From General Manager Wes Kooistra
Today, the Metro Transit Equity & Inclusion Team will begin recruiting new team members. Since this team is such an important part of our agency’s efforts to advance equity, I want to share my perspective on the value it brings to this work.
While our region enjoys a strong economy, good schools and world class parks, it is also a place where an individual’s ability to access jobs, education and housing are too often determined by their race.
Across many metrics, the gap in outcomes for people who identify as white and those who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Color (BIPOC) are among the worst in the country. These gaps have only deepened since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a public service provider and a large employer, Metro Transit has the influence and the responsibility to help our region close these gaps and dismantle the systems that created them.
To fulfill our responsibility, we must understand how our service decisions limit or expand freedom of mobility, particularly in neighborhoods where there are more people of color, renters and households without access to vehicles.
But to do our part, we must ensure all employees feel safe and valued so everyone can bring their full selves to work each day. Building an inclusive organization means actively seeking out and elevating the voices of customers and staff who face unjust challenges because of their race, gender sexual orientation or disabilities.
To help us on our path, we are expanding our Equity & Inclusion Team and asking members to continue to help us create a more equitable and inclusive organization and region.
As General Manager, I rely heavily on the team to help me see and better appreciate the inequities our employees and our customers face. I count on team members to share their experiences and their expertise with me to inform my decision making.
Some time ago, I changed the Metro Transit organizational chart to have the three Equity & Inclusion staff who support the Equity & Inclusion Team report to the chief of staff, Lesley Kandaras, because this work is so important. This recognizes that advancing equity involves our entire organization, and it more closely connects me to the Equity & Inclusion Team so I can more effectively support their efforts.
Last June, following the homicide of George Floyd, I asked the Equity & Inclusion Team to lead a process to gather employee feedback about how we could become more equitable. The team received more than 280 comments and then developed 55 recommended action steps that have been a key input in developing our Strategic Framework.
Ultimately, advancing equity requires us to assess and change our policies, procedures, and everyday practices so our daily work leads to equitable outcomes. I rely on the Equity & Inclusion Team’s insights and recommendations to navigate this process.
Moving forward, team members will help review policies and recommend changes, contribute to our community outreach efforts and help grow our Transit Assistance Program, which allows eligible residents to ride for $1.
The team will also play a key role in improving our internal communication efforts and help guide senior leaders as decisions are being made.
Collectively, these and other efforts will help us not only become a better service provider and a better employer but a leader in the effort to address the disparities that have defined our region for too long.
Thank you to all those who are participating in this important work.
Apply for a spot on the Equity & Inclusion Team
Employees are invited to apply for a spot on the Equity & Inclusion Team now through Friday, March 5. Team members meet regularly for at least one hour and take on other duties as assigned. Time spent working on behalf of the Equity & Inclusion Team is paid at an employee’s standard wage. New members will begin team training in March and should expect to serve a two-year term.
To apply, download a copy of the application form, complete each field, save a copy and email it to Sarah Berres. The form can also be printed, filled out by hand, scanned or photographed and emailed or sent via interoffice mail to Sarah Berres-Heywood Office.
Download the Equity & Inclusion Team application form
Metro Transit is hiring a Transit Equity Senior Manager
Applications for the Transit Equity Senior Manager position are being accepted now. An initial review of applications will begin in March and the position will remain open until filled. The Transit Equity Senior Manager will report to the Chief of Staff and manage a team of two full-time employees whose responsibilities include supporting the Equity & Inclusion team and coordinating diversity, equity and inclusion training, among other duties.
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Technicians Jeff Stanley, left, and Rich Cipala, right, designed custom frames for the enhanced air filters they are installing in light rail vehicles.
Light Rail Vehicle Maintenance is installing new air filters that can more efficiently capture virus-causing particles.
HVAC units that sit atop the vehicles constantly bring in fresh air and clean the air that is circulating within light rail vehicles. Nearly half of the air inside vehicles is also exchanged when doors open at stations.
While there is a lot of fresh air coming inside, the new filters will capture more smaller particles that carry viruses.
