From General Manager Wes Kooistra
For the past week, we have been carrying thousands of people to and from the Minnesota State Fair, a service we provide on top of our regular routes as a way to give back to our community.
At the same time, due to unforeseen construction delays, we’ve continued to shuttle Blue Line customers between the Mall of America and the airport.
We are also welcoming students across the region back on board, serving large events, often simultaneously, and, last week, successfully helped host U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
All this activity comes as we continue to face the daily challenge of meeting our daily service needs while having fewer operators, technicians, and support staff available to do so.
So, I want to take this opportunity to again thank all of you for your hard work. This gratitude is especially timely given the approaching Labor Day holiday, a time to the celebrate the contributions of all workers.
Please know that your work in these challenging times is appreciated and admired.
New police, security officers welcome additions
Last week, we celebrated the graduation of seven new full-time police officers, our largest class since the start of the pandemic.
Beginning next weekend, as part of a pilot program, contracted security officers will also begin working at the Franklin Avenue Station. Unarmed security officers will soon begin working at the Lake Street Station and we have identified several other locations where they could be present in the future.
Expanding the official presence on transit is just one of many actions we need to take to improve public safety on transit. But it in many ways underlies all the other work we are doing or want to do.
So, I want to thank all those who continue to help us recruit and train officers and Community Service Officers, and all those who have had a hand in getting this security pilot off the ground.
Help us improve our work culture
Finally, our Great Workplace Project is entering a new and important phase that will help us begin taking steps to improve our work culture.
If you have not yet done so, I encourage you to consider sharing your interest in joining one of several groups that will use all the feedback we’ve collected to develop action plans. The deadline to express interest in participating in an implementation team is Tuesday, Sept. 6.
Including employees from across the organization, with many different perspectives, is so important to getting this right. Thank you in advance to all of you who will share your time and talent in the next phase of this work.
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How to join a Great Workplace Project Implementation Team
All represented and non-represented staff, from all departments and all levels of the organization, are invited to express their interest in joining Great Workplace Project implementation teams.
Seven teams will be formed, representing Capital Programs, Finance, Transit Police, Operations, Safety, Service Development and the Chief of Staff's Office.
Staff who are selected to join implementation teams will be asked to:
- Participate in a series of workshops (around five) through the end of the year
- Help identify priority issues and develop plans to establish explicit norms
- Engage co-workers in action plan development and support engagement events
If you are interested in participating, sign up online or contact Sarah Berres.
Complete an Implementation Team interest form
Learn more about the Great Workplace Project on MetNet
New police officers, in front, are, from left to right, Choua Vang, Michael Lindstrom, Ian Stonehouse, Benjamin Irwin, Chi Lee, Nicole Nedeau and Junehee Han.
As a Community Service Officer, Choua Vang often saw Metro Transit police officers help people in need.
In one particularly memorable case, officers encountered a woman and her children sheltering on a light rail train and found them food and a place to stay. "That's when I knew I really wanted to be a police officer for this department," he said.
And now he is. Last week, Vang was sworn in alongside six other new officers. The Metro Transit Police Department is now home to 108 full-time officers.
Vang is one of two new officers who speak Hmong. The other Hmong-speaking officer, Lee, previously worked at an armored car company, as state Capitol security, and as a reserve officer with another police department.
Lee said he was drawn to Metro Transit because he thought it offered the most chance to grow. “A lot of opportunities will be here in the future,” he said. “Eventually, I want to join the Homeless Action Team or an investigative unit.”
For one of the other new officers, Lindstrom, it was the broad coverage area that offered the most appeal. “You go anywhere from St. Paul to Big Lake," he said. "You're not necessarily going to be seeing the same people every day.”
Lindstrom previously served as a policing assistant and became interested in being a police officer while working in security as a student at St. Cloud State University.
View photos from the August 26 swearing-in ceremony
We're hiring
Applications for Community Service Officers, who ride transit and perform duties that do not require a licensed peace officer, are being accepted on an ongoing basis and hiring for police officers is expected to resume soon. Learn more at metrotransit.org.
Nearly a half-mile worth of embedded track, worn down after years of service, has been replaced on the southern end of the METRO Blue Line. Now, crews are working around the clock to finish installing new lights, wires and other equipment that guide train movements.
Work between the Mall of America and Terminal 2-Humphrey stations was expected to have been finished in mid-August, five weeks after the start of construction. But ongoing challenges with the electrical components of the project have caused delays.
If work proceeds as planned, light rail service could resume in early-September. Replacement buses will continue to carry customers until light rail service is restored.
The continuation of replacement bus service and ongoing efforts to make sure work is completed efficiently, without compromising quality, has been a big lift for staff in many departments.
