A few years ago, Metro Transit transitioned what was then known as our Everyday Equity team into what we now know as the Equity & Inclusion Team.
There was a purpose to this change. Today, we are equally committed to advancing equity and practicing inclusivity on our system and in our workplace. These goals are co-dependent, not mutually exclusive.
Our commitment to inclusion is on display this month as we invite staff to participate in several educational events centered on Juneteenth and Pride Month. We are also continuing a series of conversations designed to create a safe space for staff to have candid dialogues about racism.
These and other similar efforts are a reminder that we have room to learn, both as individuals and as an organization.
Thank you to those who are organizing, leading, and participating in these important conversations. It may not always seem as though we are making significant progress. This is an important symbol of your commitment to your peers and your community.
While our commitment to inclusion is especially visible this month, this work does not begin or end in June.
In recent months, we’ve focused attention on staff for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and sent greetings to those who celebrate Ramadan, a month of fasting, prayer and reflection celebrated by Muslims here and across the world.
Through the end of the year, we will take time to recognize Somali Independence Day (July 1), National Hispanic American Heritage Month (September 15-October 15), Blind Awareness Month (October), and many other events focused on heritage and identity.
We recognize and celebrate these events in acknowledgment of the diversity of our organization and the communities we serve.
This continued sharing of information can only lead to deeper and more meaningful connections to our co-workers, our customers, and our community. After a difficult, and in many ways traumatic year, these connections can be a powerful antidote.
Efforts to acknowledge our diversity are largely being led by members of our Equity & Inclusion Team and Employee Resource Groups, including the Pride ERG, which serves as a resource and networking group for LGBTQ staff.
If you are interested in learning more or want to participate in supporting this work, I urge you to reach out to staff who are involved in these groups.
And thank you to all those who are already putting in the hard but necessary work to make inclusivity a part of our shared identity.
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The Equity & Inclusion Team will host a virtual workshop to recognize and share information about Juneteenth on Monday, June 14. Also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. It is celebrated annually on June 19.
The virtual workshop on June 14 will provide an overview of Juneteenth, explore the continued impact of our unresolved history and provide participants a chance to talk about cultivating a culture to process the pain of the past and present and move into a realm of healing. To receive a calendar invite, contact Sarah Berres.
Join a facilitated discussion about allyship
The "Beginning Conversations on Race" series, facilitated by members of the Equity & Inclusion Team and Equity & Inclusion Coordinator Rachel Cagle, concludes next week with a session about allyship. The online event is scheduled to run from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 17. If you have not received a calendar invite, please email Rachel Cagle.
Employees who would like support hosting smaller, guided group discussions about race at other times can contact Rachel and find resources on the Equity & Inclusion page on MetNet.
 Staff who will be featured in an online Pride conversation include, from left to right, Transit Supervisor Heidi Wrenson, Operator Marissa Higgins and Assistant Director of Field Operations David Hanson. The recorded conversation also includes Metropolitan Council Member Robert Lilligren and Transit Information Representative Nathan Bakken, and was hosted by local comedian Tane Danger, of the online video series, “ Hey Where Does This Bus Go?” Watch for the conversation on Metro Transit’s Facebook page on Wednesday, June 23; the recording will also be made available on the Riders' Almanac blog.
Pride Month is a celebration of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community. It is celebrated in June to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred in June 1969 and served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement.
Several Pride events are planned:
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A "Brunch & Learn" about allyship in the workplace will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 22. Watch for an invite or email Nia Colebrooke.
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An online conversation with LGBTQ staff, hosted by Tane Danger, will be shared on Metro Transit's Facebook page on Wednesday, June 23.
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A workshop with Jamil Stamschror-Lott (he/him) and Kesley Shultz (they/them) about LGBTQIA+ allyship, accountability, history and terminology and inclusivity, will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, June 28 on Zoom.
Ways to demonstrate your support during Pride Month
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Using a Pride background during virtual meetings. Download the image here.
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Adding a Pride frame to your Facebook profile by going to facebook.com/profilepicframes. Search for “Metro Transit MN – Ride with Pride," and click "Use as Profile Picture" to save.
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Wearing a Pride lanyard. On-site staff may pick them up at the Metro Transit Mailroom at Heywood Garage.
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Displaying “Ride With Pride” on the overhead display using PR Code 15 (Metro Transit bus operators).
The Pride ERG hosts monthly discussions and serves as a support network. For more information, contact Dave Hanson or Nia Colebrooke.
In response to updated guidance from state and federal agencies, face coverings are no longer required at Metro Transit worksites. Masks must still be worn on transit, under a TSA requirement.
Employees who have not or cannot be vaccinated are encouraged to continue wearing a mask. Remember, when interacting with colleagues, you should not assume anything about their vaccination status or health situation based on whether or not they are wearing a mask. Employees should never ask their co-workers about their COVID-19 vaccination status.
Signage that states masks are required can now be removed. In their place, please print and post this sign at building entrances.