To help reduce the risk of transmitting the virus that causes COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control suggests ventilating indoor spaces as much as possible and keeping HVAC systems well-maintained, along with the use of facial coverings and distancing.
“This is going to be the standard going forward,” said Ed Meyer, Senior Manager of Rail Operations Analysis/QA/Training. “It’s a definite improvement to the air quality inside the vehicle compared to our current filters.”
The new filters have been installed on six light rail vehicles and will eventually be in place fleetwide. To extend the life of the filters, pre-filters are also being installed.
Position: Train Operator, Relief Instructor Lives: Mound
Family: Wife, Lisa, three sons and two grandchildren
Years of service: 20
How did you come to Metro Transit and what do you do now?
I went to school to learn how to repair instruments. After graduating, I repaired instruments during the day and played drums at night. Eventually, I needed to earn some extra money so I started driving school buses. While I was doing that, I met Doug Herrala who went to work for Metro Transit and now works at Heywood Garage. He encouraged me to fill out an application because they had great benefits and I needed them. I became a bus operator in 2000 and the rest is history.
What do you like the most about your work?
I transferred to light rail in 2013 and have since become a relief instructor. As an instructor, I really enjoy helping someone go from never operating a light rail vehicle to being able to do it solo in nine weeks. I’ve also been involved with Peer Support for several years now and like to help my co-workers when they’re going through rough times. This is a tough job and sometimes people just need to vent.
What are some of your favorite activities outside of work?
While it’s not my day job anymore, I still repair and sell wind instruments, from piccolos to tubas. My specialty is saxophones. My real passion, though, has always been drums. I’ve been playing drums since I was five-years-old and later in life began building, rebuilding and repairing them. I’m now in the process of manufacturing a line of snare drums and want to make a solid wood shell snare drum (most shells are plywood). When I retire, I’d like to move to Florida and repair and sell instruments and build drums until I can’t do it anymore!
My wife, Lisa, and I also like to hike, bike, ski, snowboard (Lisa!) and travel, and we’ve always got a home improvement project going on.
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 Manager Amina Wolf and Operator Andrew Kimball installed a new “Positivity Board” in the driver’s room at Ruter Garage last week. The board provides a place for staff to share positive thoughts and actions and includes inspirational quotes, rotating prompts about positive actions staff can take and an area to share good things co-workers have been seen doing. The board will also feature the garage’s employee of the month, who is randomly selected from nominations that can be submitted by any employee. In addition to Wolf and Kimball, the idea for the board was developed by assistant managers Jovita Oghumah and Michael Reis and Equity Coordinator Rachel Cagle.
Because an in-person celebration cannot be held this year, the Black History Month Committee is inviting staff to watch featured speakers from past year's events over the coming weeks.
Recordings from previous events will be shown starting at 11:30 a.m. today, Friday, Feb. 12, Friday, Feb. 19, and Friday, Feb. 26, via Microsoft Teams. Committee members will introduce each viewing.
The February 12 event will be a replay of the presentation by storytellers Vusi and Nothando Zulu (right). Join the event on Teams by using this link.
For more information, contact Traci Williamson.
Environmental Services and Community Development will also host a virtual Black History Month presentation at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23. The featured guest is T. Mychael Rambo, a vocalist, arts educator and community organizer. For more information, contact Suidi Hashi.
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Metro Transit is looking for ways to improve the customer experience on Route 3. To help make the best decisions for riders, we are looking for feedback on issues such as possible shelter upgrades, spacing between stops, bus stop accessibility and the route’s potential alignment.
The improvements are part of Metro Transit’s Better Bus Route program, which sets out to improve riders’ experiences by reducing stops, improving accessibility, and providing more shelters. These changes, both on and off the bus, are designed to make trips better, faster and more reliable.
South Garage bus operator Patrick Pfundstein recently received a commendation from a customer who witnessed him helping another customer avoid missing their stop.
Onboard, a man had fallen asleep. I watched as the driver pulled up to a bus stop, got up, and gently woke the passenger to let them know they were at his stop. This driver went above and beyond to help. It shows he really cares about his customers by remembering this man’s stop.
