Took the Park & Ride to the fair $6 for round trip which is a good deal. Got there around 8:40am, waited about 20 min to get on (there was a bit of a line) and a little over 30 minutes to get to the fair. I like that the bus entrance is easy to find and they have easy signs to follow. They allow ppl to stand however kids cannot (coach style buses and the handle to hold is higher up). I feel like that should have been communicated before having people board the bus agreeing to stand if they have kids. People were asked to give up seats instead of having them wait in line like everyone else had to. They did have puke bags which someone on our bus did get sick (standing). I think at the transit center it was a bit unorganized but the fair side was smooth. read more

The location of this transit center is fantastic and a great option to avoid fighting traffic (especially with snow or construction) or having to pay the increasingly ridiculous parking rates. The new station is nice, however they did not construct it in the most efficient way for parking to bus. There are 5 doors from the parking ramp to the bus entrance, so certainly room for opportunity there. There is a light rail stop here that is coming for 2027 so I am eager to see how that performs. I am hoping to see the service return to pre covid as right now there is a bus arriving about every 15 mins during the AM time and 10 years ago there was constant busses before which were amazing. It is nice to be able to just unwind on the bus and read or listen to podcasts or just sit and not have to worry about anything. There are some bus drivers who do need some more training as it is hit or miss on if you got a driver that is slamming on the breaks or one that is a good bus driver. read more

Nice, clean buses that make my commute much more pleasurable. Staff are consistently professional and friendly. I ride this route 3+ times per week from Eden Prairie to downtown Minneapolis and work en route (thanks, free wifi!). The peace of mind of not having to drive and find parking more than makes up for the little I have to pay for the ride. read more

Excellent service, well-maintained, buses, and very conveniently located are the key reasons you should ride with Southwest Transit! my wife and I took West to the Vikings game on September 15, 2024 and we're very impressed! Highly recommend you give them a try! Also, our bus driver for bus #847 was excellent! read more

We were at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival and while waiting to board, the workers struggled with figuring out the accessibility chair lift and finding out the seats were jammed, all while they had the person was still in the lift outside with the alarms blaring. They were then giving the ultimatum of waiting another hour for another bus to get them, or the other options which was to force their wheelchair under the bus and have them hoisted up by the chair lift to get into their seat, which they chose. Overall took 20-25 minutes and didn't seem like anyone knew what they were doing. There should be training for all workers on all equipment, regardless if they're seasonal/volunteer. read more

We recently took South West Transit to the Sunday night Vikings game. It was phenomenal service and excellent drop off and pick up service. This is the way to go into downtown. This is an absolute professional service we look forward to utilizing again soon. read more

The Eden Prairie Southwest station is very clean and friendly. There's a large parking structure next to it for commuters to park. However, if you get there after 9 am, except an over flow of parked cars. Not to worry, the church next door opens their lot for the late commuters. The buses are all coach buses.. I feel like I'm on a tour bus everything time i ride. Though the only time Ive actually been on these buses were going to and from the state fair. Overall, the service is good and the buses are clean.... read more

To be honest, I only use this bus service on the weekends during the MN State Fair but I have always had an excellent experience! The buses are clean, the air conditioning is on high and the Wifi signal is very strong. From the signs I read in the bus this year it appears as though they also open up the bus service to take you to certain concerts and sporting events. Look into it! I live in Eden Prairie and do not have to use the services to get to work but if I was employed DT Mpls you betcha I'd park the car in the ramp and relax on my way to the daily grind. read more

I'm a big public transit person and have commuted in several metro areas but SouthWest Transit is far and away the best experience I've had. The vehicles are clean, well-maintained, and temperature is well-regulated. It's the little touches that really make SW Transit shine, like the overhead heat lamps during the winter months or the occasional breakfast events. All of the drivers are courteous, professional, and friendly. Additionally, SW Transit offers SouthWest Prime and TransitLink/SmartLink which offer curb-to-curb service. I've never had this option in other cities I've lived in. You do need to plan in advance if you make use of these smaller services, but it's a REALLY nice option, especially if you don't have a vehicle. Keep on providing a great service to the community, SW Transit! I'm a big fan. P.S. Not having to deal with Minneapolis parking/traffic during rush hour: PRICELESS. read more

It never occurred to me to write a review of SW Metro, but here it goes. Being a bit of a driving snob, I never had any interest in taking the bus, even when it would have been convenient (as a former St. Paul resident, I loved taking the River Road to my job in MPLS every day.) That said, my husband and I settled into EP to be close to his job and the winter commute downtown was killing my morning mood. I decided to give SW Metro a shot and... WOW. I was, and am, blown away. The drivers are really kind, buses are constantly going, and for $6 round trip a day, my husband assures me we are saving good money every month when I skip out on gas, wear & tear on my car, and parking. There is free wifi on every bus, and they recently changed routes so that they start and end their route downtown just 2 blocks from my office off of Washington. I am a total bus convert; if you are anywhere in the SW metro, give it a shot. You will not have a single complaint! read more