In 1991, David Stiggers came to Minnesota hoping make it big in hip-hop music. One of his songs, “Iluvyalikeachickenwing,” even received airtime on local radio. The music business, however, is a difficult and fickle industry to break into.
“After a while you meet someone, have a few kids, and then you need to support your family,” Stiggers said. “Your priorities change.”
For years, Stiggers worked as an office manager providing IT support at a mortgage company. When the recession came and he lost his job, he found work as a limo driver. While he enjoyed driving, the pay and hours varied and were often inconsistent, making it difficult to support his family.
“One day as I was driving, I saw an ad on a bus saying Metro Transit needed drivers,” he said. “It appealed to me because it would be a consistent job with good pay and benefits.”
Operator hiring events will be held June 23 and June 26
Individuals interested in becoming a bus operator are invited to attend hiring events at the Instruction Center (725 North 7th Street, Minneapolis) on Wednesday, June 23, and Saturday, June 26. The events will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Employees can earn a $600 bonus for referring successful bus operator candidates. New operators can also earn a $1,000 hiring bonus. Through the fall, Metro Transit hopes to hire up to 70 new full-time bus operators. Learn more at metrotransit.org/drive.
In 1988, Sam Caron began at Metro Transit as a part-time police officer, splitting his time as a Sergeant with the Saint Paul Police Department. When he retired from the force, he started in the Transit Control Center (TCC) and discovered he could create a new career in transit.
After working in the TCC, Caron served as a transit supervisor. In 2009, he became an assistant transportation manager at Nicollet, then moved to
East Metro, where he ends his career.
“I really enjoyed all my jobs,” Caron
said. “They were complex and always challenging, due to technology or simply what’s happening in the world. But I especially enjoyed working with operators every day.”
In retirement, Caron plans to golf, work on some home remodeling projects, and spend quality time with family and friends.
Celebrate Vince Pellegrin’s retirement
A virtual retirement ceremony for Chief Operating Officer Vince Pellegrin will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 16. Pellegrin has been with Metro Transit for the past 23 years. More information about his career will be shared in next week’s Insights.
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A customer recently submitted this commendation recognizing Metro Transit's commitment to continual improvement.
I’m from Anoka and I use bus and light rail to travel and from downtown Minneapolis. Drivers are nice and on time. It's been a pleasant experience. I've ridden for 7 years. Service continues to evolve and improve. Keep up the great work everyone!
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 A newly installed shelter at Central Avenue and Saint Anthony Parkway, above, recently replaced an aging shelter.
More than 200 new and replacement waiting shelters have been installed over the past seven years, primarily in neighborhoods where there are more people of color or incomes are lower than the regional average.
Customers will see another 270 new and replacement shelters appear over the next five years. Shelters are placed at stops with the highest number of boardings, in neighborhoods where more households don’t have access to a vehicle and in locations that serve people with disabilities, older adults and others with special needs.
“We’ve made a significant amount of progress, but we still have work to do in order to provide a universally positive experience for all customers at bus stops,” said Marilyn Porter, Director of Engineering & Facilities. “To improve the customer experience, we must continue to grow – and just as importantly maintain – our shelter system.”
This year, 25 new shelters will be installed and 30 existing shelters that are around 20 years old will be replaced.
Some of the new shelters going in this year are being placed near shopping centers where ridership has remained strong throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, like the Cub Foods on York Avenue in Edina and near the Target entrance on Hamline Avenue in Saint Paul.
Light will be added at around two-dozen shelter locations this year, including several stops along Franklin Avenue. On-demand heat will be added at 11 shelters.
In addition to the new shelters, up to 150 concrete pads are expected to be installed over the next five years at stops where there isn’t a shelter. The pads provide a flat boarding area and make boarding easier for people using mobility devices or strollers.
Frontline staff invited to transit safety discussions
Frontline employees are invited to attend any of several in-person meetings to provide their perspective on transit-related safety issues.
Each session will include a short introduction and time to ask questions and provide feedback. The sessions are being led by Michelle Fure, the project manager in the Metropolitan Council Communications Department, with help from staff from the Citizens League team, which is also leading public engagement efforts. Feedback will be summarized for the effort; no individual contributors will be identified.
Feedback collected will inform a more in-depth Met Council review of the Metro Transit Police Department’s policies and practices beginning later this year. The Met Council oversees MTPD, and a review of the department was announced by Chair Charlie Zelle in 2020.
The perspective of frontline staff – including bus and train operators and public facility workers – is being sought because they have valuable first-hand experiences, given their interactions with the public and police.
The upcoming sessions for frontline staff will be held in driver’s rooms or break rooms according to the following schedule:
- Monday, June 21, 2 to 3 p.m., Nicollet
- Tuesday, June 22, 2 to 3 p.m., Heywood
- Wednesday, June 23, 1 to 2 p.m., Hiawatha Operations & Maintenance Facility
- Thursday, June 24, 2 to 3 p.m., Ruter
- Friday, June 25, 1 to 2 p.m., Lowertown Operations & Maintenance Facility
- Monday, June 28, 2 to 3 p.m., East
- Tuesday, June 29, 2 to 3 p.m., South
- Wednesday, June 30, 1 to 2 p.m., Transfer Road
Employees who would like to attend must do so on their own time. Additional in-person events may be scheduled in the coming weeks. Staff who cannot attend an in-person event can complete a short survey or provide feedback through Transit Safety & Security Committee representatives.
