A bus operator shortage will have a significant impact on the Minnesota State Fair express bus service offered this year by Metro Transit.
Metro Transit is reducing their usual express bus fleet which typically includes around 10 different rider locations for fairgoers. This year, there will be three express bus locations.
"This year we looked at all of our available resources and what we felt comfortable being able to commit to fairgoers as well as our regular riders," said Brian Funk, Metro Transit's acting Chief Operating Officer. "We're going to focus on just three locations for the State Fair express service so we can better assure customers counting on regular route service that their bus services are going to show up for all 12 days of the fair."
The three express bus locations this year are:
1. Minnetonka — I-394 & Co. Rd. 73 Park & Ride, SW corner of I-394 & Co. Rd. 73
2. Bloomington – 28th Ave. Park & Ride (No service at 82nd St. & 24th Ave. S. site).
3. Cottage Grove – Cottage Grove Park & Ride, along Hwy. 61 on W. Point Douglas Rd. between 80th St. and Jamaica Ave.
Weekday service runs 9 a.m. to midnight at most locations with weekend and Labor Day service running from 8 a.m. to midnight. Costs for each trip can be found here.
Federal mask mandates require all passengers to wear masks while on Metro Transit buses and trains.
"We were looking at what location geographically does not have the alternative shuttle bus service and we found that the southeast metro really had a hole in its service," added Funk.
As of Monday, Funk said they were about 66 operators short of their 1,200 operator goal.
"We're still able to deliver a really high percentage of our service, but each day is stretching us thin. It creates situations where we're not as resilient as we'd like to be."
You can learn more about Metro Transit jobs and hiring events here.
Free park and ride options, such as the popular University of Minnesota-Minneapolis location, are still being used by the Minnesota State Fair in 2021.