Body Shop technicians have been asked to come up with creative solutions more than once since the COVID-19 pandemic began. 

Their latest invention: Temporary shields, fashioned largely from recycled bus parts, that will help safeguard operators as customers pass by. 

"We've been called upon often to rise to the occasion during the pandemic," Project Manager Anthony Zessman said. "And, every day we're finding solutions." 

The temporary shields were installed on a few buses this week so operators can provide feedback ahead of a larger rollout.

They are being installed on buses that have not been equipped with full barriers, and will eventually be replaced by those larger, permanent barriers. Installation of the larger barriers will resume later this summer and continue over the next year. 

Before this latest effort, Body Shop technicians created movable aisle barriers that encourage customers to avoid the driver's area and dividers that will be used at temperature checkpoints being set up at work sites. 

The aisle barriers will be removed when front door boarding and on-board fare collection resumes in the future. No date for the resumption of front-door boarding has been set. 

"I'm proud of the work we're doing to help keep bus operators and customers safe," Zessman said.

Temperature screening expanding to all work sites next week

Temperature checks will be expanded to additional locations next week to help detect employees and visitors who may be experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Fevers are among the symptoms of COVID-19, though asymptomatic carriers would not be detected. Anyone who registers more than 100 degrees will be sent home and advised to seek medical attention. Managers will help determine if and when employees are able to return to work. Temperature screenings have been occurring at the Transit Control Center and Rail Control Center since May.

Masks, sanitizer being distributed to all operators

Packages with masks, hand sanitizer, face shields and a storage bag are being distributed to all bus and train operators. Reusable cloth masks were made available to all frontline staff this spring and staff has regular access to disposable masks and sanitizing wipes and solution. The packages were created to show appreciation for employees' ongoing efforts amid the pandemic.

Find the latest information about COVID-19

Instructor Denny Johnson, right,  has spent the past 20 years leading in-person classes.  

This week, he’s introducing another group of new bus operators to the job. But there’s one big difference: Johnson is alone in an office, and the 10 new hires are watching him and guest speakers present live from their own homes.

Like schools across the country, the shift to online learning is a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which requires people to keep their distance as much as practical. This is the first time Metro Transit has offered live online instruction, and the practice is believed to be unique nationally. 

For Johnson, the transition to online learning has been relatively simple. But there has been at least one surprise: the window it offers into the world of his students. 

"They're not just anonymous people coming into the classroom," Johnson said. "When you see them at home, you see that they're real people with kids and spouses who are depending on this job. I've really liked that part."

The operators who started training this week were asked if they had the necessary technology, and moved forward after the idea received universal support. While the delivery method has changed, the information that is being shared has not. 

"It’s the same videos, the same PowerPoints, the same guest speakers come in and present," Instruction Manager Dan Stoffer said. "The only thing that's changed is how students get the information.”

Stoffer was inspired to give online training a shot in part because he's seen it in practice at home, where his sons finished out their school year. He even adopted one of the tactics used by Stillwater Area Public Schools, where his sons are enrolled, and had new hires pick up printed material curbside before classes began.

After completing their 56 hours of classroom instruction, the new operators will begin training on the bus. But that, too, will look different than it has in the past.

Instead of meeting in groups, students will work one-on-one with instructors. Both students and their instructors will have their temperatures taken and wear masks.

The group that began this week is the first to go through training since the Instruction Center closed in March. Plans for future training and other classroom-based instruction are being developed, but Johnson said he thinks online learning could become a part of the mix even after the pandemic ends.

"People are becoming more and more comfortable with the technology," he said. "It's just a matter of perfecting it over time." 

A St. Paul resident submitted the following comment earlier this month expressing her appreciation for all those who make transit available in the Twin Cities.

Thank you all for being there for people who have no other way to get around. When I was young and relied on the bus for transportation it was always so wonderful to see the bus coming and to know it meant safety and a ride home. I still feel that way whenever I see a bus. Glad you are back on the road.

Sharon Shinomya, St. Paul

June is Pride Month, an annual celebration of the LGBTQ community and a commemoration of the 1969 New York City riots that became a tipping point for the LGBTQ movement and the modern fight for LGBTQ rights. Throughout the month, employees are invited to share their Pride. To share your story, contact Ryan Miller at ryan.miller@metrotransit.org.

Kristin Thompson, Assistant Director-Service Development

Lives: Golden Valley

Years of Service: 8

How did you come to work at Metro Transit and what do you do?

I was finishing college and working as a security officer at the Mall of America when I met Lt. Mario Ruberto, who had been stationed there and told me about a Community Service Officer (CSO) opening at Metro Transit. I applied and thankfully got hired. I’m currently a Sergeant and Training Instructor.

Where are you from originally? Tell us a little bit about your background.

I’m from Kasson, Minn., a small town near Rochester. I fled the harsh Minnesota winter to go to college at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, where I received my degree in sociology with a concentration in Criminal Justice. Family brought me back to Minnesota where I finished school to become a police officer.

What is your favorite part about working for Metro Transit?

I like that we put an emphasis on community engagement and volunteering. My favorite events have been Shop with a Cop, during the holidays, and representing MTPD in the annual Torch Run for the Special Olympics of MN.

What are your favorite activities when you’re not working or are “Off the Clock”?

I really enjoy traveling. Recently, I took a leave of absence to study Spanish and spent a month in Cusco, Peru, with a host family. While I was there, I toured the Rainbow Mountains, Humantay Lake and Machu Picchu. From there, I spent a weekend touring Scotland before going to the Spanish Canary Island of Tenerife to continue studying. I spent a month on the island before the school was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the lockdowns, it was the absolute trip of a lifetime. When I’m in Minnesota, I enjoy rock climbing, trail running and spending time in nature with my dog Ellie.