Daily Commuter: That I am. I use the SW bus system to get to work daily. Allow me to say I have not ever been a fan of bus systems or public transportation (they usually turn out to be more trouble then they are worth). But SW has got it right. Sure at times it can be inconvenient because you are on the bus' schedule and not yours but then again the world does not revolver around us right?! The buses are clean, they are equipped with Wifi (good enough to check email but not to stream Netflix. So if you are looking to catch up on House of Cards, to bad. It probably will not happen). The buses usually run pretty fast. They get into downtown under 35mins depending on weather. These buses are immune to traffic as they are allowed to drive on the shoulder. Other commuters are respectful and are usually always quite (great way to start and end your work day) All in all SW is doing it right. Now ride on commuters ride on! read more

Worst customer service experience of my life. I ride every day. For the past few days, bus drivers have been closing doors and pulling away when I am within 10 feet of the bus. I called to complain, and the (apparently) *only* customer service person available told me I was calling him "stupid" (his word, not mine). Um, what?! I'm complaining that the bus drivers left me standing in 10 degrees while making eye contact with me and driving away--more than once. I asked to speak to a manager and was put through to voicemail (twice) where I could hear the customer service agent leave a rude preface to my message saying I was a crazy customer and "good luck" dealing with me. Customer service at this company needs an immediate overhaul. read more

Great service for a great community. Rides to and fro the airport are luxurious and quiet. Wish they travelled uptown more.

The bus is great. On time, clean, nice to have wifi access. The passengers, however, are rude and not accepting of families riding the bus. I spent 40 min on a bus with my 3 yr old son while a lady kicked the back of my seat b/c I wouldn't tell my son to stop talking. She claimed he was talking too loudly and it was scaring the bus driver and that this bus is not a school bus. It's an outrage that I had to deal with this while trying to talk to my son. He rides the bus with me everyday to go to school close to my work. Children should be welcome on the bus. It's discrimmination otherwise read more

Honestly, this was a trustworthy and great bus company. Now this winter it has gone down hill, busses are always late sometimes an hour. Yes the weather, we get it buts Minnesota we have snow. Granted the twin cities have terrible at snow removal and keeping roads clear, but other winters SWTransit was excellent and I could trust that they would be there on time. I called to ask what was going on, and received a sob story about the weather. Then when I asked why the UMN direct 695 no longer took I-35W, it was a weird "We don't want to hit anyone." I couldn't help but think MTVA takes it, Mystic, Plymouth Metro, and Metro Transit all do and they are pretty close to on time, more so then SWTransit; which is a shame as they used to be the best. While the customer service representative was polite and apologetic, nothing has really changed. There's been some talk that they are understaffed and have people call out too much; well if that's the case look at what's happening and your management team. Please just get us there on time and in one piece! That's all I ask! read more

Needs better bus service and times. The hours going to Minneapolis from Chaska sucks. Calling them up, was told that "No one uses the bus to Minneapolis in the summer. Everyone these days has cars. Drive to Eden Prairie and take the bus there." Not everyone has a car and there are lots or people that still go to Minneapolis even in the summer and the weekends, which they don't even have weekends. If I had a choice for stars, I would give them minus stars for poor thinking. read more

I love SW Transit. Their buses and park and ride locations are convenient and well maintained. They have buses going all-day long which means that if something comes up and I need to leave work mid-day, I can. Their buses have wi-fi on board so I can get things done if needed and they have the "rider requested" quiet zone where you get shamed for being on your cell phone. It sounds harsh but it's amazing because it means people can read, sleep or decompress from their workdays in peace and it is easily my favorite thing about riding the bus. Most of my co-workers take other Metro transit lines downtown each day and they frequently complain about over-crowding on the bus and noisy passengers. I've never experienced any of these problems and I've been riding SW for several years. If you live in the Southwest corner of the metro and work downtown, you should absolutely be taking the bus! read more

I am not a rider on SouthWest Transit, however I feel it necessary to post my experiences as a car driver sharing the road with these buses. Yesterday I was cut off in a yield lane by a Southwest Transit bus coming up from behind me in the left lane and cutting in front of me to exit on the right. I am lucky to be alive. The bus was driving way too fast and could have caused life threatening injuries to myself, other drivers and the riders on the bus. I even witnessed erratic fast driving the day before by two SouthWest Transit buses on 494 N. I would never ride on these buses and will try to stay clear of them while driving in the future. read more

Southwest station transit service used to be great with a relaxed and very real sense of community among riders which sometimes included occasional jokes from drivers. Lately, a few cranky passengers have been taking the "silent corridor" rule a little too seriously and interpreting the "quiet" rule as total silence in the downtown area and badgering everyone who disagrees into submission. I think the policy is mis-written-- there are always a few who will think quiet=silent (because they say so and are in fact the most vocal), and the subjective qualifying statement of "quiet" is causing a lot of conflict. Nobody wants to take a chance of being verbally attacked for taking a brief (emergency) phone call before the corridor. Maybe the posters should read: "Conversation and cell phone use permitted downtown. Silent corridor on the highway." Simple and clear cut. If people can't handle it like adults, maybe they shouldn't ride. read more