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https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNORGMETC/bulletins/2c6a18e
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From Police Chief Eddie Frizell and Deputy Chief of Operations -- Bus Brian Funk
As leaders of our respective departments, it is our responsibility to make sure our employees feel safe and have all the tools they need to do their jobs with confidence.
As the trial of former officer Derek Chauvin gets underway in downtown Minneapolis, achieving those goals means doing everything we can to support each other’s work, as well as the work of all the other departments at Metro Transit. And that is what we are doing.
Together, we are helping lead a team of representatives from the Metro Transit Police Department, Bus and Rail Operations, Facilities and Communications to prepare for and respond to any unplanned activities that may arise over the course of the trial.
We have also spent the past six months working with our local and state public safety partners, and are a part of the unified command that will respond to any possible unrest.
As we have stated before, our goal is to protect our employees, riders and property while continuing to provide essential services.
We want to thank all those who are engaged in these ongoing efforts and to recognize all those who are being asked to put these plans into action, including our operators, transit and rail supervisors, police officers and others. By working together, we are putting ourselves in the strongest position we can to prevent potential harm while continuing to provide the services our customers rely on.
To be clear, we believe peace and justice can prevail in the coming weeks. We also hope these proceedings begin to heal the racial trauma that too many of our customers, staff and community members are feeling.
To ensure we are contributing to a positive outcome, police officers have been reminded of their roles in protecting First Amendment rights and of their duty to intercede if they see excessive force at the hands of another police officer.
On the operations side, we are prepared to adapt but are committed to offering as much regular service as possible to avoid creating confusion for customers and operators.
And we have committed to frequent communication with staff and customers, including regular email updates to all employees, text and email service alerts and regular appearances on Spanish, Hmong and Somali radio stations.
The opening days of the trial have shown us that peaceful demonstrations and transit service can co-exist, and we believe these efforts will help preserve that balance in the weeks ahead.
But we cannot do this alone. As we move forward, we would like to encourage everyone at Metro Transit to consider themselves a part of this shared effort. In practice, that means:
- Staying informed so we can share reliable and consistent information with our customers, co-workers and community;
- Providing feedback on our response efforts and asking questions when more information is needed;
- Looking out for each other and offering support if you feel comfortable doing so.
We know these coming weeks will not always be easy, especially for those who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color and who are coping with the added stress of racial trauma.
But we also know that together we can and will emerge from this experience as a stronger, wiser and more responsive organization. Thank you for being a part of that journey.
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Essential workers now eligible for vaccines
COVID-19 vaccines are now available to essential front-line public transit workers. Methods of efficiently delivering the vaccine to front-line staff are being explored.
If your health care provider contacts you about making an appointment, or if you have another opportunity to get vaccinated, you can and should do that.
To receive notifications about unplanned vaccination opportunities, all employees are also invited to email their name and preferred contact information to vaccines@metrotransit.org.
Remember: You will still need to wear a mask and practice social distancing after being vaccinated.
No change to return to on-site work timeline
Metropolitan Council leaders continue to assess timelines for returning teleworking employees to working onsite, based on what we know about the pace of vaccine rollout and further guidance from the state. For now, our guidance remains that teleworking employees would not be returning to onsite work until at least June, but we will notify staff as soon as possible if that timeframe changes.
Review COVID-19 case data by worksite
Every Friday, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported to the Employee Resource Center in the previous week will be reported in Insights. Managers and supervisors are encouraged to post this information at work sites.
Growing up in Toronto, Ismail Jama often got around using the city’s subway and streetcar networks. So when he moved to Minneapolis as an adult, he was naturally intrigued at the prospect of becoming a train operator at Metro Transit.
To give himself a chance, he started as a part-time bus operator in 2011 while continuing to manage an over the road trucking business he’d started. A few years later, he got the opportunity to transfer to light rail, sold his company and put all his energy into transit.
A decade later, Jama is proud of his career track and of the service he’s providing the community, particularly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The past year has really shown how important we (train operators) are,” Jama said. “Even myself, I didn’t really think anything of it. But now when I go home, I think about how I was able to help people get to work, get to an interview, get to the doctor. Not everyone drives and this service is very important to them.”
Besides providing an essential service, Jama has enjoyed sharing his love of trains with customers, especially children. On many occasions, he says, kids have asked to have their photos taken with him when he gets to the end of the line. “Making a kid smile, that’s just such a joyful thing,” he said.
Save the Date: Transit Driver Appreciation Day is March 18
Bus and train operators are serving on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing an essential service to those who must use transit. To recognize their service, Metro Transit will celebrate Transit Driver Appreciation Day on Thursday, March 18. To participate, consider writing a commendation, sending a card or letter to any garage or showing your support on social media.
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Advancing Women in Transit is celebrating Women’s Month by hosting an online symposium about leadership. Symposium events will begin at noon every Monday in March and are open to all who are interested in attending. A schedule and links to each event can be found on MetNet.
During each session, female-identifying speakers will provide brief remarks and allow time for questions. Speakers will focus on a leadership style that is more commonly attributed to women, including empathy, humility, perseverance, entrepreneurial spirit and resilience. The March 15 event features:
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Leah Palmer, Policy Analyst, Metro Transit Police Department, noon, resiliency
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Robin Caufman, Director-Administration, 12:30 p.m., empathy
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Emily Bollensen, Maintenance Supervisor-Ruter Garage, 1 p.m., resiliency
The events will be held on Microsoft Teams, which is available on desktop and as an app. To learn more about using Teams, contact ECM; for technical support, contact the ServiceDesk.
