From General Manager Wes Kooistra
During this time of recognition, it is such a great privilege to recount your many accomplishments.
It is fair to assume that we all feel the pandemic has gone on far too long, and I want to especially call out the work and dedication of our essential on-site employees who have interfaced with the public throughout this time.
There are so many reasons to look forward with a commitment to emerge from the pandemic as a stronger, better transit service provider.
Our ridership is increasing. Today we are providing around 123,000 average weekday rides -- more than at any time since the start of the pandemic.
On December 4, we will celebrate the opening of the METRO Orange Line. Civil construction on the Green Line Extension is now 60% complete, and we are on the path to identifying the Blue Line Extension realignment. The METRO D Line is scheduled to open at the end of next year, and both the B and E lines are now fully funded.
Our optimism is anchored in the character of our employees who overcome obstacles every day to serve our riders. Across Metro Transit, our challenges have been met with resilience, innovation, and an impressive commitment to service.
There is no day off, and each day I am so thankful for all of you and your accomplishments.
You distributed more than one million masks, changed air filtration systems in our vehicles and facilities, applied new disinfecting protocols for our buses and trains, and installed hundreds of operator barriers.
You adjusted our schedules under unreasonably short notice and promptly and effectively communicated these changes with our customers and stakeholders. You executed a fare discount.
You outfitted a fleet of vaccination buses that traveled across Minnesota so healthcare providers could serve hard-to-reach populations. You looked beyond our own daily challenges to the benefit of the entire state.
New vaccination requirements are being applied in our complex work environment of more 3,000 essential workers. Plastic seats have been installed in all our light rail vehicles. Under incredibly short notice, you expanded our Student Pass program to
respond to schools needing our help.
Our police established a Real Time Information Center to take full advantage of real-time cameras installed in our trains and at our stations. The groundwork has been laid to expand this technology to our bus fleet.
Tremendous progress has been made on the new Minneapolis Bus Garage that is scheduled to open late next year. Improvements were made to the Heywood Garage and our Operations & Maintenance Facility on Franklin Avenue.
These are team efforts. Bus and rail operations, project offices, Service Development, Engineering and Facilities, Communications, Administration, Equity and Inclusion, Marketing and Transit Information, Strategic Initiatives, Finance, the Safety Department, the Metro Transit Police Department and more – we all work together to bring a ride to a customer.
Thank you! Through your efforts, you have given us reason to celebrate. Your resilience drives our optimism. I admire and your great work and salute your remarkable accomplishments.
Employee Recognition Event is November 15
All Council employees are invited to the 2021 employee recognition event on Monday, Nov. 15, at 9 a.m. The annual event will be presented online. If you have not received an invite or would like to learn more, please email Paula Crane. In-person events will be held at garages throughout the week next week, and other appreciation events will be held later this year.
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Minnesota's number of newly reported COVID-19 cases is at its highest level since December 2020, prompting public health officials to stress the importance of taking preventative measures. At Metro Transit, 23 cases have been reported over the past two weeks.
All of us can help slow the spread. As reminders:
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Stay away from work if you don't feel well, and get tested if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. To schedule a test, visit healthpartners.com and use employer code 10397. Appointments are readily available, including at the Well@Work clinic, where any asymptomatic employee can be tested.
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If you're inside a support facility and you're around other people, you should be wearing a mask. It's really that simple.
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Vaccines are safe, effective and available. Whether it's your first shot or your third, public health officials say vaccines provide a level of protection unlike any other defense against COVID-19. Free Pfizer vaccines and boosters are available at Well@Work clinics on Mondays and Thursdays.
Remember: Employees who have their proof of COVID-19 vaccine verified by Friday, Nov. 26, will receive $150 on their December 10 paycheck.
View the latest COVID-19 case data by worksite
COVID-19 testing recommendations from the MN Dept. of Health
Read the latest COVID-19 update for employees
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The METRO Orange Line opens on Saturday, Dec. 4, bringing all-day, station-to-station service to the I-35W corridor between Burnsville and downtown Minneapolis. A key improvement, the I-35W & Lake Street Station, above, is already being served by local and express routes. Route training for the Orange Line and other finishing touches are underway.
Eligible employees will be invited to serve as ambassadors on opening day. Look for more information next week and contact Pam Steffen if you have any questions. Celebrations will be held on opening day at the I-35W & Lake Street Station and at Nicollet Commons Park, near the Burnsville Heart of the City Station.
Frontline FAQ
Operators at South Garage recently asked why a restroom wasn't incorporated into the new station at the south end of the Orange Line. The question is addressed in a new, recurring feature Frontline FAQ, and can be read in the print version of this week's newsletter.
