Over the past 30 years, SouthWest Transit has ferried thousands of people to Twins and Vikings games, concerts and the State Fair with special bus service from Chaska, Chanhassen and Eden Prairie.
But never to the Twin Cities Pride parade — until this year.
The agency will provide express service from its East Creek, SouthWest Village and SouthWest stations to downtown Minneapolis with two morning runs on June 30. Buses will stop at all three stations before arriving at 12th Street and Hennepin Avenue at 8:25 and 9:25 a.m., well before the parade kicks off at 11 a.m. Buses also will drop off at two additional locations on 2nd Avenue and on Washington Avenue.
Return trips back to the southwest suburbs depart Washington and Hennepin avenues at 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Buses also will stop on Marquette Avenue at 4th and 8th streets, and at 11th Street and Harmon Place on their way out of downtown.
Round trip fare is $6, with children 5 and younger riding free.
SouthWest CEO Erik Hansen said Pride is an important way to celebrate the diversity of the community
“SouthWest Transit firmly believes in providing services to all members of our community to take them from where they are to where they want to go,” Hansen said. “After listening to our customers, service to the Pride parade was an obvious way to further support our community as a whole.”
Pride may not be the only new offering from SouthWest this year.