges hospital county 42 & portland ave route 470 edit express route eagan to from downtown minneapolis minneapolis gateway ramp downtown minneapolis i 35w lake street freeway station argosy university unisys donald ave coachman oaks eagan transit station blackhawk park & ride route 472 edit express route eagan to from downtown minneapolis minneapolis gateway ramp downtown minneapolis i 35w lake street freeway station cliff square blackhawk park & ride thomas lake area cedar grove transit station route 475 edit express route apple valley to from university of minnesota university of minnesota minneapolis gateway ramp downtown minneapolis i 35w lake street freeway station cedar grove transit station minnesota zoo apple valley transit station route 476 edit express route rosemount to from downtown minneapolis minneapolis gateway ramp downtown minneapolis i 35w lake street freeway station palomino park & ride eastview high school johnny cake ridge road 140th street essex area connemara trail rosemount transit station route 477 edit express route lakeville to from downtown minneapolis minneapolis gateway ramp downtown minneapolis i 35w lake street freeway station palomino park & ride apple valley transit station 157th street station lakeville cedar station route 478 edit express route rosemount to from downtown minneapolis minneapolis gateway ramp downtown minneapolis i 35w lake street freeway station rosemount transit station independent school district 196 office site route 479 edit express route apple valley to from downtown minneapolis minneapolis gateway ramp downtown minneapolis i 35w lake street freeway station 157th street station route 480 edit express bus stop