From General Manager Wes Kooistra
How can Metro Transit become a great place to work? This is a critical question to ask ourselves, as together we face the many great changes and challenges ahead of us.
In September, we completed “Stronger, Better,” Metro Transit’s Strategic Plan for 2021-2022. The plan establishes our vision for emerging from the crises of 2020 as a stronger and better transit system.
Now that this plan is written, we are shifting our focus to how we are going to achieve this vision.
This week, Human Resources Director Marcy Syman and I kicked off the “Great Workplace Project” to support our Strategic Plan goal to make Metro Transit a great place to work and build a career. This goal underlies all others because our success in every area relies on the leadership, commitment, and hard work of our employees.
But to be a great place to work – or an even better place to work – we need to begin by understanding where we are now.
The last year and a half have demanded so much of people here, both in our work lives and in our personal lives. We have been affected by the additional stress and changes caused by the pandemic as well as by other tragic events, including the murder of George Floyd.
Even before these life-altering times, we knew that not everyone’s work experience at Metro Transit has been a positive one. And while the events of the past couple of years made some issues even more visible, we recognize that many of the tensions and needs we have in this organization are more deeply rooted and longer standing.
As we work towards our vision of being a great place to work, the first phase of the Great Workplace Project is assessing our organization’s culture. This means asking staff to tell us more about their experiences working here. This requires taking an honest look at our workplace behaviors, including how we treat each other and what we expect from each other.
The initial phase will begin with targeted interviews and focus groups and will grow to include feedback through the upcoming employee engagement survey of all employees. But listening is just the first step.
The next phases of the Great Workplace Project will take action to address gaps we uncover between our vision for creating a great workplace and the lived experiences of our current employees. We must respond to what we hear with purposeful actions, clear communication, and a genuine commitment to building a culture we all want to be a part of.
This will include making clear and visible strides towards valuing differences and building an organization that is inclusive and equitable. This also includes strengthening our fundamental focus on serving customers and community.
Ultimately, this work is about creating a culture that not only helps us reach our goals but allows all of us to take pride in the important work we’re doing. Above all, this work is about instilling trust and creating a workplace that is not only effective and high performing, but also caring, transparent, and accountable.
Thank you for being a part of this conversation and in the actions steps that will follow.
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A splash of red paint will help buses move a little easier through a busy downtown Minneapolis corridor.
Crews from the City of Minneapolis this month began marking the city’s newest bus lane by applying red paint to a nine-block stretch of Seventh Street, between Chicago and Hennepin avenues, where buses are frequently held up by traffic.
Several busy routes are now using the bus lane, including the 5, 14, 22 and METRO C Line. The METRO D line will use this bus lane when it opens next year.
This will be the third installment of bus lanes in the City of Minneapolis.
Bus lanes are in use on Hennepin Avenue, between the Uptown Transit Station and Franklin Avenue, during weekday peak periods, and on a small portion of southbound Chicago Avenue near the Chicago-Lake Transit Station. On Hennepin Avenue, travel times have been reduced by more than 15% since bus lanes went in.
“Bus lanes are a cost-effective and proven way to improve the transit experience,” said Michael Mechtenberg, manager of speed and reliability.
Plans to bring bus lanes to other congested corridors are in the works. Decisions about where to put bus lanes are being informed not just by the degree of delays but by the ability to improve service on routes where customers are more likely to be people of color or low-income.
Portions of Hennepin and Lyndale avenues, 6th Street, 8th Street, and Franklin Avenue are among the options being considered.
A new work group that will guide technology improvements at Metro Transit will be led by Jamison Swift, who has been promoted to a new role as Senior Manager-Business Technology.
Swift has served as the agency’s Transit Technology Coordination Manager since 2019 and was an Infrastructure Manager in the Council’s Information Services Department from 2015 to 2018.
In his new role, Swift will work with staff across the agency and with the Council to plan and manage technology investments.
Swift will also help build a new Business Technology Group within the Strategic Initiatives Department. The group will include two new Business Analyst positions that are expected to be posted later this year.
Together, the team will guide staff in all departments toward technology solutions that meet their business needs, identify opportunities for improvement, and help manage technology spending. On average, Metro Transit spends $25 million to $35 million a year on everything from major software systems to laptops to digital real-time information displays and on-board radio equipment.
While the new team will provide technology leadership, departments will continue to implement projects and get technical support through Information Services.
For more information, please contact Jamison Swift.
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Kristin Mason rejoins Engineering & Facilities
Kristin Mason has rejoined Metro Transit as a Project Coordinator in the Support Facilities group. Mason worked at Metro Transit from 2016 to 2018, and left to pursue her Master of Architecture at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga., where she recently graduated. Mason is working to obtain her architectural license and enjoys working on music and art in her free time. In her new role, she will be leading accessibility improvements and other projects at support facilities.
To share information about new hires, promotions and other employee milestones, please email insights@metrotransit.org.
