From Celina Martina, Senior Manager, Equity & Inclusion
I’ve had a lot of encouraging conversations since I joined Metro Transit in July.
Clearly, many of us have a good grasp of what equity means and a sincere desire to address the troubling disparities we see in our region. Discussions we’re having about race, gender and abilities are also making us a more inclusive service provider and employer.
With an understanding and an interest, we are now being called to evolve into an organization where equity is not just a concept we know and support but a building block of all the work we’re doing to reach the goals identified in our Strategic Plan.
Indeed, equity is seen as so central to our work that it is called out as one of the Strategic Plan’s Core Elements, alongside innovation, stewardship, and engagement.
To help us on our path, the Equity & Inclusion Team will spend the next several weeks asking employees what they believe transit equity should mean to Metro Transit. These conversations will result in a new definition of transit equity that will be presented later this year.
You may be asking yourself why we’re asking for help defining transit equity or why, after many years of talking about equity, Metro Transit doesn’t already have such a definition in place.
The answer to both questions is that, while we’ve taken the time to learn what equity is, we have a less complete understanding of how to embed it in our work. In many ways, we are still coming to terms with what we’re trying to address, how we can best address it, and how to know if what we’re doing is having its intended effect.
Our new definition will help clarify our role and create the path on which we’ll walk in the coming years.
To be clear, there are many good examples of equity shaping our work to be proud of
The Better Bus Stops program is perhaps one of the clearest and best examples we have. Over the past several years, and with community input and support, we have deliberately funded shelter improvements in areas of concentrated poverty that hadn’t seen as much past investment.
Today, because of that ongoing work, race and income do not determine whether you’ll have access to a bus stop with a shelter.
Equity is also informing our service changes, plans to expand our Bus Rapid Transit network, hiring practices and workforce development initiatives.
The efforts we’re making are chipping away at the inequities we see in our region and in our workplace.
But they are also a reminder of the many steps that will need to be taken on our long, shared path to dismantling the systems that made this work necessary in the first place.
Having a shared definition for transit equity – one that can and should evolve as time passes – as well as clear goals and strategies is incredibly important to sustaining this work over time.
Thank you for participating in this important conversation and the important work that lies ahead.
Join the conversation
Members of the Equity & Inclusion Unit and Equity & Inclusion Team are looking for feedback from all employees to develop a shared definition of transit equity before the end of the year. Click the links below to add these upcoming one-hour virtual open houses to your Outlook calendar, and join the conversation at any time. \
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When Operator Melanie Benson pulled up to the bus stop on Lagoon Avenue Monday morning, as she’s done hundreds of times over the years, a few familiar faces were there to greet her.
There was also a plaque to be presented, commemorating Benson’s 45 years of service at Metro Transit – many of them on Route 23, where she’s on a first-name basis with many regular riders.
Benson’s career began on Oct. 11, 1976, soon after graduating from Macalester College and having an “epiphany” while waiting for a bus.
“It’s happy and jolly and wonderful,” Benson said after a round of hugs with managers from Nicollet Garage, where she works. “I love this job and I’ve appreciated everyone I’ve met. It means everything."
Benson is Metro Transit’s longest-serving bus operator, and the agency’s seventh-longest serving active employee. Each milestone has brought a bit of celebration. On Monday, her bus was decorated with balloons and posters. Several customers who have ridden with Benson over the years, tagged along to wish her well.
That joyful energy, Benson, said, is why she’s not giving much thought to life after Metro Transit.
“We don’t use the 'r word’ around me,” Benson said. “As long as I’m enjoying myself, I’m staying on the job. And I’m certainly enjoying myself.”
Star Tribune: After 45 years, Metro Transit's longest-tenured driver still loves her job
Operator appreciation: Bus Transportation is inviting all employees to participate in upcoming operator appreciation events at busy boarding locations. Review the dates and times and contact Kim Fleming for more information.
After decades of visioning and community input, the I-35W & Lake Street Station will open to the public on Monday, Oct. 18.
The two-level station, in the center of I-35W, will be served by several local and express routes and, starting Saturday, Dec. 4, by the METRO Orange Line.
The station includes heated and enclosed waiting areas, real-time signs, and elevators that, for the first time, make the freeway level stops accessible to all users. Previously, customers had to use a crumbling set of stairs and waited on the side of the interstate to board buses at the freeway level.
“I've been working on this project as a community member since the mid 1990s,” Metropolitan Council Member Robert Lilligren said. “Now we have this beautiful station and a place that makes you want to get on and off the bus. And, it’s a thrill to say, ‘Welcome to the I-35W & Lake Street Station.'"
The indoor spaces at the station will be open from 5 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. on weekdays. These spaces will be open on weekends when the Orange Line opens.
The station’s opening will be celebrated on Monday morning by representatives from the Metropolitan Council, Minnesota Department of Transportation and City of Minneapolis.
