Southwest Transit

Area Served	Southwest Twin Cities Metro: Chanhassen, Chaska, Carver, Eden Prairie, Shakopee, Victoria Parts of: Bloomington, Edina, Minnetonka, Richfield
Founded	1986
Fleet Size	60
Number Of Routes	5
2021 Ridership	209,455

Southwest Transit operates transit service in the southwestern Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Overview

Southwest Transit was formed in 1986 under an agreement between the cities of Chanhassen, Chaska, and Eden Prairie, MN to provide the communities with transit service. This was done as a result of the Minnesota State Legislature allowing suburban communities to opt-out of the Metro Transit system and collect their property tax revenue to provide their own transit service directly. In 2001 the source of transit funding shifted from property taxes to the Motor Vehicle Sales Tax.

Southwest Transit currently operates a fleet of 60 buses on 12 routes providing mainly express service to the downtowns of St. Paul and Minneapolis, MN as well as the University of MN and Edina, MN. They also operate Southwest Prime, which provides on-demand transit service in Carver, Chanhassen, Chaska, Eden Prairie, Shakopee, Victoria, and parts of Bloomington, Edina, Minnetonka, and Richfield Mondays through Saturdays.

Facilities

Southwest Transit operates seven park-n-ride locations. The largest location is Southwest Station, located in Eden Prairie, with parking for over 900 vehicles.

Fixed-Route Roster

Active

Accurate as of 11/2021.

Fleet Number(s)	Thumbnail	Build Date	Manufacturer	Model	Engine	Transmission	Passenger Seats	Notes
121		2012	MCI	D4500CT	Cummins ISX12		57
190-193		2021	MCI	D45 CRT LE	Cummins X12	Allison B500		Options to be exercised from AC Transit contract Conditioned on approval by Metropolitan Council on 3/25/2020
235-240		2012	MCI	D4500CT	Cummins ISX12		57
374-375		2015	MCI	D4500CT	Cummins ISX12		57	2014 models
427-430, 452-453		2015	MCI	D4500CT	Cummins ISX12		57
460-463		2014	MCI	D4500CT	Cummins ISX12		57
473-477, 479		2015	MCI	D4500CT	Cummins ISX12		57
523		2015	Gillig	Trolley Replica 29' (G27E102?2)	Cummins ISL9
608-617		2006	Gillig	BRT 40' (G29D102N4)	Cummins ISL		39	Suburban configuration
705-710		2017	MCI	D4500CT	Cummins ISX12		57
762-768		2008	MCI	D4500CT	Detroit Diesel Series 60		57
831-837, 839-841		2019	MCI	D4500CT	Cummins ISX12		57	837 out of service on 2/11/2022 due to a fire
843-847		2019	Prevost	X3-45	Volvo D13		57	Ordered in March 2018
902-905		2011	MCI	D4500CT	Cummins ISM		57
915-916		2019	MCI	D45 CRT LE	Cummins X12	Allison B500		Ordered in May 2018 Unveiled through an image to the Metropolitan Council on November 25, 2019 2020 models

Retired

Fleet Number(s)	Thumbnail	Build Date	Manufacturer	Model	Engine	Transmission	Passenger Seats	Notes
101		2001	Optima	AH-28	Cummins ISB	Allison	27
102		2002	Optima	AH-28	Cummins ISB	Allison	27
103		2005	Optima	AH-28	Cummins ISB	Allison	27
202-203		2003	Ford/Champion
215-219		2001	Ford/Champion
307-308		2001	MCI	D4500	Detroit Diesel Series 60	Allison B500	57	Renumbered? 307 was listed as 807 on eBay in St. Paul, MN in August 2019.
351-356		2001	MCI	102-DL3	Detroit Diesel Series 60	Allison B500	57	An unknown unit was listed on Craigslist in Hutchinson, MN on 8/8/2019.
400-411		2003	Gillig	Phantom 40' (C27D102N4) (C20D102N4)	400-404 & 411: Cummins ISL 405-410: Detroit Diesel Series 50 EGR	400-404 & 411: Voith D864.3E 405-410: ?	45	Suburban configuration Retired in November 2018. View the series page for detailed disposition info.
469, 471, 476, 477, 478, 480, 485, 488		1988	Gillig	Phantom 40' (40102TB6V92T)	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	Allison HT-747 Allison HTB-748	43	Unknown total amount of units. Their fleet numbers were based off of the serials from the buses' VIN numbers. Owned & operated by Laidlaw Transit Services. Ex-BART Express 19103, 19105, 19110, 19111, 19112, 19114, 19119, 19122. 469 (Ex 19103) was refurbished in 2010. It was later auctioned off by an unknown owner on 10/25/2014. 471 & 485 (Ex 19105 & 19119) were auctioned off on 5/17/2008. 476 (Ex 19110) sold to MET Transit? It was spotted in an auction as MET Transit 476 on 11/17/2007. Bought by a private owner, but was auctioned off on 8/10/2014. Bought by a 2nd private owner, but was sold off from its storage yard on 9/16/2015. 478 (Ex 19112) sold to MET Transit? It was spotted in an auction as MET Transit 478 on 11/17/2007.
544-549		2003	MCI	D4500	Detroit Diesel Series 60		57
584-591		2005	MCI	D4500	Detroit Diesel Series 60		57
601		2001	NFI	D40i	Cummins ISC	Allison B400	38	Ex-New Flyer demo; bought in 2005. Retired on 12/30/2010. View the series page for detailed disposition info.
602-604		2006	NFI	D40LFR	Cummins ISL		38
773		2007	GMC Glaval	? Titan			28
813		2008	Ford Glaval	? Universal 25'			20
827		2008	Ford Turtle Top	? ?			10	25' model.
971, 986		2009	? Glaval	? Titan 32'			28
1062		1984	MAN	SG-310	MAN D2566 MLUM	Renk-Doromat 874B		Ex-Metro Transit same number.
1307		1984	MAN	Americana (SL-40102A)	MAN D2566 MLUH	Renk-Doromat 874B	44	Ex-Metro Transit same number.
?		2008	? Turtle Top	? Van Terra			12	1 unit.

Southwest Prime Roster

Active

Accurate as of 11/2021.

Fleet Number(s)	Thumbnail	Build Date	Manufacturer	Model	Engine	Transmission	Passenger Seats	Notes
123		2020	Dodge	Grand Caravan
568		2014	Chevrolet Glaval	G4500 Titan II
569-572		2015	Chevrolet Glaval	G4500 Titan II
624		2016	Ford	Transit
778, 816		2008	Ford Glaval	E-450 Universal 25'	Ford Power Stroke V8 6.0L		20
877, 895		2018	Chevrolet Turtle Top	G4500 Odyssey				2017 models
907		2019	Dodge	Grand Caravan
913-914		2019	Ram	ProMaster
931, 941, 952, 959, 981-983, 988		2019-2020	Dodge	Grand Caravan				2019 models
996-997		2019	Ram	ProMaster
61079		2013	Ford Glaval	E-350 Universal			20

External Links

• www.swtransit.org