Construction continues at the new Minneapolis Bus Garage, north of Heywood Garage. Clockwise from top left: Staff inspect areas where hoists will be installed inside the garage; the west façade of the garage, where a driveway to the garage is being built; the view from the new operator’s breakroom, facing downtown Minneapolis; and the employee parking area.
The new garage is expected to open in 2023 and will have 24 maintenance bays, room to store more than 200 buses, electric bus charging equipment, a new driver's lounge and other amenities.
Priority parking in effect at the Metro Transit Campus
As a reminder, priority parking access is now in effect at the Metro Transit Campus. 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.
View the Priority Parking List
View a map of the Metro Transit Campus
Learn more about parking at the Metro Transit Campus
Andrés Guzman has been boarding the Blue Line at the Lake Street/Midtown Station for more than a decade, never really paying much attention to the utility building that sits beneath it.
Now, after more than a month of Guzman’s careful spray-painting, it’s hard to miss.
This fall, Guzman was asked to use the utility box as a foundation for a new mural. Each side is now decorated with a different plant – bee balm, coneflower, common milkweed and mullein, often found alongside roads and known for its healing properties.
“I wanted to do something that was universal and that could be appreciated by different cultures and for different reasons,” Guzman said as he put the finishing touches on the mural.
“All these projects are about giving unexpected joy to customers and passerby while also giving artists a unique opportunity to share their work,” said Mark Granlund, Metro Transit's public arts administrator.
Metro Transit employees come from many cultures and backgrounds. To celebrate this diversity, employees who are proud to share their heritage and identity will be regularly featured on the Riders' Almanac blog. Read more stories here.
Tell us a little bit about your background.
I was born and grew up in western Ethiopia, in the province of Welega, as one of nine children. My parents ran a convenience store where I worked growing up. After high school, I did some military training. But in 2000, after my now wife and her parents moved from Ethiopia to Minnesota, I became the first person in my family to move to the U.S. Moving changed everything for me. I have three children, a job, a house…
How did you settle in Minnesota and come to work at Metro Transit?
My first job was in airport security. I drove semis for a year, then saw an ad in the paper saying Metro Transit was hiring. I started as a bus operator and it wasn’t long after that that I became a helper, which is what I’ve been doing ever since. I’ve now been here more than 18 years. When I started, I didn’t know anyone else from Ethiopia, but there are a few other drivers and technicians who I’ve since met from there.
How do you continue to celebrate your culture today?
I speak two languages, Oromo and Amharic, and I regularly travel to Ethiopia to see siblings and other family members. Every year, I also look forward to celebrating Irreecha, which is sort of like Ethiopia’s version of Thanksgiving. After a dark and rainy season, everyone comes together to share food, dance, and celebrate the harvest. In Minnesota, there’s a large gathering at Lake Nokomis that my family attends. There are so many holidays, but this is the one that stands out the most for me, because it’s a chance to celebrate and reflect on my culture.
The Oromo people are the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, and thousands have relocated to Minnesota amid an ongoing struggle for greater recognition by the Ethiopian government. Learn more about Oromo history at oromoculture.org.
Employees have several opportunities to get more involved or take the next steps in their careers.
Leadership Academy
Frontline employees who want to earn supervisory experience are encouraged to apply for the Leadership Academy. Applications will be accepted through November 15, and the next group of participants will begin in March 2022.
Employees who participate in the Leadership Academy spend six months working with mentors in full-time acting supervisory roles and take online and instructor-led classes. Graduates earn the equivalent of one year of supervisory experience that can be used to meet minimum qualifications for future job openings.
Available positions include assistant transportation manager, transit supervisor, transit control center supervisor, Transit Information Center supervisor and bus maintenance supervisor.
Bus Operator Mentorship Program
Full-time bus operators with at least three years of experience are invited to support new hires by joining the Operator Mentorship Program. Mentor applications will be accepted through Friday, Dec. 3, and will be reviewed by a panel of ATU members and management. Paper forms are available at each garage, or applications can be submitted online here.
Operators who are selected to serve as mentors are asked to meet regularly with mentees during their first year of service, ride with their mentees to observe and offer advice, and to attend meetings with fellow mentors and mentees and program organizers. All time spent mentoring will be paid at an operator’s regular wage.
Contact: Lee Estis
Equity & Inclusion Team
The Equity & Inclusion Team is seeking representatives from the Ruter, South, Heywood and Nicollet garages, light rail and the Metro Transit Police Department. Applications will be accepted online through Tuesday, Nov. 30. Interested employees can learn more by attending virtual open houses on Monday, Nov. 15 (11:30 a.m.), and Wednesday, Nov. 17 (6:30 p.m.).
Contact: Sarah Berres
Advancing Women in Transit
The Advancing Women in Transit (AWT) Employee Resource Group is seeking new leadership. Today, Friday, Nov. 11, is the last day to apply to serve as the group's chair, vice chair, coordinator or special events coordinator. Learn more and apply here, and watch a video featuring group members here.
