We need your help with mask distribution!  

Every day until further notice, employees are invited to help package face masks into baggies for distribution to customers. The packaging is occurring in the third floor of the Metro Transit Police and Office Facility, and can be done at any time.  

Since the start of the pandemic, more than 1.2 million masks have been distributed to customers and staff. Operators and police officers are encouraged to carry extra masks when they are on duty and to freely distribute them to customers who need them.  

For more information about mask packaging, contact Pam Steffen. 

National Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month is September 15 through October 15. To commemorate, we’ll feature employees in Insights every week through the end of the month. Learn more at hispanicheritagemonth.gov.   

Please share a little bit about your background. 

I was born in Mexico City to parents whose ancestry originates from Spain, Andorra and France. My family immigrated to Mexico in the 1800s via Veracruz and mixed with the native indigenous. These origins are very typical of Latino families. That’s what creates our culture today, a mixed heritage. I moved to Minnesota in 1993 and attended Eagan High School and later the University of St. Thomas.   

How did you get into law enforcement?  

After school, I wanted to join the Army and become a police officer, which is not very characteristic of Latinos. My family wanted me to continue the family business, but I convinced my mom to sign a waiver at age 17 to let me join the U.S. Army. I was deployed to Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where I was a military police supervisor of detention operations. I’m now in my 25th year of service. I joined Metro Transit in 2015 and currently work overnight patrol at West Command and am part of the Honor Guard and Bike Rapid Response Team.  

I’m also the treasurer of the National Latino Officers Association – Minnesota Chapter. We have members of all ethnicities and celebrate Latino culture together. We conduct youth outreach, set up academic scholarship for college students, mentor, coach and train future police officers. Most importantly, we connect with vulnerable populations and advocate for Spanish-speaking families who need assistance navigating Minnesota’s criminal justice system.  

How do you celebrate your culture today? 

Like most Latino families, my family celebrates Easter and Christmas. But in Latin America there is no bunny in Easter and Santa Claus is not the primary figure of Christmas – those are the three kings or “Los Reyes Magos,” who are celebrated on January 6. We also celebrate Cinco de Mayo, which commemorates Mexico’s defeat of the French in 1862, and Mexico’s independence from Spain in September. That’s what really validated the Mexican people, when they could have their own government and were no longer being taxed by the Spanish crown. We go to parades and block parties and make authentic food such as Menudo, a spicy pork soup.   

Can you introduce us to a Hispanic/Latino artist or musician you enjoy?  

When I was younger and living in Mexico City, I listened to Café Tacuba, a Spanish alternative rock and Latin hip-hop band that became popular in the early 1990s. After they appeared on MTV Unplugged, they became more popular in the U.S. They’re mostly influenced by folk music traditions, and they tell stories about Mexico City’s neighborhoods and its people, known as Chilangos.

Ideas for celebrating Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month 

Construction at the Northtown Transit Center is scheduled to begin on Monday, Sept. 20, shifting operations as efforts to reconfigure the site are underway.   

During construction, all customers will use a temporary stop just north of the existing transit center, on the west side of the ring road around Northtown Mall. Operators have received information about changes to their routing and layover location.   

The change effects routes 10, 25, 805, 824, 831 and 852. Around 300 people board at the Northtown Transit Center every day.  

During construction, contractors will remove a passenger area on the east side of the ring road used by local bus customers.   

New shelters, benches, real-time signs, and improved lighting will be added to an area south of the ring road this fall. When construction is complete in mid-December, all customers will use this area.   

Transit Information ambassadors will be on site next week to help direct customers during this transition period.  

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has completed construction on I-35W, leaving the opening of the METRO Orange Line as the next major milestone in the corridor.  

Andrew Hostetler, Engineer, Green Line Extension. Andrew is an Iowa State University graduate who previously worked for MiTek, providing technical engineering support and managing a research and development lab. Andrew lives in Eagan with his wife Amy and dog Grizz. His hobbies include guitar and watching football. 

Hollie Clancy, Bus Technology Systems Specialist. Hollie previously worked in the City of Orlando’s Traffic Management Center and for Seminole County, Florida, where she focused on traffic signals and timings. Hollie is a mom of two cats and a Star Wars fanatic. 

Stephen Smith, Senior Project Coordinator, Support Facilities. Stephen previously worked at HNTB and was involved with work on the METRO Gold Line. In his new role, he will work on the Minneapolis Bus Garage and lead an HVAC replacement and upgrade program. Outside of work, Stephen spends as much time as possible with his wife and two daughters, enjoys swimming, walking his dog (Milo), gardening and spending time with friends and family. 

Josiah Magnusson, Electro Mechanic Technician. Josiah spent 8 years with the U.S. Air Force where he worked on aerospace equipment. Outside of work, he likes to trade stocks in Crypto, play the piano, and explore different parts of the Twin Cities.

Managers and supervisors who have been assigned to attend the Council’s Leadership Forum are reminded to register by September 30. This year, the Leadership Forum will focus on how Council leaders can support racial equity.  

Ridership continues to climb: Ridership rose for the fifth consecutive month in August, to just over 98,400 average weekday rides. In January, average weekday ridership was around 81,000 rides. More than 20.1 million rides have been provided through the end of August. The total is down about 24% compared to the same period last year, which included almost three months of pre-pandemic ridership.  

Aerosol certification training in October: Operators who need to be recertified to carry an approved aerosol device while on duty should see their coordinator to sign up for a training class in October. To remain eligible to carry an aerosol device, operators must recertify every two years.  

Rider surveys underway: Through October 31, contractors hired by the Metropolitan Council will be surveying customers on routes 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 18, 19, 21 and both BRT and LRT lines. Surveyors will wear a blue safety vest and a badge indicating they are conducting transit research. When a surveyor boards, please press the “C” key to record their ride and allow them to board without a fare.   

Advancing Women in Transit: All employees are invited to join Advancing Women in Transit (AWT) on Monday, Sept. 20, as the group prepares for the year ahead and new AWT leadership. The virtual meeting will begin at noon. For more information, email Jennifer Kochaver.