From General Manager Wes Kooistra
Thanks again to all of you for your great work during this challenging time. The pandemic continues, but through your continued hard work and ingenuity we have responded successfully to the constantly changing demands on our services. I often repeat these thanks because you earn this appreciation every day.
The pandemic has been devastating to us and to transit providers across the nation. Our ridership has been reduced by more than half, and significant challenges will persist even after the pandemic is behind us. We cannot expect to just weather the storm and then return to pre-pandemic norms. A successful future requires us to reinvent ourselves as a stronger, better, and different transit service.
So, there are tremendous challenges still ahead of us, and there will be many influences that we can’t control.
But we can and will continue to adapt. Over the past 18 months, we have repeatedly demonstrated our agility and resilience. Together, we have the drive and skills to make Metro Transit’s future great.
But our success requires a clear vision that we share with each other and the communities we serve. This vision must be defined by the needs and expectations of our riders and stakeholders and powered by our determination to adapt and improve.
Our vision is captured in our Strategic Plan, which identifies five primary goals and the steps we’ll take to achieve them in the year ahead. Our goals are:
- We will transition from the pandemic to a stronger, better transit system
- We provide service that is safe, welcoming, and comfortable
- We provide service that is reliable and easy to use
- We make our region more environmentally sustainable
- We are a great place to work and build a career
These goals describe the outcomes we are committed to achieving. Our Strategic Plan also recognizes that how we accomplish these outcomes can be as important as the goals themselves. In taking on this work, we must also demonstrate these core elements:
- We meaningfully advance equity inside our organization and in the region
- We effectively communicate and engage with customers, stakeholders, and employees
- We evaluate our performance and foster innovation for continuous improvement
- We are responsible stewards of a transformative and financially sustainable transit system.
Our Strategic Plan will hold us accountable to the promises that will bring success to our transit future. The four core elements uphold the standards that will overlay our work.
Thankfully, we have greatly benefited from federal relief. However, this funding is a temporary gift of time. It is not a solution for our long-term future. That solution is up to us.
We need to approach our work with a renewed sense of urgency and determination. When federal relief runs out in mid-2025, the stronger and better transit system that we have created will be held up to policymakers and funders as the proof that transit is an essential community asset and a worthwhile investment.
You have proven that we are up to this challenge, one that demands a daily commitment and effort from all of us. Each employee is called upon to contribute to our future that will be stronger, better, and different than we are today.
How can I learn more about the Strategic Plan?
The Strategic Plan provides a broad overview of Metro Transit's goals and core elements. More than 100 initiatives that are connected to these goals and elements are detailed in a workplan that will be used to track progress.
Updates on the initiatives included in the Strategic Plan will be regularly provided in Insights and at monthly manager's meetings, where the plan was introduced this week. While not all staff attend these manager's meetings, recordings will be made available to all employees.
For more information, please email Rachel Dungca.
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Staff overcame challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, an ongoing operator shortage and flashes of severe weather to safely get people to and from the Minnesota State Fair over the past two weeks.
Nearly 100,000 express bus and regular route rides were provided to fairgoers over the 12 days of the fair, representing about 4% of attendance. More than 1.3 million people attended this year's fair, a nearly 39% decline from 2019's record attendance.
Express bus service was provided from Minnetonka, Bloomington and Cottage Grove. Metro Transit representatives also staffed the fairgrounds to share information about career opportunities and future service improvements.
Save the Dates: In 2022, the Minnesota State Fair will be held Thursday, Aug. 25, through Monday, Sept. 5.
A three-year labor contract with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1005 was approved this week by the Metropolitan Council. ATU members, including operators, technicians and other frontline staff, approved the agreement in August.
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A one-time $1,000 payment to all eligible employees in the bargaining unit;
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General wage increases of 2%, effective Aug. 1, 2020, and Aug. 1, 2021, and a 2.5% increase on Aug. 1, 2022 (employees will receive backpay);
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Increases in contributions for safety shoes;
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Expanded sick leave accrual for part-time operators;
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A section that formally addresses the use of administrative leave for operators who have been subject or witness to violent contact or threats;
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Agreements to meet and discuss the staffing process for the Green Line Extension and operator scheduling flexibility.