"There’s been a significant amount of work by staff to work with the contractor and make sure we have a safe and reliable train system at the end of this project,’’ said Jim Harwood, assistant director of Engineering & Facilities.
The long hours and hard work will have been worth it. The updates will improve service reliability and make the light rail line easier to maintain.
Above left: Assistant Transportation Managers Pete Stumme and Maureen Perryman; Above right: Lindsey Geyer and her partner Zach Miller.
The recently revived Adopt-A-Stop program is designed to give community members a way to help keep boarding areas looking their best.
But staff are getting in the mix, too. To date, 13 bus stops have been adopted by Metropolitan Council employees -- some as individuals and others as teams.
Among the adopters is former Metro Transit employee Lindsey Geyer, who adopted two stops with her partner, Zach Miller, near their south Minneapolis home.
"“I loved my friends and time at Metro Transit and wanted to feel like I was still a part of it,” said Geyer, an Environmental Services information specialist in administration and communications. "I love my city and neighborhood, and I want to do everything I can, even if it’s small, to make it better for my friends and neighbors."
In St. Paul, transportation managers at East Metro have adopted a stop near the garage. “I always think of our garage as a team. It’s one way to help us connect,” Assistant Transportation Manager Pete Stumme said.
Customer Relations Supervisor Jeremy Hop, his wife and their two children adopted a bus shelter three blocks from their northeast Minneapolis home. Hop picks up trash while traveling to and from work and reports any damage. He and his wife have also made it a family ritual on Friday evenings to visit the stop with their children to pick up larger items.
For their efforts, adopters can be recognized with metal signs with their names at their stops.
“They are pretty excited our last name will be on the shelter," Hop said. "They’re too young to appreciate it’s about giving back to the community. Small, kind actions lead to positive change in our neighborhood."
For more information about adopting a stop contact Jeremiah Cox.
Heywood Operator Ismail Francois recently received a commendation for his customer service.
Your driver was so kind and helpful to my family while getting us to the Minnesota Twins game. My family of six came down from Manitoba, Canada, for a trip. We were a bit unsure about using public transit. However, the bus driver was so supportive and patient with us, helping alleviate our anxieties. Thank you for the taking the time to hire and develop quality bus drivers who care for the well-being of their passengers. I have been to Minneapolis at least 10 times in my life, but this is the first time I took public transit. The next time I come back, I will use it again. It was stress-free and easy (not to mention cost-effective). Take care and well done.
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- Police officers Darryl Loken, second from left, and Marty Williams, second from right, celebrated their retirements this week. Loken retired after 8 years of service at Metro Transit and Williams retired with 21 years of service.
- After 21 years of service, Scheduling Analyst Paul Krech, center, above right, celebrated his retirement alongside his wife, parents and brother.
Upcoming retirement celebrations
- Janitors Cha Pao, 22 years of service, and John Sjoberg, 15 years of service, 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 2, Transfer Road
- Ruter Operator Michael Adams, 30 years of service, 2 p.m. Friday Sept. 16
- Ruter Operator Ge Xiong, 21 years of service, 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21
To celebrate a milestone in Insights, email insights@metrotransit.org.
Benefits retirement webinar Sept. 21
The Benefits team is hosting a webinar about retirement planning at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21. An Outlook invitation will be coming soon. Learn more about retirement planning on MetNet.
After about a week, ridership to the Minnesota State Fair has risen by about 125% compared to 2021. From August 25 through August 30, more than 100,000 rides were provided, representing about 6% of total fair attendees.
Nearly 940,000 people have attended the fair through Wednesday, up 36% compared to last year. No daily attendance records have been set.
This is the 30th year Metro Transit has served the fair. To commemorate, The Star Tribune this week featured several employees who have made working at the fair an annual tradition, including Garage Coordinator Scott Jester who said he looks forward to welcoming new or infrequent riders. "I get to interact with people who normally don't use transit," he said. "I'm selling Metro Transit."
Learn more about Minnesota State Fair service
Green Line Extension tour: Staff who would like to learn more about the METRO Green Line Extension and METRO D Line are invited to sign up for an employee-only walking tour on Monday, Sept. 26. The tour will depart from the Heywood Office and include visits to several nearby construction areas. Participation is voluntary and on an employee's own time. Space is limited. To RSVP, please sign up online.
Nominate staff serving disabled community: To celebrate the Transportation Accessibility Advisory Committee’s 30th anniversary, customers are being asked to nominate transit workers who have gone above and beyond to serve members of the disability community. TAAC members will select four individuals to recognize for their outstanding service. To submit a nomination, email public.info@metc.state.mn.us or fill out this form.
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