METRO B Line plan approved
As the finishing touches were being put on the I-35W & Lake Street Station, plans for a new Bus Rapid Transit line on Lake Street were also approved by the Metropolitan Council.
The Council on Wednesday approved plans to build 33 new BRT stations on the METRO B Line, which will substantially replace Route 21 and operate on Lake Street and Marshall and Selby avenues. The B Line will serve the I-35W & Lake Street Station.
Construction on the B Line is scheduled to begin in 2023, and the line is scheduled to open in 2024.
Study: BRT expands access to health care, grocery stores, schools
A new report by researchers at the University of Minnesota demonstrates how future BRT investments will expand access and reduce travel times to health care, grocery stores and high schools. Learn more about the study at cts.umn.edu.
John Rubesch, a 20-year operator who worked at the South Garage, passed away on Saturday, Oct. 9.
Born in St. Paul, Rubesch was remembered as a friendly and hard worker who was always willing to take on extra work and hoped to someday retire from Metro Transit. Outside of work, Rubesch enjoyed carpentry and riding his motorcycle.
“He was really a great human being and always looked after his follow union men and women,” South Operator Hussein “King” Mohamed said.
Mohamed started the same month as Rubesch, and the two became fast friends. Over the years, Rubesch helped Mohamed with several home improvement projects, and got to know his entire family.
Rubesch is survived by his fiancé, stepdaughter, two brothers, and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial services will be announced at a later date. Memories can be shared online here.
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Years of service: 8
Lives: Richfield
Garage: South
Family: Wife and three kids
While working as a high school principal in Togo, Komi Afoutou won the visa lottery. So, the recently married 32-year-old and his wife packed their bags. When they immigrated to the United States, however, it was in 2008 during the depths of the Great Recession.
“We wanted to seek something better, the American Dream,” Afoutou said. “We had to move five times in one year, trying to find opportunity.”
In New York, Afoutou sought a Commercial Drivers License so he could get a job as school bus driver.
When he returned to Minnesota, he worked at Team Transit and Metro Mobility. In 2021, he asked a bus operator friend about Metro Transit.
“He told me there was room to advance here and how impressed he was with the system,” Afoutou said. “A year later, I was working at Metro Transit as a bus operator.”
In 2018, he found his chance to not only advance, but return to his life’s passion as an instructor. “I knew I wanted to get back into what I love: education,” he said.
As an instructor, Afoutou helps new bus operators learn the job and helps long-time operators freshen up their skills. He finds that teaching operators is like his previous job, but it presents new challenges.
“Adult education requires a very different approach than teaching teenagers,” he said. “You work with people from all ages, backgrounds, and experiences, sometimes greater than your own.”
Throughout his journey from Togo to transit, one guiding principle that helped him achieve the American Dream. “Be humble and help people whenever you get the opportunity,” Afoutou said.
Today, he owns a home and is raising a family. He also built a home for his mother back in Togo and supports his family any way he can.
Apply to become a relief instructor
Relief instructor applications will be accepted from Tuesday, Oct. 12, through Friday, Oct. 22. An informational session was held this week, and can be viewed here. Review the job posting here.
Employees are encouraged to get involved in several Employee Resource Groups, including serving in leadership positions.
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Advancing Women in Transit (AWT) is seeking nominations for chair, vice chair, coordinator, and special events coordinator. To submit a nomination, complete this online form by Monday, Nov. 1.
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The Pride ERG is seeking nominations for chair, vice chair and coordinator. To submit a nomination, complete this online form by Monday, Nov. 1.
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ERGs for employees who identify as having a disability or as Black Indigenous or People of Color (BIPOC) are being organized.
What is an Employee Resource Group (ERG?)
An ERG is a Council-supported group of employees who share a common characteristic or interest, or allies of that group. Members are a resource to one another and the organization. AWT and the Pride ERG as the organization's first Employee Resource Groups, or ERGs.
Employees can spend up to two paid hours a month participating in activities related to Council-recognized ERGs, such as attending monthly meetings. Employees who would like to participate in an ERG should speak with their manager or supervisor.
AWT Presents: Culture Change
AWT will host an interactive workshop from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 18, about misogyny in transit and how women can influence culture change and support one another. The session will be led by Charlotte DiBartolomeo, of the Red Kite Project. Employees can attend in person, at the Metro Transit Police & Office Facility, or via Teams. For more information and an invitation to the event, contact Jennifer Kochaver.
To improve reliability and offer train operators better schedules, light rail trips will operate every 12 minutes during the day starting Saturday, Oct. 23. Trains operate every 10 minutes under the current schedule.
The schedule is being changed to address an operator shortage, and will also result in fewer split shifts.
There are more than 100 train operators, with several more in training, but retirements and transfers have made it harder to fill trips when an operator is unexpectedly absent. When an operator is unavailable, light rail trips sometimes run less frequently than scheduled.
