Minnesota Valley Transit Authority
The Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, also known by the acronym MVTA, is a public transportation agency that serves seven communities in the southern portion of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. The agency provides fixed-route and demand-responsive transit within the service area of the communities and to select destinations in the region.
| Founded | 1990 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Burnsville, Minnesota |
| Locale | Minneapolis–Saint Paul (southern region), including: Apple Valley Burnsville Eagan Prior Lake Rosemount Savage Shakopee Lakeville |
| Service type | Bus |
| Routes | 30 |
| Fleet | 160 |
| Daily ridership | 3,400 (weekdays, Q3 2023) |
| Annual ridership | 911,100 (2022) |
| Operator | Schmitty and Sons |
| Executive Director | Luther Wynder |
| Website | mvta.com |
MVTA was one of several transit agencies created by suburban communities in the Twin Cities who chose to "opt-out" of the regular route transit system operated by Metro Transit's predecessor, MTC. The suburban cities decided to opt-out due to disputes over the value of transit service they were receiving in receiving compared to the amount of property taxes they were paying. The original service area consisted of six suburbs but has now grown to seven suburbs all located south of the central cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The agency's name refers to the river valley along the Minnesota River in the region.
The agency offers local buses through the communities and to select destinations north of the agency's service area, as well as express bus service to downtown Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and the University of Minnesota. Demand response transit service is also offered within select service area communities. Two regional transitways, the Metro Orange Line and Metro Red Line, extend into MVTA service area but are operated by Metro Transit. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 911,100, or about 3,400 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2023.