Many people who work at Metro Transit take on new responsibilities and roles throughout their careers. Career Tracks will highlight the paths employees have taken to their latest assignment, encouraging others to consider their own professional development. To suggest someone for this feature, email insights@metrotransit.org. 

How did you begin your career with Metro Transit?  

Following Hurricane Katrina, I returned to Minnesota from Louisiana with my four small children. I needed a job, so I applied for a position in Customer Relations. I have always been fond of transit – I grew up in Chicago, where my grandpa worked for the Chicago Transit Authority and retired after 30 years of service. He always said that transit will always need staff because people need to get around and that those jobs can provide well for your family. When I applied, that’s how I felt – I wanted a job to help provide for my family and rebuild after the hurricane. Out of hundreds of applicants for one position, I was chosen. Then, I knew my career with Metro Transit was meant to be.   

What were your career goals and what steps did you take to achieve them? 

I wanted to find a job to meet my family’s needs while I worked to finish my college degree. At Metro Transit, I discovered this could be a career. So, I took steps to learn everything I could, which led to more responsibilities, internal training, and guidance from others. After three years in Customer Relations, I earned a job in the Transit Control Center. While learning the systems, I jumped at opportunities to train others, and was recommended to become the management advisor for the Transit Safety & Security Committee. Three years later, I took on the role of Assistant Transportation Manager at Nicollet Garage. There, I learned about garage operations, and union contracts while taking on more responsibilities. In 2018, I became Manager of Street Operations, which provided me the opportunity to now have worked in nearly every aspect of operations. I’m not sure what the next step might be, but I know the sky is the limit. So, I’ll continue to work hard and learn as much as I can to prepare for the next steps in my career when the time is right.  

What advice do you have for others who want to take on more or different responsibilities?  

Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. It’s not always easy, but it’s your plan and you must continue to work toward your goal. And remember, you have a support system within the agency -- co-workers, supervisors, and mentors. Throughout my career, I have been able to gather nuggets of knowledge from many individuals across the agency that have helped my career progress. Put yourself out there and don’t give up – good things happen when they’re supposed to. And, don’t approach an issue with the attitude that it’s not my responsibility, but rather think of it as your opportunity to accomplish something.  

A self-described “whimsical wildlife documentarian,” Susan Gainen has a story for every creature she’s created in her St. Paul studio. Now, Jerry the Jade elephant and a host of her other animal friends are adding to their stories by taking their place on the side of a bus shelter.   

“The first design I sent in was sent back because there were just too many,” Gainen said. “So here I sit with these creatures who are saying, ‘Why didn’t you pick me?’”  

While Gainen is putting an imaginative spin on what is her first public art project, the new shelter artwork has a serious purpose – to deter costly and time-consuming vandalism. While many shelters have advertising displays, this is the first time artwork has been applied to shelter glass.   

“Public art has been shown to deter graffiti and vandalism, which take a lot of resources to respond to,” Public Arts Administrator Mark Granlund said. “It’s also an opportunity to provide some unexpected joy to customers and passerby and gives artists a unique opportunity to share their work.”  

Similar efforts have been made at the Uptown Transit Station, where colorful tiles have been installed to remove a canvas for graffiti, and at the 28th Avenue Park & Ride, where murals were installed in 2020.   

 Gainen’s design is on one of two artworks that were recently applied to shelters. It appears on a shelter on 73rd Avenue in Brooklyn Park, in a residential area.   

The second design was created by Minneapolis artist Ted Hansen, who painted and digitally enhanced an oversized image of a perch. Hansen’s work appears on a shelter at the corner of Maryland Avenue and Clarence Street, near Saint Paul’s Lake Phalen, a popular fishing spot.   

Hansen, an angler and Minneapolis Public Schools teacher, said he’s always thrilled to see his work in public. Normally, though, he spots his stickers on bumpers or coolers, or finds his work hung in breweries.   

“To see it on that scale and in that public of a setting is really exciting,” he said.  

The lifting of COVID-19 restrictions is allowing more people to come back to transit, including Metro Transit employees. To celebrate and encourage the use of transit, employees are invited to talk about how and why they’re riding. To share your story, please email insights@metrotransit.org.   

For what reasons do you use transit? 

Before the pandemic, I rode five to six days a week, commuting daily to and from Heywood on Route 6. Since I’ve been working from home, I’ve ridden about once a week, primarily for non-work trips to go shopping or visit parks. As I gradually come back to the office, I’ll be commuting again on Route 6.   

What have you missed most about using transit? 

I feel more connected to the world when I ride the bus. I’m interested in what people are up to – what they’re reading, what they’re wearing, what they’re talking about – and I really miss being able to make those casual observations. Taking transit also gives me a chance to meditate, quiet down and not let my head race too much. It’s harder to carve out time for that when you’re not commuting 35 to 40 minutes. And, as a planner, it’s very important that I see how things are running, which is hard to do when you’re staying in a room in your house.   

How else do you like to get around? 

My wife and I share a leased vehicle and in the past have gone without a personal car, relying on carshare, transit, biking and walking. Today, I’ll walk or bike to the grocery store or other neighborhood destinations. When I come back to the office, I’ll use fleet cars to get places during the day if that’s the option that makes the most sense.