Maple Grove Transit was recognized this week as a leader among Minnesota transit agencies.
The Minnesota Public Transit Association announced Maple Grove Transit as its “System of the Year” during its annual conference on Monday.
The award follows decades of continued growth for Maple Grove Transit, which is led by a group of commissioners and customers.
Twenty years ago, there were just seven buses in Maple Grove’s fleet, with service between a few suburban churches and downtown Minneapolis. Today, there are about 40 Maple Grove Transit buses based out of the Martin J. Ruter Garage.
Metro Transit has been a contracted provider for Maple Grove Transit’s express bus services for the past 30 years. Staff from Metro Transit’s fare collections, street operations and customer relations departments also support Maple Grove Transit.
In 2017, customers took 836,000 rides on Maple Grove’s express bus routes.
“Our growth has been tremendous,” Transit Administrator Mike Opatz said. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without the help of the community members in our transit commission, the city council, front-line employees and Metro Transit. We thank them all for their continued partnership.”
Among several recent innovations is a service that allows Maple Grove Transit customers who leave their vehicles at a park and ride to have it picked up for service during the day.