Starting October 23, Green Line and Blue Line trains will operate every 12 minutes between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Trains run less frequently in the evening and early morning.
Bus operators who are interested in transferring to light rail are invited to apply to become a train operator through Friday, Oct. 22. Operators who pass agility testing and an interview will go on an eligibility list according to seniority. Individuals on the eligibility list will be trained as positions open.
An ongoing bus operator shortage is also leading to unplanned trip cancellations. Improving the reliability of bus service will be taken into consideration when quarterly service adjustments take effect on Saturday, Dec. 4.
The Council’s annual Charitable Giving Campaign will run from October 22 through November 5. During the campaign, employees are encouraged to sign up to have a portion of each paycheck directed to an eligible charity of their choice.
To learn more about charities that can benefit from the campaign, attend a virtual campaign kickoff event on Monday, Oct. 25, from 11 a.m. to noon.
Several other events will be held throughout the campaign, including:
To learn more and make an online pledge visit the Charitable Giving MetNet page. For more information about Metro Transit’s fundraising events, contact Julie Obedoza.
Heywood Operator Anthony David recently received a commendation from a customer for how they handled a difficult situation.
The bus was nearly full with a handful of difficult passengers. The driver was extremely calm, patient, and respectful in lowering the level of agitation. Conditions that could have become volatile didn’t because of the driver’s demeanor. I would like him and Metro Transit to know that his efforts didn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated.
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Transit Oriented Development Director Lucy Ferguson Galbraith spent the past seven years building Metro Transit’s TOD Office from the ground up. Now, she’s ready for the next chapter.
This month, Galbraith will retire and return to Houston, Texas, where she plans to work on TOD and related causes.
“I’d been living a life where I got on a plane every month or so to go to a conference or to see one of my kids on the coasts,” she said. “COVID meant I didn’t go anywhere. I thought about what really matters – people – and Houston makes the most sense for me.”
Galbraith’s first post-retirement plan is attending her 50th class reunion at Rice University. After that, she hopes to get involved in her alumni association, take classes and resume hobbies like matting and framing.
"Maybe I’ll do a little consulting to stay in the game.This has been my career and my passion – making cities better,’’ she said.
Career highlights during her time in Minneapolis include putting together the ground lease for Allianz Field, implementing the Development Trends on Transit studies and instituting the Residential Pass program.
Galbraith wanted it known the accomplishments she takes pride in were all the result of collaboration. “Looking back, I’m happiest that I got to work with so many good people in so many settings, including here in Metro Transit, across the Met Council, with cities and counties across the region and nationally,’’ she said.
Galbraith will practice what she preaches when she settles into a townhome near the Texas Medical Center. “I’m going to be on a bus line that connects to light rail, and I can walk through the biggest park in Houston to Rice University,’’ she said.
If you need support from the TOD Office moving forward, please contact Michael Krantz.
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Ridership reached its highest point since the start of the pandemic in September, topping 123,000 average weekday rides.
The increase of about 25% from August’s average weekday ridership was largely driven by the resumption of in-person classes at area high schools and colleges. All regular adult fares were also reduced to $1, along with other fare promotions.
Compared to last September, total monthly rides last month increased by about two-thirds on light rail, about one-third on bus routes and more than doubled on Northstar.
Through the end of September, nearly 23.5 million rides have been provided. Ridership has increased each of the past six months but remains about half of what it was before the pandemic began.
Weekly COVID-19 testing requirement in effect: In order to report for on-site work, employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or get weekly COVID-19 tests and test negative. Employees who need to test each week must complete their test by 11:59 p.m. each Thursday. Read the latest all-staff COVID-19 email for more details on the testing process or how to provide proof of vaccination, and review Metro Transit's weekly testing job aid for additional information.
Watch the latest Manager's Meeting: All employees are invited to watch the latest monthly Manager's Meeting, where updates on the Strategic Plan and other information is presented. This month's meeting includes presentations on employee appreciation, service changes and the Better Bus Stops program. Watch here. For more information on these meetings, please contact Rachel Dungca or Drew Kerr.
Priority parking access to be reintroduced at the Metro Transit Campus: Access to employee parking areas at the Metro Transit Campus will be reserved for employees whose positions have priority parking access on November 1.Employees who can access employee parking areas generally include those whose positions are directly connected to service delivery, including operators and technicians. Employees whose positions do not have access to priority parking are encouraged to use transit, bike, walk or use off-campus parking. Free parking spaces have been reserved for use by all Metro Transit staff near the Minneapolis Farmer's Market, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays (map). To access employee parking areas, use your employee badge. To request a replacement badge, please contact transit-badge@metrotransit.org.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month: In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, employees are invited to attend two online events featuring stories from breast cancer survivors. The events are sponsored by Fit For Life and presented by representatives from the African American Breast Cancer Alliance. The events will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 15, and 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 26. For more information and an invitation to either of these events, email FitForLife@metc.state.mn.us.
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