Starting Monday, an express bus will bring local commuters to downtown Minneapolis.

Riders can hop on the BlueXpress from two park-and-ride lots, at Shepherd of the Lake Church in Prior Lake and the new transit terminal in Shakopee’s Southbridge area. Free rides will be offered the first week, July 16 to 20.

BlueXpress will initially offer eight morning and eight afternoon runs, Monday through Friday, except major holidays. Each route takes approximately 50 minutes and the round-trip cost is $5.50.

Before taking off for Highway 169 toward Minneapolis, the express bus will pick up riders at the church — located just off County Road 42 on McKenna Road — and then at the new Southbridge Crossings lot, north of Home Depot, off Crossings Boulevard. The return route will drop riders off at Southbridge before the church.

In Shakopee, riders can hook up with the BlueXpress line by taking a Shakopee Transit shuttle for free.

BlueXpress will use route 490 buses from both Shakopee Transit and Prior Lake. The BlueXpress logo will be on those buses.

In the morning, the express bus will drop riders off in Minneapolis along Second Avenue, between 12th Street and Washington Avenue. In the afternoon, people will be picked up along Marquette Avenue, from Washington Avenue to 12th Street.

Those needing to return home mid-day can use the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority line, although a transfer will be needed at the Burnsville Transit Station. From there, the Dial-A-Ride service can bring riders to the park-and-ride lots in Prior Lake and Shakopee. The $2 connection is guaranteed from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. if a ride is reserved at least one hour in advance.

BlueXpress accepts most regional fare cards, including the MetroPass, GoTo cards and Metro Transit SuperSaver and stored-value cards.