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Fit For Life is pleased to bring back Parent Education Training, an eight-week series with certified parent coach Samantha Moe. Online classes will be held from noon to 1 p.m. every Wednesday from February 17 through April 7.
In this interactive training, you will learn step-by-step guidance to handle strong-willed, spirited, even explosive behaviors. This program is for employees with children between the ages of 3 to 13 years old.
Space is limited. To learn more, contact Joy Ahern.
Read more in this week's issue of HR Connect
- Phillip McDowell, Electronic Overhaul Technician, 4 years
- Jeffrey Thomsen, Operator, Heywood, 13 years
- Carol Swenson, Operator, Heywood, 16 years
- Marilyn Rembert, Operator, East Metro, 17 years
- Karey Bradley, Head Stockkeeper, 17 years
- Soua Moua, Operator, East Metro, 17 years
- Choua Xiong, Helper, 19 years
- Sgt. Peter Peterson, 21 years
- Michael Antigua, Police Officer (Part Time), 21 years
- Dessu Gobena, Operator, Heywood, 21 years
- Timothy Marcks, Train Operator, 23 years
- Terry Londroche, Operator, East Metro, 24 years
- Chi Khang, Stockkeeper, 30 years
- David Hopwood, Stockkeeper, 32 years
- Mark Johnson, Operator, East Metro, 33 years
- Kent Smith, Mechanic Technician, Ruter, 36 years
Read about more employees who have retired with 30+ years of service
Congratulations to these employees who celebrated work anniversaries in January
40 years
- Michael Bilderback, Cleaner, East Metro
35 years
- James Webb, Operator, South
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Blayne Williams, Facilities Technician
25 years
- Sayed Seimon, Operator, Nicollet
- Richard Hardy, Head Stockkeeper
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Brenda O'Brien, Operator, East Metro
20 years
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Joshua Wright, Train Operator
- Jacqueline, Vaughn, Operator, East Metro
- Wilfred Holland, Operator, Heywood
- Mary Adway, Operator, Heywood
- Michael Vaughn, Transit Supervisor
- Devona Love, Helper
- Evette Perry, Operator, East Metro
- James Mittelstedt, Operator, East Metro
- Kira Young, Mechanic Technician
- Paul Krech, Scheduling Analyst
- CJ Camp, Instructor
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D Line construction contract awarded: A $26.1 million construction contract for the METRO D Line has been awarded to Thomas and Sons Construction, Inc. The company will build 40 Bus Rapid Transit stations and install fiber communication infrastructure along the 18-mile corridor. Construction is planned to start this spring and continue through 2022. The D Line will substantially replace Route 5, which remains the Twin Cities' busiest bus route. Along this corridor, 1 in 4 households doesn’t have access to a vehicle.
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New app vendor could open door to third-party mobile ticket sales: Metro Transit will soon have a new mobile app vendor, Token Transit, which could allow mobile tickets to be sold through other transportation apps like the Transit App and Google Maps. Regional providers like SouthWest Transit and partners like the Minnesota State Fair could also begin selling transit tickets through their apps. Across the country, transit agencies are similarly moving to make mobile tickets more broadly available. In 2020, about 5% of fares were sold through Metro Transit's app, generating more than $1.4 million in revenue.
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Last call for Women's Month speakers: Advancing Women in Transit is looking for female-identifying employees who would like to share their stories during a series of Women’s Month events in March. Speakers are encouraged to talk about leadership styles that are more common among women, including empathy, humility and resilience. The goal is to help attendees rethink their leadership strategies and apply new techniques based on the experience of others. All female-identifying employees are invited to serve as speakers. The online events will be guided by AWT leaders and are expected to be held every Monday in March. For more information, contact Carri Sampson.
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Renew CDL by Feb. 28: To maintain valid driving privileges, commercial drivers license (CDL) holders must renew by Feb. 28. If your medical certificate expired on or after Sept. 1, 2020, you must provide an updated medical certificate and self-certification form to maintain the license. If your name, address, or license number haven’t changed, renew online at drive.mn.gov. A face mask and a wellness check are required before entering a Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) exam station.
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