From General Manager Wes Kooistra
Saturday's opening of the METRO Orange Line marks another important step forward in our effort to become a stronger, better service provider.
This new Bus Rapid Transit line will provide all-day, reliable service along one of our region’s busiest roadways, I-35W, expanding access to jobs, housing, education, services, shopping and much more.
Importantly, the Orange Line doesn’t just get people to and from downtown Minneapolis but serves several growing communities that are focusing development and other improvements around station areas.
I want to thank everyone who has helped bring us to this day and who will make this new service a success. We should be proud of what we’ve accomplished and excited about what the Orange Line will do for our customers and the communities we serve.
As usual, this has been a true team effort.
Our BRT Projects Office has led the charge, championing the project from the earliest phases of its design to today. Our Engineering & Facilities Department has carefully guided construction activities, including the complex tasks of building a transitway beneath I-494 and a new two-level station at I-35W & Lake Street.
Service Development created plans to improve and add bus routes throughout the Orange Line corridor so people can reach employment centers and other destinations. Bus Maintenance has readied a fleet of new 60-foot BRT buses. The Metro Transit Police Department has prepared to keep stations and buses safe and secure.
Revenue Operations procured and installed first-of-its-kind ticket vending machines for each new station. Marketing, Outreach and Transit Information have all had a hand in building the understanding of and excitement for this new service.
And, in recent months, transit supervisors, instructors and operators have learned and perfected the route so we can confidently welcome our first customers on board.
We’ve also had support from many partners, including the Minnesota Department of Transportation, corridor cities, Hennepin County, the Metropolitan Council, and the Federal Transit Administration.
This wide net is representative of what transit, at its best, is all about – connecting people to opportunity. Thank you for working together and with so many others to make this happen.
While this is a moment to celebrate, it is also a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come and where we’re going to go from here.
With the Orange Line’s opening, our METRO network now includes four BRT lines and two light rail lines, each providing the all-day service and high-quality stations our customers need and deserve.
And work to open at least eight more BRT lines and extend our light rail lines is well underway. Each of these new lines will strengthen and support our transit network, expand access to opportunity and make our region more sustainable, equitable and enjoyable.
So again, thank you for all you’ve done to make the Orange Line a reality. And thank you for persisting in bringing us closer to our vision for a stronger, better transit system.
Celebrate and support the Orange Line's opening
- Outdoor, opening day festivities will be held at the I-35W & Lake Street and Burnsville Heart of the City stations from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. All are welcome.
- Fares will not be charged on the Orange Line from December 4 through December 6.
- As a reminder, service changes, including improvements to several routes that connect to the Orange Line, will also take effect on Saturday.
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 Crews put the finishing touches on the METRO Orange Line's 98th Street & I-35W Station. Each new station features real-time signs, heat and light, ticket vending machines, security cameras and emergency call buttons.
Public health officials are stressing the importance of vaccinations and booster shots amid high case counts and the emergency of a new COVID-19 variant.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said this week that all vaccinated adults should get a booster. If you are seeking a vaccination or booster shot:
Return to office
While the vast majority of Metro Transit employees are currently working on site, employees who do not have telework agreements already in place should plan to continue primarily working from home through at least January 31. Teleworking employees may continue to come into the office as needed to complete business tasks. As a reminder:
- Masks must be worn in all common spaces, or whenever social distancing is not possible.
- Do not come to work if you are ill.
- Employees who plan to spend at least 10 minutes on site must have a COVID-19 vaccination verified by the Council or have submitted a COVID-19 test within the last week.
Return to office questions should be directed to managers or supervisors.
Continue reading
MDH information about booster shots
MDH advice on speaking with people considering vaccination
View the latest COVID-19 case data by worksite
Find more information on MetNet
 New mask holders have been installed fleetwide so customers can take individually wrapped masks as needed. Thank you to the Bus Maintenance team for testing and procuring the holders, and to all the employees who helped package more than 90,000 masks for distribution over the past few months. Operators are encouraged to take extra masks from the dispatch area before heading out on their route.