The starting wage for new bus operators will be increased to $21.27 an hour and a 5% step increase on their one-year work anniversary, a fact that will be highlighted in ongoing recruitment efforts.
Around 50 full-time bus operators have been hired this year and the goal is to hire another 100 through the end of the year.
Job seekers are invited to attend to two upcoming hiring events where they can apply and interview in one visit. The events will be held at the Instruction Center on:
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Saturday, Sept. 11, 9 a.m. to noon
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Tuesday, Sept. 14, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Employees who refer successful candidates can earn a $600 referral bonus. Learn more at metrotransit.org/drive.
Here are a few friendly reminders about the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
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The COVID-19 Leave Policy will expire on Friday, Sept. 17. After this date, employees will need to use personal leave or work with their supervisors on flexible scheduling arrangements.
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Telework transition plans need to be finalized mid-October. Teleworking employees who are interested in returning sooner should inform their manager, who should communicate the request through the department director to Robin Caufman.
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Beginning Oct. 11, all Met Council employees will need to either be fully vaccinated for the COVID-19 virus or be tested weekly. Look for additional communications next week clarifying how each process will work and expectations for employees across Met Council divisions.
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Review your COVID-19 testing options and seek testing if you think you've been exposed. If you are showing symptoms, contact your medical provider first.
Continue reading
Read more about the new telework agreement form and guidance on travel and in-person meetings in the latest COVID-19 update for employees
MPR: Small signs summer wave may be ebbing
Learn more about President Biden's updated COVID-19 plan, announced on Thursday
View the latest COVID-19 case data by worksite
More high school students will be using transit this fall as Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) responds to a shortage of school bus drivers.
SPPS announced this week that it would provide Student Passes to students at Como Park, Harding, Central and Washington while it works to overcome a driver shortage. The district is also encouraging students to walk, bike and carpool, and for families to help get their kids to and from school if they can do so.
No additional school trips are being added, and customers are being cautioned that trips may be busier than usual before and after school.
As previously planned, Student Passes will be provided to students at three other SPPS high schools – Johnson, Creative Arts and Gordon Park. Eligible students at Minneapolis Public Schools high schools and several other schools throughout the region will also receive Student Passes.
Students who receive Student Passes can ride buses or trains from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. seven days a week. All students agree to abide by Metro Transit’s Code of Conduct and will be reminded of safety protocols, including the requirement to wear masks on transit.
Student Pass distribution continues in both Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Operators are asked to let individuals board if they identify themselves as SPPS or MPS students while distribution continues.
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Nicollet Operator Fred Beamish recently received a commendation from a new customer who started riding only recently.
Today, the driver was the right amount of cheery, concise, and put in a lot more effort to announce stops than my last few weeks on the bus. I only started riding recently, and he was such a great driver to experience.Thank you.
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The cloth seats customers once found – and sometimes avoided – on light rail vehicles are no more.
This summer, light rail technicians finished swapping out more than 13,000 cloth seat backs and bottoms with new, custom-designed plastic seats that are easier to keep clean and dry. Efforts to install the new blue seats began in 2020.
“This was really a tremendous effort on the part of our technicians who, given a challenge, stepped forward and delivered once again,” said Ryan McTeague, director of light rail vehicle maintenance.
New light rail vehicles that will be used on the Green Line Extension are also coming equipped with plastic seats.
Maintenance employees are looking forward to the change as much as customers.
To clean cloth seats, staff at times had to remove the bottoms and backs, steam clean them, and allow them to dry before putting them back. In some cases, the seats needed to be refurbished or discarded.
In contrast, cleaners can quickly wipe down and dry the plastic seats. To help prevent the spread of germs, light rail vehicles are always washed and sanitized before entering service.
