Reid McDonald is a man who loves his car, a 2001 Honda Prelude with a pricey sound system. He drives it to his job at Cub Foods in Apple Valley, among other places.

"I have a sweet car, so I enjoy my time in it," McDonald said. "I've put a lot of money into it. When I have it, I'm going to utilize it."

However, there are times when driving doesn't make sense, he said, and taking the new bus rapid transit (BRT) and then transferring to the light rail would be convenient for him in certain circumstances. Unlike current bus service, it will have frequent trips on nights and weekends.

"Here's when I would use it — going downtown to watch a game or to the bars," he said. "One hundred percent I would take it downtown … for a safe way to get home."

McDonald said he's committed to never drinking and driving, but likes to be able to drink at baseball games or during a night out. That's why in the past he's gotten a ride to the light rail station and taken it downtown, he said. To get home, he would either have a designated driver pick him up at the light rail station or take a cab back to Apple Valley.

But cabs are expensive, he said, and it's not always easy to find a designated driver.

He's never taken the bus downtown, though he's not against the idea of public transportation. He has a good friend who also works at Cub who takes the bus to work every day, he said.

"I would be open to [using public transportation]," he said. "Apple Valley just doesn't have much."

It's unheard of for a person his age in Apple Valley to take the bus downtown to go out, he said, so he's never considered doing it.

And in terms of getting to work, the closest bus stop to his house is already halfway there, so he'd be more likely to ride his bike or skateboard if he wasn't going to drive.

Last year, he went downtown several times a month. And once it begins running, he'd consider using the bus rapid transit "at least once a month" if it's convenient, he said.

"It'd be perfect," McDonald said.

Erin Adler