SouthWest Transit alters service Thursday due to pending snowstorm

SouthWest Transit will limit pickup points for Thursday's morning rush hour in anticipation of heavy snow. Other schedule changes will be in effect for the afternoon ride home.

Here is a statement from the agency: "Because of recent service additions, we do not have many additional buses to deploy during extreme weather situations. In order to best use our resources, and get every rider to and from their destination as quickly as possible, we will limit our transit service on Thursday to our major transit stations."

Here is a rundown of what to expect.

Morning express buses will stop only at the Chanhassen, Southwest Village, East Creek and the Southwest (Eden Prairie) transit stations Transit Station and Preserve Mall. Buses will not pick up or drop off passengers on local streets or provide service from Audubon/Stoughton, Walnut Park and Ride, Yellowbrick Road and Crosstown, Clover Field Park and Ride, Bavaria Road and Pioneer Trail, Dell Road and Valley View Road or the Shady Oak Park and Ride.

One exception is that Route 684 will stop at the Shady Oak Park and Ride.

Buses will depart the stations at or as close to the scheduled times as possible, transit officials said.

Other notes:

Route 690: All local portions (690 with letters) will not operate. All departures will leave SouthWest Station. The local Eden Prairie E Loop will be done by shuttle on schedule.

For the ride home on westbound buses departing the University of Minnesota and downtown Minneapolis after 1 p.m., riders should look for a sign that says "All Stops." That means riders can take any bus home. Those buses will serve SouthWest Station, Southwest Village and East Creek. Riders heading elsewhere will need to transfer at one of those stations.

Express buses will not stop at the Chanhassen Station. A shuttle bus will take riders from Southwest Village to the Chanhassen Station.

Route 687 from Target to the southwest suburbs: The 4:15 and 4:45 pm departures from Target North Campus will operate. The 5:15 departure will not operate.