Stronger air filters that can capture more airborne particles are also being used.
“Now more than ever, it’s important to provide the cleanest on-board environment we can,” McTeague said. “The combination of plastic seats and stronger filters go a long way toward that goal.”
Customers are invited to offer feedback on the new seats by contacting Customer Relations.
Some of the electro mechanical technicians involved in the installation of plastic seats include, from left to right: Brent Lucus, Bill Cathey, James Wallisch, John Paul Luc and Brad Peterson.
September is Deaf Awareness Month, and an opportunity to learn more about the best ways to include people who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing in our work. Estimates vary, but up to 4% of the U.S. population identify as Deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Here are a few ways we can act more inclusively:
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If you are hosting an online meeting, remind participants they can turn on live closed captions and enable transcriptions for future reference.
- Including audio and visual cues in any transit information we provide. For example, Transit Information is exploring a website chat option that would complement the existing text for transit information service.
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Learning a few words or phrases in American Sign Language. Free lessons are available here and here.
Note: Closed captions and transcription are not a replacement for an interpreter. If you are coordinating a public meeting or event, you must let potential attendees know an interpreter can be provided upon request. If a request is submitted, please contact Equity & Inclusion Senior Manager Celina Martina to coordinate a response.
Additional resources
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James Leonard, Operator-East Metro, 34 years
Arthur Hayne, Operator-South, 27 years
Timothy Thao, Operator-East Metro, 17 years
Gail Towns, Operator-South, 14 years
Eldon Farb, Lead Senior Electronic Revenue Equipment Technician, 11 years
Michael Ladue, Operator-South, 5 years
Salute to service: August work anniversaries
40 years
Mary Jo Betland, Assistant Transportation Manger-Heywood
30 years
Timothy Smith, Instructor
Laurence Crepeau, Facilities Technician
Dale Leen, Operator-South
Amy Gudmestad, Assistant Manager-Transit Information
Ellen Skog, Manager, Service Analysis
25 years
Michelle Bellfield, Electronic Repair Tech
Thomas Mohler, Operator-East Metro
Geh Thao, Operator-Heywood
Brian Sager, General Dispatcher-South
20 years
Henry Steward, Fare Collections Specialist
Timmy Webber, Operator-Nicollet
Michael Miller, Foreperson, Signals
Tacoy Sandifer, Fare Collections Specialist
 Thank you to Amina Wolf, Acting Deputy Director-Bus Operations, for sharing the photo on the left, taken Wednesday, Sept. 8, outside the Heywood Garage. The photo at right was taken at the METRO Blue Line's 50th Street-Minnehaha Park station and shared on Instagram by user TCTrainspotting.
Day of remembrance at the Minnesota State Capitol: Officers with the Metro Transit Police Department's Honor Guard will participate in ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of 9/11 on Saturday, Sept. 11. Learn more at mn.gov.
Celebrate completion of MnDOT’s 35W@94 project: MnDOT is inviting the public to celebrate the completion of the 35W@94 project on Sunday, Sept. 12. Activities will be held on East Lake Street from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Orange Line staff will be on hand to discuss the future opening of the Lake Street Station and Bus Rapid Transit line. The Orange Line is scheduled to open in December. Learn more at dot.state.mn.us.
Operators invited to promote $1 rides in September and October: Operators can remind the public that regular adult fares have been discounted to $1 in September and October by displaying "All Fares $1" on the overhead display. To show the message, use PR-Code 18.
Road construction prompts new look at downtown Saint Paul routing options: Metro Transit and the City of Saint Paul are looking for feedback on where to reroute buses after construction on two busy downtown streets is finished. Next spring, routes 3, 16, 62, 67 and 75 will all travel on Minnesota Street due to road construction. In 2023, these routes will move to Robert Street while Minnesota Street is under construction. Post-construction routing options include running buses on both Minnesota and Robert Street, or only on Robert Street. An online survey is open through September 17 at surveymonkey.com/r/minnesotarobert
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