Transit ridership continues to grow

Express bus service sees big growth in 2007

Transit providers in the seven-county metro area had a banner year in 2007.

Ridership on all types of service – express and local buses, light rail, dial-a-ride service and transportation for people with disabilities – totaled 89.3 million, according to the Metropolitan Council’s Metropolitan Transportation Services (MTS) division. That’s a 5% increase over 2006.

Ridership on express bus service grew 11% in 2007 over the previous year.

Vanpooling and express bus service saw the largest growth in percentage terms, 11.7% and 11% respectively. Ridership on Metro Mobility and other providers of rides for people with disabilities rose 6.1%. Local bus ridership grew 4.5%.

Higher fuel prices aren’t the only factor

Len Simich, executive director of SouthWest Transit, which serves Chaska, Chanhassen and Eden Prairie, says a variety of factors have led to the strong growth in ridership.

“Fuel prices are definitely a part of it,” Simich said. But another key factor is “our commitment to customer service,” he said. “We have an aggressive transit ambassador program that every employee goes through. How customers are treated makes a big difference.”

Simich cites a customer satisfaction rate of 97% in their latest survey. “That’s our biggest selling point,” he said. “Our current riders are our best public relations tool.”

SouthWest Transit is a member of the Suburban Transit Association, which also includes Maple Grove Transit, Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, Plymouth MetroLink and Shakopee Transit. These agencies provided 4.4 million rides in 2007, according to MTS. That’s a growth of 9.2% over 2006.

STA agencies provide a variety of services, including:

Express buses to the region’s core
Local service between communities and/or regional transit centers
Reverse-commute service
Dial-a-ride service

‘Build it and riders will come’

Several new park-and-ride lots opened across the metro area between November 2006 and October 2007. The largest – a parking ramp at I-394 and County Road 73 in the west metro – providing 730 spaces for commuters. A 500-space transit station opened in Shakopee. All told, 4,500 spaces were added at new and existing lots.

“What we hear from all our providers is ‘if we build it, the riders will come,’” said Sandy Hewitt, STA board chair and member of Plymouth MetroLink.

Metro Transit – by far the region’s largest transit agency – had a 5.3% increase in riders, according to MTS, for a total of 76.3 million rides on buses and rail. (Metro Transit’s total rises to 77 million when the rides it provides by contract to STA member Maple Grove Transit are counted.)

The Council also contracts with private providers for a limited amount of local bus service. These routes provided 2.3 million rides, up .7% from 2006.