By Lori Carlson, Editor 

The city’s Local Laker Link bus service and the Blue Xpress transportation partnership between Prior Lake, Shakopee and Scott County have had great success in the last year, possibly due to the increase in gas prices and a higher demand for transit services, said Jane Kansier, the city’s building and transportation services director.

The city partnered with Shakopee and the county in 2007 to begin operation of BlueXpress and to construct the 500-stall park-and-ride facility in Shakopee’s Southbridge area.

Mirroring a region-wide trend, BlueXpress “has experienced significant increases in ridership,” Kansier told the Prior Lake City Council Monday.

The Local Laker Link service, part of the city’s Laker Lines transit, had almost as many riders in the first three weeks this season (June 9-30) as it did in all of 2007, Kansier said. The completion of the McKenna Crossing building and the YMCA at Shepherd’s Path, along with the recent opening of Club Prior, will continue to increase demand for circulator service, she said. To keep up with the growth, the city could consider expanding its summer circulator service, providing year-round service and partnering with Shakopee and Scott County to offer an area-wide circulator, she said.

This week the city moved the location of its park-and-ride site from the Shepherd’s Path parking lot to Safe Haven for Youth, across the road, to accommodate construction traffic expected during building of the new YMCA.

Also on Monday, Councilman Steve Millar said he’d like the city to consider offering a “sober cab” service to combat the problem of drinking and driving. “It would have to pay for itself,” he said. Kansier said the city could look into the possibility of a public-private partnership. The Prior Lake Rotary Club partnered with a transportation company to offer sober cab services during Lakefront Days last weekend.

 Lori Carlson can be reached at (952) 345-6378 or editor@plamerican.com.