One recent article caught our attention and has led to a 1000-word response from SouthWest Transit CEO Len Simich. The Star Tribune

recently looked at the issue of the differences of both subsidies and perception of quality between suburban bus services (specifically EP-based SouthWest Transit) and Metro Transit, which serves more city-dwellers.

If you regularly traverse Eden Prairie, the traffic perils of Prairie Center Drive are no surprise. A prime example can be found at the intersection of Prairie Center Drive and Preserve Boulevard.
During rush hour you’ll seeing a backup of cars waiting to turn left onto Preserve, then a few stragglers make the scramble across the gap left as traffic darts the opposite direction on Prairie Center Drive – and that’s the heart of the problem.

SouthWest Transit will be bringing local residents to and from the “Great Minnesota Get Together,” which runs from Thursday, Aug. 26, to Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 6.

“On weekdays SouthWest Transit is providing rides to the Fair from Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie. On weekends and Labor Day, service will be from SouthWest Station in Eden Prairie and SouthWest Village in Chanhassen,” according to a news release.

Motorists will experience delays and a detour at the Fish Lake Interchange in Maple Grove as the ramp from northbound Interstate 494 to westbound Interstate 94 closes at 10 p.m. Friday, July 30, according to a news release.

The release said: Posted detours will direct motorists to follow eastbound I-94/I-694 and use the loops at the Highway 169 interchange to travel westbound on I-94/I-694. The ramp will reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 2.

Motorists will experience delays in both directions of I-494 between Stone Road and I-394 in Minnetonka as the left lanes and shoulders are closed for maintenance work the evening of July 21.

Work will take place between 8 p.m. and midnight. Crews will be conducting directional boring, a method for installing underground pipes, according to a news release.

For more information, visit www.511mn.org.

Motorists will experience delays in both directions of Highway 212 between Highway 62 and I-494 as crews "microsurface" the roadway July 21-22, according to a news release from MnDOT.

All work will occur overnight between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. The left and right lanes in both directions will be closed and traffic will be diverted to the right shoulders. No ramps are expected to close.

"Microsurfacing provides a corridor with a smoother and more durable surface. All work on this project is weather permitting, the release said.

For more information, visit www.511mn.org.

The following is a news release from MnDOT:

Motorists will experience delays and a detour at the Fish Lake Interchange in Maple Grove as the ramp from eastbound Interstate 94 to southbound Interstate 494 closes at 8 p.m. Friday, July 16.

Posted detours will direct motorists to continue on eastbound I-94/I-694 to the southbound Highway 169 interchange loops to westbound I-94/I-694 and then to southbound I-494. The ramp will reopen by 2 p.m. Sunday, July 18.

Motorists will encounter work crews and likely delays near Highway 5 and Powers Boulevard in Chanhassen through June 21 as crews add an acceleration lane and upgrade the signal system at the intersection.

Two lanes of traffic will be maintained in both directions, with a weekend closure of eastbound Highway 5 tentatively scheduled beginning at 11 p.m. Friday and re-opening by 5 a.m. Sunday.

SouthWest Transit is offering a variety of services this summer, including trips to Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, the Minneapolis Farmers Market, all weekday Minnesota Twins games, as well as the Chaska Summer Connector.

The Metropolitan Council approved light rail on the 14-miles Southwest Corridor between Minneapolis and Eden Prairie.

The following is a news release from the Met Council:

The Metropolitan Council today approved light rail on the 14-mile Southwest Corridor between downtown Minneapolis and Eden Prairie, taking an important next step toward building the region’s third light rail line.