AWT is an Employee Resource Group for female-identifying employees at Metro Transit. Group members meet regularly to share ideas, support one another, and build a professional network. For more information, contact Jennifer Kochaver
Missed past events? Watch them any time
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The March 1 event featuring Capt. Brooke Blakey, Mary Johnson, Assistant Transportation Manager, and Kelly Morrell, Commuter Programs Specialist, can be viewed here.
- The March 8 event featuring Christine Kuennen, Senior Manager-Metro Mobility, Lucy Galbraith, Director-Transit Oriented Development, and Gayle Gilman, Operator, can be viewed here.
Years of service: 19
Lives: South Saint Paul
Job: Assistant Transportation Manager
Garage: South
How did you come to transit and what do you do?
For 30 years, I’ve been in transportation in one way or another, from school bus, airport shuttles, and even an ice cream truck driver. While driving, I earned a degree in recreational therapy but discovered it’s not well-funded and returned to school bus driving, eventually becoming a manager. While the pay was good, I eventually decided to follow the benefits and applied to Metro Transit in 2002. Back then, you started part-time and it took at least two years before you could go full-time. During this time, transit was flexible enough that I could pick up work with the school bus company until I became a full-time operator. Since then, I’ve also worked as a train operator, rail supervisor and transit supervisor. Today, I’m an assistant transportation manager, where I’m able to help bus operators daily.
What do you enjoy most about being On the Clock?
You can remain a bus operator if you like; it’s a good job. But there’s plenty of opportunity and support to grow, if you seek them out. At the school bus company, there were no educational offerings and while I did advance a bit, it was due to seeking education outside of the workplace. Here, there’s coursework and programs that help all levels of employees advance their skills and find a new career path. In the time I’ve been here, I’ve had five job titles and functions and continually advanced my career, which I see many of my colleagues doing as well. Recently, I was able to share knowledge and help educate others as a presenter in an Advancing Women in Transit symposium.
What do you enjoy doing Off the Clock?
I love the outdoors, whether it’s sports, camping or hiking. Through this, I’ve discovered a love of owls, raptors and other birds of prey. I seem to have an eye for them, or I attract them as I often see birds of all kinds, and many times on the job. When I was a train operator, I’d often see raptors racing alongside the vehicle as we drove. Sometimes they’d fly so fast, I’d only see a flash of color before I registered that it was a bird passing by. I’d often see turkeys alongside the tracks, too. When I go camping, I always listen for the owls and try to spot them whenever I can. And my home in South Saint Paul near the river is a treasure trove of bird watching. It attracts turkey vultures, cranes and eagles. While seeing them from afar is fun, it’s better to see them up close. Whenever I can, I go to raptor shows to get up close to these beautiful birds, like one I attended in Arizona.
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Ruter Garage bus operator Antonio Cooper recently received a commendation for his onboard presence.
Antonio, my driver, is quite simply the Best! Friendly, professional, and a calm demeanor that puts my mind at ease after a hectic day. He changed my whole thought process from bad to good. Thank you!
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Update your email signature: All employees are asked to begin using a standard email signature if they are not currently doing so. The standard template was recently updated and includes a line where employees can choose to designate their personal pronouns. Follow these instructions to begin using the new template. Learn more about the importance of using gender pronouns here.
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Fact Book update: This week, Metro Transit published an update to the agency’s annual Fact Book, a collection of data on the agency’s service, fleet, facilities, budget and workforce from the prior year. This year’s edition also includes a special section on the agency’s COVID-19 response. A link to a one-page, printable version of the Fact Book is available here.
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Feedback sought on new options for Blue Line Extension: Community feedback is being sought on new potential route options for the METRO Blue Line Extension, which would bring light rail from Minneapolis to Brooklyn Park. The goal is to identify a single community-supported route by the end of the year to advance through design and environmental processes. New options are being explored after plans to use an existing freight rail corridor along Bottineau Boulevard could not be advanced. The northern portion of the route would remain largely unchanged and the portion along Bottineau Boulevard would be realigned to avoid freight rail property. New routing options and station areas will be explored in Robbinsdale and Minneapolis. To collect feedback, virtual townhalls will be held on March 25 and March 30, and a community survey is open through April 30. Learn more at bluelineext.org.
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State of the State scheduled for March 21: Gov. Walz will deliver his third State of the State address on Sunday, March 21, at 6 p.m. The Governor will deliver the address live from his former social studies classroom at Mankato West High School. Learn more at mn.gov/governor.
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A Line collectible bus made with help from Metro Transit: In 2019, Greg Wilson of Carrera Designs contacted Creative Services Manager Sharon Feiner about creating a Bus Rapid Transit bus replica. The die cast model incorporated design drawings provided by Feiner to ensure that all the details were just right, down to the METRO A Line marquee on the front and side. Two years later, this iconic replica can be purchased online.
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We at Metro Transit deliver environmentally sustainable transportation choices that link people, jobs and community conveniently, consistently and safely. |
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Metro Transit’s employee newsletter, Insights, is published weekly. Employees are invited to submit comments, letters to the editor and story ideas.
Contact the editor at insights@metrotransit.org.
© 2021 Metro Transit
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