Metro Transit was hoping for a 3 percent increase in bus ridership to the State Fair in 2014. It got far more than that: a 19 percent increase over 2013.

That translated into a record-breaking year for the agency: More than 531,653 rides were taken on express buses from metro area park-and-ride lots and on regular routes serving the fairgrounds.

Not to be outdone, the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority also had a record year, providing 57,320 rides from transit stations in Burnsville, Eagan and Shakopee. That beat the old record set in 2011 by 33 percent, said Robin Selvig, a transit agency spokeswoman.

Both agencies credited record-breaking attendance at the State Fair (1.824 million) and the opening of the new transit station for the strong bus ridership.

General Manager Brian Lamb told the Metropolitan Council that Metro Transit set a single-daily record of 79,188 rides on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, a day when the State Fair also set a daily attendance record of 252,092. He also said ridership on Route 84 on Snelling Avenue was up 88 percent during the fair's 12-day run. Many of those riders likely connected to the local bus from the Green Line, he said.

The Minnesota Valley Transit Authority saw more riders than it had seen in three years. It provided more than 42,000 rides from the Burnsville Transit Station. New weekend service from the Marschall Road Transit Station in Shakopee provided 3,488 rides. Another 11,656 rides were taken from the Eagan Transit Station.

"It was exciting to see strong State Fair ridership after some less-than-ideal weather the opening weekend," said Clint Hooppaw, MVTA Board Chairman and Apple Valley City Council member.

Tim Harlow