From Police Chief Eddie Frizell
To maintain a safe and secure transit system, we must have community trust, strong partnerships, and a sincere commitment to listening and learning. We also need to have the right people in the right places.
To build our team, we are embarking on a significant recruitment and hiring effort that will help our department proactively address safety concerns and create the kind of environment riders and frontline staff deserve.
All of us at Metro Transit and the Metropolitan Council recognize how important this mission has always been, and the critical role it plays in our effort to emerge from the pandemic as a stronger, better service provider.
In practice, our recruitment and hiring efforts are aimed at:
- Building a team of up to 70 part-time Community Services Officers (CSOs) and expanding their duties to include validating fares, educating riders, and working alongside police officers as they grow into law enforcement careers.
- Dedicating 11 staff – a team of sworn officers and civilians – to monitoring surveillance cameras in real time so officers can spend more time spotting and guiding responses to problems on light rail vehicles, light rail stations and other busy boarding areas.
- Recruiting and hiring an additional 10 police officers so we are better equipped to patrol and respond to serious incidents.
I am grateful for the investments that are being made in our department, and optimistic that these additional resources will meaningfully improve the experience our customers and frontline staff have while on transit.
But I am also aware that pledging to expand our department is a beginning and not an end.
As we build our team, we must clearly articulate our values and emphasize them throughout the recruitment, hiring and training process.
We must continue to strengthen partnerships with service providers and other organizations that are committed to addressing the root causes of criminal behavior and other issues that require police attention, including homelessness and mental illness.
And we must remain open to new ideas and new approaches from the communities we serve.
While I am eager for our department to grow, I also want to commend all the officers and support staff from across the organization whose work has set the stage for our next chapter.
We’ve come an incredibly long way for such a relatively young department, and I couldn’t be prouder to serve as Metro Transit’s police chief.
Addressing the challenges in front of us won’t be easy. But, together, I know our department, Metro Transit, and the Council can build on this strong foundation and continue moving in the right direction.
Know someone considering a law enforcement career?
Metro Transit is hiring Community Service Officers on an ongoing basis. CSO candidates must be enrolled in an accredited college or university program seeking a degree in a law enforcement related field. Review the job posting here.
Frontline staff: Share your feedback on transit safety
Frontline employees -- including bus and train operators, facilities staff and transit and rail supervisors -- are invited to share feedback about their sense of safety on transit through an online survey. A summary of employee feedback will be shared with Council members and help inform a review of the Metro Transit Police Department beginning later this month. As always, staff can also offer feedback through the Transit Safety & Security Committee.
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Julie Mickus isn’t easily rattled. And at 64, the former bus operator and mother says she tries to start each day by letting go of whatever may have upset her the day before.
Her ability to stay positive has been especially helpful over the last 16 months as she has worked to keep some of the busiest light rail stations in Minneapolis looking their best through civil unrest and a pandemic.
“I look at this from a stranger’s point of view and think, ‘If I were to come here to take transit, what would I want to see?’” Mickus said. “That’s what motivates me.”
Mickus’s resolve and good humor was evident on a recent Friday morning as she walked through the Lake Street Station greeting regular customers, many of whom she’s come to know on a first-name basis.
In addition to cleaning, Mickus often serves as an informal station ambassador, offering directions and answering other questions that come her way.
The same helpful spirit can be found in Chang Vang and Mustapha Benami, who have also been assigned to the Lake Street, Franklin Avenue, Nicollet Mall and Warehouse District stations, and around 40 other public facility workers.
Together, the team clears litter, wipes down surfaces, mops and scrubs floors, and does whatever else they can to keep light rail stations and other boarding areas looking as clean as possible.
“They’ve really been doing outstanding work under the circumstances,” Facilities Maintenance Manager Donn Rude said. “I can’t say enough about how they’ve persevered.”
In the future, there are plans to expand the team of public facility workers so more attention can be put toward cleaning and facility maintenance. At the Lake Street Station, plans are also being made to use public art on a utility box to deter graffiti.
Public Facility Worker Vang, who also spent a few years as a bus operator, has hopes his and others’ efforts will help customers have the best experience possible.
“It can be hard not to get discouraged, but I do this for the people who really need and want to use transit,” he said.
Several Metro Transit bus operators competed in the Minnesota Public Transit Association’s Bus Roadeo, held July 9-10 in St. Cloud. East Metro Operator Todd Pfeilsticker, far right, took second place in the statewide competition. Other competitors included, from left to right (top left), Eduardo Espinoza, South; Jeanne ONeill, Nicollet; and Kenneth Schmoll, East Metro.
Planning for the next Metro Transit Bus Roadeo is ongoing. MPTA's 2022 Bus Roadeo will be held July 15-16 in Austin, Minn.
The American Public Transportation Association plans to host its next International Bus Roadeo in 2023. That event will be held in Minneapolis/St. Paul, in conjunction with APTA's Mobility Conference. If you would like to help prepare for that event, please contact Brian Funk.
A new Employee Resource Group (ERG) for staff with disabilities, disability advocates and supporters is being organized. Staff who are interested in participating are invited to complete this survey to be included in an upcoming kick-off meeting.
ERGs are Council-supported groups that bring people together to serve as a resource for each other and the organization. Members may take up to two hours a month from their normal work duties to participate. Other ERGs include Advancing Women in Transit (AWT) and the Pride ERG.
Consider self-identifying if you have a disability
The Council is required to ask job applicants and employees to voluntarily self-identify if they have a disability. This information helps the Council measure its progress in attracting, recruiting, employing, and advancing individuals with disabilities. Employees can self-identify as having a disability through Employee Self Service (ESS).