Two Employee Resource Groups are welcoming new leadership. The leaders will all serve two-years terms.
Ruby Daniels, an assistant transportation manager at Nicollet Garage, will serve as the chair for Advancing Women in Transit (AWT). Ruby began as a bus operator in 2010, and has also served as a transit supervisor and train operator.
As chair, she hopes to continue promoting connectedness among female-identifying employees and to facilitate “driving forward thinking,” a process that develops skills and instills confidence and encourages women to seek advancement.
Other position holders are:
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Vice-chair: Emily Bollensen, Bus Maintenance supervisor, Ruter
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Coordinator: Connie Mogielski-Isler, safety specialist, South
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Special Events Coordinator: Amanda Walker, assistant transportation manager, Nicollet
AWT provides a venue to discuss issues concerning female-identifying employees. The group hosts monthly discussions, guest speakers and other events. A complementary group, ConnectHER, hosts similarly themed meetings at alternate times to allow for additional participation.
Office holders for the Pride ERG, a group for LGBTQ+ staff and allies are:
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Chair: Nia Colebrooke, business systems analyst, Information Services
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Vice-chair: Ricki Vang, benefits administrator
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Coordinator: Marissa Higgins, operator, Heywood Garage
ERGs for employees who identify as having a disability or as Black Indigenous or People of Color (BIPOC) are being organized. All ERGs are open to any employee, regardless of how they identify.
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The first of a new generation of digital displays that will be installed at light rail stations over the coming years arrived this week at the METRO Blue Line’s Terminal 2-Humphrey Station. The 46-inch LCD displays show predicted departure times, and can show Rider Alerts and station closures when needed.
LED displays installed when the Blue Line opened will be gradually replaced over the coming years. That equipment is being phased out to improve reliability and because replacement parts are becoming harder to find. With existing equipment, if one sign malfunctions others are affected.
Similar signs were installed at Orange Line stations and will be used at stations on the Green Line Extension. There are no current plans to replace newer displays at Green Line stations.
Local writer Marcie Rendon will share some of her work and discuss Native issues during a Lunch & Learn at noon today (Friday, Dec. 3).
The event is being hosted by the Council's equity change teams in recognition of Native American Heritage Month.
Rendon is an enrolled member of the White Earth Nation, author, playwright, poet, and freelance writer.
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As Michael Schmidt approaches his 8-year work anniversary, he remembers what he did to start his career at Metro Transit. “It took ten years of applying before I finally made it,” Schmidt said.
During that decade, he discovered that what was disqualifying him was that he hadn’t completed his high school diploma. While working two jobs and raising his family, he earned his diploma and re-applied. He became a bus operator in 2013.
“I was so excited to come here when I was accepted,” he said.
Two years later, Schmidt became one of the first operators to be assigned to the METRO A Line. “I enjoy not having to worry about the farebox. It allows me to focus on driving and helping people,” he said. “Helping people is a reason why I became an instructor.”
Today, he’s teaching operators how to provide service on another BRT service, the METRO Orange Line. He’s thankful for the opportunity to work at transit, with good pay and benefits that have helped him purchase his first home and support his family.
“It’s a great place to start a career, you just have to put in the time,” Schmidt said.
We're hiring!
Service changes taking effect on Saturday will reduce the number of operators needed to provide scheduled service. As of this week, there are 1,132 bus operators, close to the ideal staffing level. But hiring efforts continue. One-day hiring events will return in 2022. In the meantime, employees are encouraged to direct interested applicants to metrotransit.org/drive. Employees who refer successful candidates will receive a $600 bonus.
Apply to become a train operator
Full-time bus operators with at least six months of experience are invited to apply to become a train operator through Wednesday, Dec. 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.
