From Brian Funk, Chief Operating Officer
Over my 20 years at Metro Transit, I’ve been fortunate to hold different roles in bus and rail transportation. As a deputy and interim chief operating officer, I’ve also gotten to know more about our maintenance departments.
What I’ve learned from all these experiences is that the people directly responsible for our service have a lot in common.
Operators and maintenance staff are all skilled workers with a focus on safe, clean and reliable service. Supervisors who work on the street, along our rail lines and in our control centers are all talented communicators and problem solvers. And management staff across operations are all committed to helping their employees succeed.
To better reflect and strengthen these shared missions, we are reorganizing our operations divisions. Under the new organizational structure, employees will be grouped by the focus of their work as opposed to the mode.
In practice, that means all bus and rail maintenance staff will be led by a new deputy chief operating officer–maintenance and that all bus and rail transportation staff will be led by a new deputy chief operating officer–transportation.
The new organizational structure will become effective in the coming months when these new positions are filled through a nationwide talent search.
For nearly everyone in operations, there is no immediate impact - your roles and responsibilities, work locations and supervisor or manager will all stay the same.
Over time, though, this change will produce better outcomes for our staff, our organization, and our customers by:
- Providing employees more exposure and access to diverse career pathways.
- Strengthening our workforce through coordinated recruitment and training efforts.
- Creating new opportunities to share resources and knowledge, helping us address customer priorities more effectively.
I recognize change can be difficult. But if the pandemic has taught us anything it is that we must be open to new ways of doing business. Continued workforce challenges, a growing network of BRT and LRT lines, and new technology will make it even more important to be nimble moving forward.
So, thank you in advance for supporting and engaging in the work that lies ahead. And as always, I welcome your questions and feedback. Please contact me directly if you’d like to discuss these changes in more detail.
Setting the foundation for bus fleet’s future
Earlier this week, the Council adopted a plan that will help guide our efforts to create a more sustainable bus fleet. This plan has also been submitted to state lawmakers whose support will help us in this work.
I want to thank all those who helped create our Zero Emission Bus Transition Plan, including staff in Engineering & Facilities, Bus Maintenance and Service Development.
This is an important milestone. But it is a beginning, not an end. Moving forward, we will be called to carefully evaluate the types of buses and equipment we buy, to educate ourselves on operation and maintenance best practices, to use low-emission buses where they’re needed the most and to secure funding to support this important initiative.
Thank you to all those who helped set the foundation on which all this future work will rest.
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 Recently hired operators who have finished their training at the Instruction Center include, from left to right: Manjit Singh, Major Lampkin, Xanthi Vang, Veraniqu Swoope. and Ragene Kluutz.
Efforts to hire more bus operators continue, and some new strategies are being introduced to help in the recruitment effort.
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Beginning this month, advertisements promoting operator hiring will focus on the potential to grow and build a career at Metro Transit.
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Application preparation materials that can be offered to walk-in job seekers who visit the Instruction Center are being prepared with information about application assistance and CDL permit training.
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Applicants are being invited to text 612-444-1161 to communicate with Customer Relations and TIC staff about applying to become a bus operator.
Bus operator hiring events where job seekers can apply and interview in one day will also continue to be held at the Instruction Center every month. The next hiring events are:
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Saturday, Feb. 12, 9 a.m. to noon
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Wednesday, Feb. 16, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
All employees are encouraged to support operator recruitment efforts by sharing information with their networks. Business cards with hiring information can be obtained through Kim Littlejohn.
As a reminder, employees who refer successful operator candidates will receive a $600 bonus.
Currently, there are around 1,160 bus operators, about 30 short of the ideal number based on current schedules.
Service changes that will take effect on Saturday, March 26, will reduce the number of operators needed to provide regular service. However, more operators will be needed to expand service and to account for attrition.
For more information or to share ideas and opportunities, contact Amina Wolf.
Save the Date: Transit Driver Appreciation Day
Transit Driver Appreciation Day will be celebrated on Friday, March 18. On this date, operators will be celebrated and thanked for their service. Show your support by submitting a commendation, sending a card to a garage or riding transit on that date and saying thank you.
Andre Williams is at Metro Transit to help people.“I’ve gone through some things,” Williams said. “Why not share what I’ve learned?”
Over the course of his young adult life, he’s learned to work through tragedy. As a 13-year-old in Memphis, Tenn., he was in a car accident that took the lives of his father and his two sisters.
Today, he tries to help anyone onboard his bus experiencing any issue, small or large. “It’s more than just getting people from point A to point B,” he said. “Every day, I pick up a person who might need a little encouragement.”
Recently, a distressed customer felt that they had nowhere to go and that no one loved them. A few kind words made all the difference. “By the end of our conversation, I could see something lift off of them,” Williams said.
Being a bus operator is very different from his previous 20-year career working overnight at a semiconductor company. The 12-hour shifts were process and not people oriented.
“When I started my career with transit, my daughters were shocked,” he said. “They told me that I never talk.”
After 7 years of service, he says he’s found a new family at Nicollet Garage and plans to retire here. “It’s a great job where I can punch in and punch out then spend time with my friends and family,” Williams said.
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Hired: 2015
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Routes: Serves various routes as an extra-board operator
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Family: Two daughters
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Lives: Minneapolis
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Hobbies: Biking from Minneapolis to St. Paul, snowboarding
Employees are invited to attend virtual sessions next week to connect and process their feelings in the wake of recent gun violence and the police killing of Amir Locke, and as the federal trial of former Minneapolis police officers continues in St. Paul.
The drop-in sessions will be held on the following dates and times; click the links to add these events to your calendar, or contact Celina Martina for more information.
