Minnesota Valley Transit Authority

[Tcmetro]

There's some new schedules posted on MVTAs website for Saturday. They haven't posted a summary but I did notice:

442X is now hourly and stops on Cedar Grove Pkwy in front of the mall (but not at the transit station).

442Y is gone. 

443 is gone. 

447 is restructured to run from Apple Valley to Mystic Lake along CR 42, Hwy 13, and CR 21. Service is every half-hour, daily. 

 

 

I still would like to see the 444 increased to 30 minute service daily and with longer night hours. Also, would be great to have all trips extended to Savage P&R again. The new 447 route is a really good addition to the network, I definitely would have used that one back when I lived in the area. Hope it does well.

[MVTArider]

I agree, this new 447 routing looks very useful for connecting across the area. No surprise with the loss of the extra 442 and 443 services.

444 was split up originally due to the difficulty of meeting timepoints while scheduling within the consistent :X/:Y after the hour scheduling requirement MVTA uses. Burnsville Center ate too much time on each run so they went to every other trip service to Savage or the mall. Looking at it though I think relocating the Burnsville Center stop and then continuing all runs to Savage again might be a better solution now. Here's a quick doodle on the current 444 variants in the BC area. Basically get rid of the dual routing in the area and long loop around to the southeast of the mall, and run the route through the northwest end of the mall instead. (blue line) Throw a stop somewhere on the lot circular lane near Macy's perhaps. This would also bring back 30 minute frequency service to the Target plaza. Alternately just dump the mall service and run everything via Burnhaven Dr. (lime lines, also late night/early AM routing)

[Tcmetro]

Given that Sears is now closed, it would make sense to move the mall stop by Macy's. I recall that the stop (at least in mid-late 2000s) was by Applebee's. The mall moved the stop by Macy's due to traffic a few years later. Shortly after that it was moved to the south entrance between JC Penney and Sears, and eventually banished to the parking lot. 

The mall is in pretty rough shape right now so I don't think traffic is a concern anymore, but most mall owners seem to want nothing to do with transit stops.

[hp2ena]

MVTA is cleaning house!

2003 Low Floors being auctioned:

• 4341 https://faheysales.proxibid.com/2003-Gillig-Low-Floor-Bus/lotInformation/60010928
• 4343 https://faheysales.proxibid.com/2003-Gillig-Low-Floor-Bus/lotInformation/60010927
• 4344 https://faheysales.proxibid.com/2003-Gillig-Low-Floor-Bus/lotInformation/60010925

2005 Low Floors being auctioned:

• 4577 https://faheysales.proxibid.com/2005-Gillig-Transit-Bus/lotInformation/60010924
• 4578 https://faheysales.proxibid.com/2005-Gillig-Transit-Bus/lotInformation/60010929
• 4580 https://faheysales.proxibid.com/2005-Gillig-Transit-Bus/lotInformation/60010926

2007 Low Floors being auctioned:

• 4728 https://faheysales.proxibid.com/2007-Gillig-Low-Floor-Bus/lotInformation/60010930

[MVTArider]

On 3/5/2021 at 7:32 PM, hp2ena said:

MVTA is cleaning house!

Figures, I was expecting those would pop up soon! I'll miss those 2003 and 2005 Gilligs, those things were good runners. MVTA certainly got their money worth out of them. Heck, they outlived the 2004 and 2006 D40LF and technically the 2012 LFS

[UpDownAcross38]

On 3/5/2021 at 5:32 PM, hp2ena said:

MVTA is cleaning house!

2003 Low Floors being auctioned:

• 4341 https://faheysales.proxibid.com/2003-Gillig-Low-Floor-Bus/lotInformation/60010928
• 4343 https://faheysales.proxibid.com/2003-Gillig-Low-Floor-Bus/lotInformation/60010927
• 4344 https://faheysales.proxibid.com/2003-Gillig-Low-Floor-Bus/lotInformation/60010925

2005 Low Floors being auctioned:

• 4577 https://faheysales.proxibid.com/2005-Gillig-Transit-Bus/lotInformation/60010924
• 4578 https://faheysales.proxibid.com/2005-Gillig-Transit-Bus/lotInformation/60010929
• 4580 https://faheysales.proxibid.com/2005-Gillig-Transit-Bus/lotInformation/60010926

2007 Low Floors being auctioned:

• 4728 https://faheysales.proxibid.com/2007-Gillig-Low-Floor-Bus/lotInformation/60010930

Update that page a few weeks back? Is 4579 confirmed retired?

Just now, UpDownAcross38 said:

Update that page a few weeks back? Is 4579 confirmed retired?

few weeks back**

[hp2ena]

11 hours ago, UpDownAcross38 said:

Update that page a few weeks back? Is 4579 confirmed retired?

few weeks back**

4579 doesn't appear to be listed in the roster I got from them in November. So it may be retired.

Do you wanna follow up? I got the roster spreadsheet from Dan Rudiger, his e-mail address is drudiger[at]mvta.com. Copy the ED too: lwynder[at]mvta.com. Say you're requesting the data under Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minnesota Statute Chapter 13. You shouldn't be charged for the request (because I wasn't). And you don't have to say why  you're requesting the spreadsheet. 

[UpDownAcross38]

10 hours ago, hp2ena said:

4579 doesn't appear to be listed in the roster I got from them in November. So it may be retired.

Do you wanna follow up? I got the roster spreadsheet from Dan Rudiger, his e-mail address is drudiger[at]mvta.com. Copy the ED too: lwynder[at]mvta.com. Say you're requesting the data under Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minnesota Statute Chapter 13. You shouldn't be charged for the request (because I wasn't). And you don't have to say why  you're requesting the spreadsheet. 

Sure