For more information, contact Michelle Fure.
Nick Thompson, who currently serves as the director of Metropolitan Transportation Services (MTS) for the Metropolitan Council, will begin a new role overseeing capital projects at Metro Transit later this month.
As deputy general manager of capital programs, Thompson will oversee BRT Projects, Transit Systems Development, Engineering & Facilities, Transit Oriented Development and Asset Management. Transit Systems Development oversees the Green Line Extension and Blue Line Extension light rail projects; the BRT Projects office is leading efforts to expand the arterial Bus Rapid Transit network and build other highway BRT projects, including the METRO Orange Line.
The deputy general manager position was created to coordinate work across multiple departments and to strengthen relationships with funding partners, policy makers and other stakeholders. Thompson will begin in his new role on Monday, June 28.
Prior to joining the Council, Thompson spent more than 15 years at the Minnesota Department of Transportation, where he led multiple capital projects and served as an assistant commissioner. One of his key past projects was the Urban Partnership Program, which brough MnPASS lanes and other transit amenities to the I-35W corridor.
As MTS director, Thompson worked with local partners to develop long-range capital plans and policies for all transportation modes in the Twin Cities. MTS is also responsible for contracted transit services, Metro Mobility and Transit Link dial-a-ride services.
Another new position, assistant general manager of planning, evaluation, and marketing, has not yet been filled. That position will oversee Service Development, Strategic Initiatives and Transit Information & Marketing.
Metro Transit is also seeking candidates for the director of bus safety position and will soon begin a search for a chief operating officer, replacing Vince Pellegrin, who will retire on June 18.
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Craig Lamothe to lead Rush Line BRT project
Craig Lamothe returns to Metro Transit to join the BRT Projects department in a new role as Project Director for the Rush Line BRT project. The Rush Line is a dedicated guideway bus rapid transit line from Saint Paul to White Bear Lake that is anticipated to open around 2026. Lamothe will lead the project through engineering and construction. He has played similar roles in past light rail and bus capital projects at Metro Transit. Outside of work Craig enjoys spending quality time with his wife, daughter, son and Bull-Pei, serving as the chair of the Maple Grove Planning Commission and rooting for his Dallas Cowboys.
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Mary Bogie, who has been with the Metropolitan Council for nearly 18 years, was appointed this week as the organization’s next regional administrator.
Bogie has served as acting regional administrator since Meredith Vadis left the role earlier this year and has played a lead role in the Council’s COVID-19 response.
Prior to serving as deputy regional administrator and chief financial officer for the Met Council, she worked at the Minnesota Department of Finance, serving as finance services director.
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Richard White, Manager, Fleet Services, 3 years
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David Chiabotti, Track Maintainer, 5 years
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David Sims, Train Operator, 6 years
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Steven Bestland, Operator, East Metro, 7 years
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Amber Gerdes, Operator, East Metro, 7 years
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Sandra Cagaoan, Principal Administrative Specialist, 9 years
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Richard Hauser, Mechanic Technician, Overhaul Base, 11 years
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Anthony Hines, Capt., Transit Police, 13 years
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Robert LeMay, Mechanic Technician, Overhaul Base, 14 years
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Ray Norvoll, Mechanic Technician, Nicollet, 15 years
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William Johnson, Operator, Heywood, 19 years
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Donald Hills, Operator, Ruter, 19 years
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Marlene Ekstrand, Principal Administrative Specialist, 24 years
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Margaret Stephens, Operator, Ruter, 31 years
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Laurie Novak, Mechanic Technician, Overhaul Base, 33 years
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Christy Bailly, Director, Bus Transportation, 40 years
Congratulations to these employees who celebrated work anniversaries in May
25 years
Charles Finn, Operator-East Metro
David Tolbert, Operator-Ruter
20 years
Thai Chang, Helper-East Metro
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Electric bus demonstrations being held June 14-18: Beginning Monday, June 14, a 40-foot electric bus made by Gillig will visit Metro Transit garages for demonstrations. Employees are invited to tour the bus and ride along in a test drive, if schedule permits. A Gillig representative will be on-site to answer questions and a Gillig staff member will operate the bus. The demonstrations are part of the agency’s continued evaluation of electric bus technology. For a complete schedule, review this bulletin.
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Learn more about Council's affirmative action plan: Employees are invited to attend an upcoming info session to learn more about the organization’s Affirmative Action Plan. Sessions will be held at 3 p.m. on Monday, June 14, and a 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 22. Use this Microsoft short link to join the sessions: https://aka.ms/METC-AAP.
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