Move Minneapolis hosted a webinar featuring Metro Transit leaders who shared efforts to improve the rider experience by expanding the official presence on transit through efforts like the Transit Rider Investment Program. The session featured updates on all layers of presence alongside ample conversation with transit riders who joined us to share their own experiences and questions for the panelists.

Thank you to the experts for joining us!

Watch the full webinar here:

What We Heard From Metro Transit

Expanding the official onboard presence is among Metro Transit’s highest priorities. Expanding the team of TRIP Agents, recruiting more police officers and Community Service Officers, and working with partners is and will continue to be a huge focus of our efforts to improve the rider experience. You can help us in these efforts by encouraging people to consider working at Metro Transit – in a variety of essential roles – and by drawing our attention to new partnership opportunities we may not yet be aware of.

We know perception matters. In addition to expanding our official onboard presence, we are doing everything we can to make our boarding areas and vehicles look and feel inviting. We are expanding our maintenance teams so we can address cleaning and repair needs as quickly as possible. A study due later this year will help inform future capital improvements at stations, with an eye toward making them easier to maintain and more user-friendly. Our planned shift to two-car light rail trains, coinciding with what we hope will be an increase in light rail service this summer, will also help us keep vehicles cleaner during the service day.

We need your support and your feedback. As mentioned during the webinar, the Adopt-A-Stop program is a great way to take a more active role in supporting transit. Regularly reporting issues using Text For Safety or through Customer Relations is also very helpful – we record and respond to every piece of feedback we receive. We would also love it if folks invited someone who hasn’t been on transit in a while to come and ride! Stay tuned for opportunities to engage in Metro Transit Forward, a new strategic plan that will guide our priorities and our budget, in May (dates/times/locations expected to be published tomorrow, actually).

You can stay engaged through Metro Transit’s Social Media (Metro Transit & MTPD) and the Connect newsletter.

Resources Mentioned

• Safety & Security Action Plan
• Layers of Presence
• Transit Rider Investment Program (TRIP) Agents
• Organizations partnering through the Transit Service Intervention Project
• Network Now
• Rider’s Code of Conduct
• Transit Assistance Program (TAP)
• Adopt-A-Stop Program
• Text for Safety
• How Fares Are Being Checked
• Careers at Metro Transit

Watch for the next Move Minneapolis webinar in June!