Contact: Amina Wolf, Carri Sampson
Apply to become a train operator
Bus operators who are interested in transferring to light rail are invited to apply to become a train operator through Monday, Nov. 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.
Learn more and apply: metrocouncil.org/employment.
Transit Control Center Supervisor Mike Heuchert, right, Heywood Garage Coordinator Steve Wortman and Director of Administration Robin Caufman recently helped make a young man's dream come true, prompting this letter from a grateful community member.
My neighbor and friend, Eliot, began life in Guatemala and had as difficult a start as anyone can imagine. He is challenged every minute by an inability to relate to letters, numbers, distances, and pronunciations.
Like many people on the spectrum, Eliot is comforted by an obsession -- buses! Not a day goes by that he doesn’t talk about them, and he takes every chance he can to ride. I taught at the Met Council and designed the Planner’s Handbook, so I asked Robin Caufman if it would be possible to let Eliot sit in the driver’s seat of a bus. Instead, the amazing people at Metro Transit created what Eliot’s mother describes as the "peak experience of Eliot's lifetime.”
The person responsible for this is Mike Heuchert, who took the time to show Eliot and me the garage and the “nerve center” across the street. From the beginning, Mike treated this request with utmost sensitivity. When we talked, he asked if Eliot would want to hear about his own visit to Guatemala, and I explained that he has little memory of his early life. As Mike named one route number after another, I was shocked that he knew each by heart, but then he asked Eliot, “What’s your favorite route?” and established a camaraderie with him that was deeply moving. Mike understood.
Eliot got to sit in the driver’s seat, and Steve explained the controls. When we toured the “nerve center” across the street, Eli allowed Eliot to find our neighborhood on the screen. All along the way, Mike’s explanations were clear enough for Eliot and deep enough for me.
Metro Transit has a lifelong fan in Eliot, but now you also have an active advocate in me. I look forward to supporting the drivers, cleaners, planners, police, and support people who move us across this glorious city efficiently, safely, and with such care.
-- Tess Galati
45 years
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Melanie Benson, Operator-Nicollet
30 years
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Gregory Strombeck, Operator-South
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William Neuenfeldt, Coordinator-Material Management
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Mark Dawkins, Operator, East Metro
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Tyrone Lowe, Operator, Heywood
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Pamela Harris, Operator, South
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Shenghai Ly, Operator, East Metro
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Hussein Mohamed, Operator, South
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David Palm, Operator, East Metro
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Antonio Anorve, Operator, East Metro
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Xue Kong, Mechanic Technician, Heywood
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Gerald Snyder, Operator, East Metro
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Tsering Thongpatsang, Mechanic Technician, Heywood
Congratulations to these employees who retired in October
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Gregory Malo, Service Garage Supervisor, South, 5 years
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Gwendolyn DeGroff-Gunter, Juvenile Outreach Coordinator, 6 years
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Wayne Uden, Mechanic, Commuter Rail, 12 years
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Gregory Slaby, Electro Mechanical Technician, 13 years
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Darryl Hall, Service Garage Supervisor, Ruter, 17 years
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John MacQueen, Manager, Rail System Safety, 18 years
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Michael Maanum, Traction Power Supervisor, 18 years
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Matthew Walker, Senior Rail Transit Supervisor, 20 years
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Katherine Downs, Principal Financial Analyst, 20 years
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Matthew Longtin, Operator, East Metro, 21 years
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Kent Knutson, Operator, South, 28 years
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Michael Modahl, Mechanic Technician, 37 years
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Greg Vaughn, Mechanic Technician, 47 years
Charitable Giving Campaign: The annual Charitable Giving Campaign ends today, Friday, Nov. 12. During the campaign, you are encouraged to support eligible charities by making a one-time donation or enrolling in automatic payroll deductions that will go to the charity of your choice. To donate please visit this link. Answers to a few common questions were provided in a recent Insights.
Nursing parent survey: Employees who have had experience nursing are invited to participate in an online survey that will help continue efforts to make Metro Transit a more breastfeeding friendly workplace. The survey poses questions about resources and support needed to achieve a successful nursing experience while continuing to work. Frontline staff are also being sought to participate in upcoming focus groups on this subject. For more information, contact Sarah Berres.
Managers Meeting: Managers are invited to attend monthly meetings to hear updates on the Strategic Plan, budget and more. All employees are invited to watch these meetings. View the Wednesday, Nov. 10, meeting on Stream.
Zero Emission Bus Transition Plan: Employees are invited to learn more about the Zero Emission Bus Transition Plan by watching video from a recent online summit. A survey about the plan is also open through November 30. Find more information at metrotransit.org/electric-buses and read last week's Insights column introducing the planning effort.
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