The Birth of MVTA: How the Suburbs Built Their Own Wheels In the early 1980s, the Twin Cities south of the Minnesota River faced a massive transportation crisis. Towns like Burnsville, Eagan, Apple Valley, Savage, and Rosemount were exploding with suburban sprawl. Yet, their connection to Minneapolis and St. Paul was tethered to a centralized transit system that many felt underserved the growing outer ring. At the time, the Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC)—the predecessor to today's Metro Transit—focused heavily on the inner urban cores. Suburban commuters south of the river felt stranded by inefficient routes. Meanwhile, local suburban tax dollars were funneled directly into the centralized city system. The turning point came when suburban leaders revolted. They demanded local control, reliable commuter routes, and a transit system explicitly optimized for the modern suburban commuter. The Great Transit Revolt In 1984 , the Minnesota Legislature opened a legal window of oppo...