ADA Transition Plan updated
The Met Council recently updated its ADA Transition Plan, an evaluation of efforts to come into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA is the federal civil rights law that requires equal treatment of people with disabilities. Review the plan here, and contact Guthrie Byard with any questions you may have.
Save the Date: ADA Anniversary
The 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is Monday, July 26. The Metropolitan Council is a planning partner for a statewide celebration that will occur on that date. Learn more and register for the free event at celebrateadamn.com.
Technology bus operators use to communicate with the Transit Control Center, manage onboard announcements and monitor schedule adherence is getting an upgrade.
New touchscreen devices, known as Intelligent Vehicle Logic Units, will be installed on more than 450 buses by early next year and phased in as older buses are replaced. Operator training will occur as the new devices are installed.
Business Systems Analyst Richard Paulson described the new technology as a "game changer."
“It improves the reliability of information about the status of the bus, and it improves operator safety with a simpler interface,” Paulson said.
Data reliability will improve because the devices operate on a cellular network, which is faster than the radio-based system that's been historically used.
The new technology should also be easier to maintain, said Gary Nyberg, manager of bus technology systems.
“Right now, there are five versions of this device on buses and some of these units are 20 years old,” Nyberg said. “The older they get, the more difficult it gets to service the units as parts become scarce.”
Station construction continues throughout the METRO D Line corridor, including this southbound stop near the corner of Chicago Avenue and Lake Street, where crews were recently finishing concrete work.
Major construction has been completed at five intersections and is expected to slow at other locations along the corridor in the coming weeks. Construction is expected to ramp up this week, however, at the corner of Emerson and Plymouth avenues.
At each station location, crews are installing station platforms, pedestrian ramps, signals and sidewalks. Shelters, pylons and other features will be installed starting later this year.
The D Line is scheduled to open in late-2022, substantially improving service in the Route 5 corridor between the Brooklyn Center Transit Center and the Mall of America.
B Line station plans advance
Plans for the METRO B Line, which will substantially improve service in the Route 21 corridor, moved forward this week when the Council authorized the release of a plan with recommended station locations for public comment. Staff will spend the next month continuing to collect input on the 33 proposed station locations and present a final plan for Council adoption this fall. While developing the recommended plan, staff received more than 600 comments from individuals or groups. Construction on the B Line is scheduled to begin in 2023.
Rush Line now known as the Purple Line
The METRO map has a new color, Purple, denoting plans to bring BRT to a corridor between downtown St. Paul and White Bear Lake. Until recently, the project was led by Ramsey County and known as the Rush Line. Moving forward, planning efforts will be led by Metro Transit’s BRT Projects department.
Plans for the Purple Line call for 21 stations and for buses to operate mostly in dedicated bus-only lanes. Currently, staff are working on designs and environmental assessments needed to seek federal funding. With full funding, construction could begin in 2024 and the Purple Line could open in late-2026.
Gold Line plan calls for electric buses
Up to five electric buses could be integrated into the METRO Gold Line fleet and used to carry customers along the new 10-mile BRT corridor running east from St. Paul along the I-94 corridor. The Gold Line fleet would also include 12 diesel buses. A final recommendation is forthcoming. With full funding, construction on the Gold Line could begin in 2022 and open in 2025.
BRT Projects is hiring!
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East Metro Bus Operator Lee Vang recently received a commendation for going above and beyond for this customer.
Lee is the young coach operator. He goes the extra mile. He gives 110%. Quite charming, friendly, and simply adorable. Metro Transit, thank you for hiring the very best.
Isabel M.
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In memoriam: Doni Jones: Condolences to friends, family members and union brothers and sisters mourning the loss of ATU Local 1005 Vice President Doni Jones, who passed away on Sunday, July 4. Doni joined Metro Transit in November 2006 and spent most of his career at East Metro, where he was an operator and relief dispatcher. He served on the Local 1005's executive board for nearly seven years and founded the chapter’s Black caucus in 2017. Funeral services will be held today, Friday, July 16. Donations to Doni’s family can be made through ATU Local 1005. As always, free grief support is available through Sand Creek. For more information, call 888-243-5744.
Operator hiring event will be held Saturday, July 17: A one-day bus operator hiring event will be held at the Instruction Center from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 17. Job seekers who attend the event can submit their applications and interview in one visit. Employees can earn a $600 bonus for referring successful bus operator candidates. For more information about new and ongoing operator hiring initiatives, please contact Amina Wolf.
New Flyer demonstrations: Representatives from New Flyer will be demonstrating their new electric bus next week. The bus will be at Heywood on Monday, South and Ruter on Tuesday, East Metro on Wednesday, Nicollet on Thursday and the Overhaul Base on Friday. Technicians, operators and other garage staff are invited to stop by and learn more. Metro Transit plans to buy eight electric buses from Proterra and begin using them on core local routes beginning in 2023. New Flyer electric buses are expected to begin operating on the METRO C Line again next month (the buses have been out of service amid repairs to charging equipment).
Apply by July 28 for next MentoringWorks cohort: Staff interested in participating in the Council's MentoringWorks program are invited to apply by Wednesday, July 28, to be considered for the next group. Mentees will spend six months meeting with their mentor to develop personalized goals and talk about how to achieve them. The next group will begin on Wednesday, Aug. 11, with an introductory session. For more information, visit MentoringWorks on MetNet. Click on Be a Mentor or Be a Mentee to apply.
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