Watch: What it’s like to serve as a Metro Transit train operator
View the job posting and apply
Principal Engineer Carrie Desmond listed among transit’s ‘40 under 40’
Principal Engineer Carrie Desmond is among those included in Mass Transit magazine’s latest 40 Under 40 list.
Desmond joined Metro Transit in 2018, guiding recent improvements to the Heywood Garage, leading design work for the Minneapolis Bus Garage and playing a lead role in the transition to electric buses.
Desmond also serves as membership director for WTS Minnesota, is active in Advancing Women in Transit (AWT) and is a graduate of APTA’s Emerging Leaders Program.
A graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Desmond grew up in a car-free household in Chicago regularly riding transit. She now lives in Minneapolis.
“My favorite thing about working in this industry is being able to go around a community and see projects I played a role in delivering,” Desmond said.
Learn more about the Zero Emission Bus Transition Plan
Staff are invited to learn more about the Zero Emission Bus Transition Plan at pop-up events that will be held next week at each garage. Staff and/or consultants working on the plan will be available according to the following schedule:
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Monday, Dec. 6: 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Heywood; 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Nicollet
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Wednesday, Dec. 8: 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Ruter; 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., South
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Friday, Dec. 10: 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., East Metro
Read more about the Zero Emission Bus Transition Plan in the November 5 Insights
- Ruter operators Mike Pieri, above left, center, and Kham Moua, above right, center, who were recently presented with their Superior Master and Prestige Master operator awards, respectively. Superior Master operators have achieved Outstanding Operator status 15 times and Prestige Master operators have done so 10 times.
- Operators at Ruter Garage, who recently went nine consecutive days without a responsible collision, and seven consecutive days without a responsible collision soon after.
- Employees who have shared information about the Transit Assistance Program (TAP) at tabling events over the last year. Increased staff participation allowed more locations to be covered than any previous year, and led to more than 300 enrollments. Special thanks to Jamie Holt, mechanic technician, and Tenille Warren, TDM consultant, who worked an impressive number of shifts.
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Staff at Nicollet Garage, who donated more than 100 pounds of food to the Simpson Food Pantry in Minneapolis this week.
To extend recognition to a staff member or team, email insights@metrotransit.org.
Awarding Accomplishment
The Awarding Accomplishment program is returning in 2022. All managers and supervisors are invited to nominate frontline employees who, through their actions, have shown a strong commitment to Metro Transit’s Guiding Principles. Employees who are chosen for recognition will:
- Be recognized by the Metropolitan Council’s Transportation Committee
- Receive an Awarding Accomplishment certificate
- Be featured in the Insights newsletter
- Be recognized at the Council’s annual Employee Recognition event
The next recognition will occur at the Monday, Jan. 24, meeting of the Transportation Committee. To be considered for recognition at that meeting, nominations must be submitted by Monday, Jan. 10.
Potter trial: Jury selection began this week in the trial of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter. The trial is being held at the Hennepin County Courthouse (Government Center) in downtown Minneapolis.
- The trial is expected to begin on Wednesday, Dec. 8, and last for about two weeks.
- No road closures, detours or light rail service changes are planned at this time.
- As a reminder, the Council’s Employee Assistance Provider, Sand Creek, can connect staff with counselors trained in race-related stress and traumatic stress. For more information, call 1-888-243-5744 or visit sandcreekeap.com.
Wellness grants: Employees are invited to apply for mini-grants that support wellness, diversity, equity, and inclusion through the end of the year. Up to $3,000 per application is available through the grant program, sponsored by the Council’s wellness program, Fit For Life. Examples include fitness equipment, creating a worksite garden or hosting a guest speaker. Applications must be supported by a Fit For Life Wellness Champion or an applicant’s manager. Awards will be announced by next spring. Download and complete the application here. For more information, contact Joy Ahern.
Equity & Inclusion: The Equity & Inclusion Team is seeking feedback on a draft transit equity statement and key definitions. Review and offer feedback here. For more information, contact Equity & Inclusion Senior Manager Celina Martina.
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