As always, free and confidential counseling, including connections to professionals trained in racial trauma, is available through Sand Creek. For more information, call 1-888-243-5744 or visit SandCreekEAP.com (company code: metcouncil).
Fit For Life also offers programs and resources, including those specifically designed to address the effects and response to racial trauma. For more information, contact Fit For Life.
If you are interested in planning a facilitated discussion on race with co-workers, contact Rachel Cagle.
Employees are invited to attend several upcoming Black History Month events.
Advancing Women in Transit (AWT) will host an event about the contributions of Black transit workers at noon on Tuesday, Feb. 15. (add this event to your calendar). For more information, contact Connie Isler.
The Black History Month Committee will host two live events later this month to celebrate Black History and share music videos submitted by staff. The events will be held on:
Employees are also invited to order a "soulful dinner" to enjoy during the Friday, Feb. 25, event. Pre-order online here.
For more information, contact Black History Month Committee members Traci Williamson, Devona Love or Demetre Muhammad.
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Nhia ‘Mo’ Vang, Stockkeeper, Overhaul Base. Mo comes to Metro Transit from the bio-tech firm R & D Systems, where he provided customer care and worked in sales. Mo enjoys hunting duck and turkey, fishing and supporting Minnesota’s professional sports teams. He is a father of two children.
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John Baker, Stockkeeper, Overhaul Base. John previously worked for Micro Center, providing parts for repairs. He has been married seven years and has two children. In his free time, he likes attending live comedy shows, fishing and playing online games.
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Jim Hollenkamp, LRT Helper. James previously served as a custodian/mechanic/engineer/low-voltage electrician and bus operator. He’s looking forward to a new challenge at rail, and applying for a mechanic or signals technician position. Outside of work, he enjoys playing frisbee golf and working on cars.
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Karina Kelton, Associate Community Outreach Coordinator, Gold Line. Karina previously worked with the Hennepin County Library as a Community Liaison for the Latino community. Outside of work, she enjoys supporting Latino families in the Twin Cities and spending time with her husband and family.
Congratulations to these employees who retired in January
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Daniel Schafer, Technician, Nicollet, 41 years
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Kevin Funchie, Helper, Nicollet, 29 years
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Reyford Hayes, Operator, Heywood, 24 years
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Caroline Boekhoff, Operator, Nicollet, 23 years
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Daniel Costello, Operator, South, 22 years
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Kevin Funchie, Helper, Nicollet, 19 years
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Tyra Iverson, Clerical Assistant, 17 years
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Kari Sachs, Operator, Nicollet, 17 years
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Sharon Williams, Operator, Heywood, 15 years
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William Long, Technician, Nicollet, 14 years
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David Payne, Operator, East Metro, 14 years
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Michael McGinley, Head Stockkeeper, 12 years
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Thomas Johnston, Operator, East Metro, 9 years
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Edward Lee, Operator, South , 6 years
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Sharon Stoneman, Transit Information Representative, 6 years
Congratulations to these employees who celebrated anniversaries in January
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Keith Haugen, Operator, Nicollet
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Terrance Dolney, Mark Up Dispatcher, East Metro
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Diane Chavez, Operator, South
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Steven Kramer, Operator, South
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Mark Ammend, Transit Supervisor
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Ronald Williams, Operator, Nicollet
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Robert Glynn, Operator, East Metro
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Vanetta Rennock, Data Collector
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Jason Podany, Business Systems Analyst
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Scott Seaberg, Operator, South
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Ron Larson, Operator, Heywood
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Clifton Bolden, Operator, Nicollet
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Frieda Jhamgarian, Janitor
Heywood Operator Brian Logan recently received a commendation for noticing this customer in need.
I was not paying attention to the exact time of the scheduled stop at Penn and Plymouth and found myself running to try and catch the bus. The driver was somehow aware of me sprinting and graciously opened the door for me. If I would have missed this bus, it would have been my fault. Because of this kind bus driver, I got to work on time! For as long as I’ve ridden with this driver, he’s always been very safe, professional, and courteous.
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A nonprofit developer seeking a site to build affordable apartments for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities knew they’d struck gold, as in the future METRO Gold Line, when the city of Oakdale pointed them to a location at one of the planned Bus Rapid Transit stops.
Both AbleLight Cornerstone Village and the Gold Line, which recently completed design work, will be under construction later this year. The Gold Line is scheduled to open in 2025, bringing all-day service to a 10-mile corridor between downtown St. Paul and Woodbury.
"We know people with disabilities are unlikely to drive and have difficulty affording a car. Proximity to transit means people can get to work, see family and not be isolated. That is a challenge when you get out to the suburbs,’’ said Kristine Giornalista, AbleLight Cornerstone Village’s senior director of real estate development.
Giornalista’s organization isn't alone in understanding the value of locating near transit. Around $15 billion in permitted value has occurred near high-frequency transit routes in the last 18 years and another $9.5 billion in development is planned, a new Metro Transit report finds.
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COVID cases continue to decline: The number of COVID-19 cases reported by staff continues to decline. In the last week, 10 new cases have been reported. At the height of the latest wave, January 9-15, more than 100 cases were reported by staff. View the latest COVID-19 case data by worksite here.
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MSRS board election: Employees who are active members in the Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS) General/Unclassified Retirement Plan can participate in a Board of Directors election this month. Paper ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday, March 1. Online votes will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. March 1. Learn more and cast your vote at msrs.state.mn.us
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Employee Engagement & Satisfaction Survey: Efforts to analyze responses to the recent Employee Engagement & Satisfaction Survey have been paused while efforts to collect more responses from bus operators are underway. Operators at South, Nicollet and East Metro who would like to complete the survey should see a manager.
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