Pandemic Underscores Need for Fast, Frequent Service POD, Right To
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Pandemic underscores need for fast, frequent service From Charles Carlson, Director-BRT Projects The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced transit use signifi- Metro Transit’s weekly employee newsletter August 21, 2020 cantly. However, the Metro A and C lines and core routes planned for Bus Rapid Transit continue to see comparatively strong ridership. Those who ride our BRT lines and busiest local bus routes rely on these services to get to work, go shopping and access vital services. Continued demand in these corridors underscores the need to provide fast, frequent and reliable service to our customers. In fact, the pandemic makes these service qualities more important than ever. To meet the needs of our customers, we are continuing to develop long-term A light rail bridge is now being built over North Seventh Street, immediately south of the plans to expand the BRT network. Heywood Garage. The bridge is part of the Green Line Extension project, which will bring light rail from Target Field Station west to Eden Prairie. During the yearlong bridge construc- Construction on the METRO Orange Line, tion effort, there will be periods of excavation and pile driving. Vibrations are being actively which will bring all-day, station-to-sta- monitored. Questions or concerns can be directed to the project office’s construction hotline tion service to the I-35W corridor, is well at 612-373-3933. The Green Line Extension is expected to open in 2023 and will serve Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie. underway. Planning continues on the METRO D Line, B Line and E Line, which POD, Right to Know classes begin September 2 will improve service in corridors now served by routes 5, 21 and 6, as well as Bus and train operators are encouraged to begin signing up for this year’s combined the METRO Gold Line along I-94 from Professional Operator Development (POD) and Right to Know training program. Saint Paul to Woodbury. If full funding Classes will begin on Wednesday, Sept. 2, and be held on weekdays at 9:15 a.m. and is identified, all five of these lines will 12:15 p.m. through January. Some weekend classes will also be offered. All bus and be operating before 2025. train operators are required to attend and should sign up through their garage or While preparations for these future BRT rail coordinator. lines continue, we must also continue The 2.5-hour classes will be held in the large conference rooms on the third floor of planning further into the future. the Metro Transit Police & Office Facility. To safeguard participants, classes will be To create the long-term vision we need, limited to no more than 12 people and seats will be spread at least six feet apart. All transit planners identified 19 high-rider- instructors and attendees will be required to wear face coverings. ship corridors where investment would The year’s POD program will focus on how operators can identify and respond provide better service to more people. to individuals who are experiencing a mental health crisis. As part of the class, Based on current ridership, land use instructors will talk about ways to achieve “voluntary compliance” with and the potential to serve people of color COVID-19 safety measures, such as the requirement to wear a face covering and low-income residents, we are focus- while riding transit. ing on 11 corridors throughout the region The classes will be led by instructors from People Incorporated, which offers that we want to present to the public similar classes to organizations throughout the region. for feedback. The last half hour of each class will be dedicated to reminders from the These corridors are currently served by Safety Department and fulfill this year’s Right to Known requirement. some of our busiest routes, including routes 3, 4, 10, 18, 54, 68 and 74. Next week, we will begin asking custom- ers and other stakeholders to help us shape what BRT could mean in these continued on next page corridors. We will identify the three most promis- ing corridors by the end of the year and select the CUSTOMERS TELL US HOW WE’RE DOING next BRT project, which will become the METRO F Line, next spring. Public Facilities Worker thanked for finding wallet As we have said from the start of our BRT journey, Customer Brian D. was elated this week when every investment we make in high-frequency, Public Facilities Worker Michael Dicosimo located high-quality transit increases the value and his wallet in a trash bin at the Government utility of the entire system. Station and returned it to Metro Transit’s Lost & Found, where it was retrieved on Wednesday. Ultimately, we hope to create a BRT network that Brian said he misplaced the wallet somewhere covers more than 100 miles across the region, downtown and that, while some items were connecting tens of thousands of customers to missing, he was grateful it was returned because work, school and other opportunities. he had just started a new job and needed his ID. Because we can’t make BRT investments in every corridor we serve, we are also committed to completing a long-term vision for our BRT, A lady who ignored being informed about the mask policy had a coughing local bus and express bus networks, known as fit onboard while not wearing a mask. Upon leaving the rear door, she Network Next. touched multiple surfaces. These sort of things affect not only front-line workers like us who keep Metro Transit moving, but our customers who Work on this vision will largely be on hold need us to get where they need to go. until next year as we continue to watch how the pandemic impacts rider behavior. I’m thankful for the many customers who wear a mask or face covering. As we’ve returned to front-door boarding, it’s even more important to While we face a lot of uncertainty, it has never wear one to help protect your bus operator. been more apparent that many in our community need and want better transit options. By investing How has your life changed outside of work? in BRT and in supporting services, we can provide It’s been difficult. My husband and I had to support our college-aged them exactly that. children financially as they lost their jobs due to the pandemic. My son and daughter who are attending college both lost their jobs and In this Together: Lauren Cox, bus operator were unable to qualify for unemployment. I’ve been supporting them since May. How has the pandemic affected your day-to-day work? One positive is that over the summer when they returned home, we spend more time together. I’m one of the fortunate ones who still has a job to go to every day. For that, However, we often thought about what to expect when the fall semester I’m grateful. I enjoy what I do and begins. We finally got an answer, my daughter has a hybrid schedule and invite the challenge of this new my son has a complete in-person schedule. normal. Better service, bus stops coming to Route 63 corridor My husband and I are literally in this together at Metro Transit. He works in fare collec- Speedier service and new shelters are coming to the Route 63 corridor. tions and is serious about operators wearing masks when they pull up to his station. To improve speed and reliability, 60 low-boarding bus stops will be eliminated, and several others will be relocated so buses can pass The added measures like wearing a mask, wiping through signalized intersections before stopping. At some stops, there down my workstation, and washing my hands will be expanded parking restrictions and new concrete pads that make often aren’t too much to do when everyone’s it easier for all customers to board. health is at risk. The improvements will take effect as part of the September 12 service In fact, most of this is just plain common sense – changes and are expected to improve travel times by about 5%. you should wash your hands often anyways. But, in today’s world common sense seems to Next year, Route 63 could be further improved by the use of Transit be pretty uncommon. Signal Priority, which allows buses to request longer green lights. The future may also bring more frequent service and a new limited stop What’s it like working through a pandemic? route that would replace the east end of Route 63. Every day we all work through the unknowns and Operators helped inform these upgrades by providing feedback to learning a new survival mode, even in the face of Service Development. Once the changes are in effect, operators will people who aren’t in this together onboard. We have another opportunity to provide feedback on Route 63. inform customers that masks are required on board to help slow the spread of COVID-19, but The Insights newsletter is published weekly. For more information, visit still some people aren’t listening. Insights on MetNet. A link can be found on the homepage. Feedback and story ideas can be sent to [email protected]..