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How did you come to transit and what do you do?
My interest in transit began as a kid growing up in Mahtomedi in the 1960s. My neighbors and older family members often told streetcar stories. I was curious about it, so I walked the abandoned line, farther and farther, to learn more about the Twin City Lines. I often found streetcar track artifacts along the way.
In the late 1970s, while studying at the University of Minnesota, I discovered the Como Streetcar Museum by Lake Harriet. So, I decided to give the transit business a whirl and applied to Metro Transit following graduation. Forty-three years later, I’m still here designing or re-designing bus routes.
What do you enjoy most about being On the Clock?
I enjoy uncovering the creativity of transit planning. When considering all the transit service options imaginable, we uncover creative options to serve our customers. It’s great to recommend ideas that our community will accept and use to get around the metro area.
What do you enjoy doing Off the Clock?
While not working, I enjoy playing music, walking my dogs, and sailing on Lake Harriet. And, of course, spending time at the streetcar museum. I’ve been running the operation there for decades. I still love operating our 1945 Model President’s Conference Committee (PCC) car, the kind of car that used to run along the line that was blocks from my childhood home during the streetcar’s heyday.
The Como-Harriet Streetcar’s final day of regular passenger operations is Sunday, Oct. 24. Learn more at trolleyride.org.
The Council’s annual Charitable Giving Campaign begins today and will continue 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 make a one-time donation or enroll in payroll deductions visit this link.
Several other events will be held throughout the campaign, including:
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A virtual campaign kickoff event on Monday, Oct. 25, from 11 a.m. to noon. Add the meeting to your calendar using this link.
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A silent auction (November 3-4). Auction items should be submitted to Julie Obedoza by Tuesday, Oct. 26.
What words best capture the future of Metro Transit? Answers to that question will help shape a mural that will be installed in the main stairwell at the Metro Transit Police & Office Facility later this year.
The mural’s dominant feature will be a word cloud reflecting the most commonly used words employees think will define the agency in 2040. All employees are invited to participate by completing an online survey.
In addition to commonly offered words or phrases, the mural will include images, some of which may also be provided by employees.
Community Outreach Coordinator Yumi Nagaoka had nothing but kind words for Nicollet Operator Abdikarim Jama after a recent trip on Route 21.
This was my first time back on an in-service bus or train since the pandemic started, but I have a pretty good idea of how much everything that’s happened over the last 19 months, including the operator shortage, has made an already difficult job even more challenging.
This operator is an excellent example of great driving. He is exactly what I hope all our bus drivers aspire to be. He pulls right to stops where customers want to get on and off and is very attentive to make sure he doesn’t miss anyone waiting. He is very friendly and kind to every customer. Extremely professional and respectful, too. A passenger was boarding the bus without a mask on, and the operator kindly reminded the customer of the mask policy by asking the customer if he needed a mask. The customer accepted, thanked the driver, put on his mask, and sat down. He reminded passengers to keep their mask above their nose without incident.
Lastly, he was very patient and helpful with a group of students and their three teacher chaperones. He showed no sign of concern that it was taking them a little bit of time to board the bus. He even cleared up some confusion that one of the chaperones experienced with a transfer. He reminded them again when they were alighting to make sure they have a seamless ride next time. What a fantastic operator! He has the best attitude and the skills to make Metro Transit really proud. Way to go!
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Zero Emission Bus Transition Plan: Stakeholders interested in the Zero Emissions Bus Transition Plan are invited to learn more by attending an upcoming virtual summit. Each summit will cover the same information. Please share these registration links with your networks:
Frontline staff will be invited to learn more about the Zero Emissions Bus Transition Plan at upcoming in-person outreach events. For more information, contact Sam O'Connell or Carrie Desmond.
Special events: Concertgoers and football fans will be reminded this week that no extra service will be provided after several upcoming events at U.S. Bank Stadium. Upcoming events that will let out late in the evening include Sunday's Rolling Stones concert, the Sunday, Oct. 31, Minnesota Vikings game (7:20 p.m. kickoff), and the Saturday, Nov. 13, George Strait concert. On Saturdays and Sundays, the last scheduled trips departing U.S. Bank Stadium are at approximately 11:30 p.m. Light rail frequency is also being reduced beginning Saturday, Oct. 23.
Equity and Inclusion Award: The Council’s employee recognition event is coming up on Nov. 15, and leadership is seeking nominations for the new Equity and Inclusion Award to recognize staff members who in the past 12 months proactively furthered the Met Council’s commitment to eliminate regional inequities through innovative initiatives. Read more in this week's HR Connect.
Open Enrollment begins November 1: The Metropolitan Council’s annual Open Enrollment period begins Monday, Nov 1. Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plan structures are the same for 2022, though costs for health plans are going up. Please review your coverage and choose or decline any FSA choices. For more information, including times and dates of upcoming information sessions, visit MetNet.
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