MINNEAPOLIS — Metro Transit officials, including General Manager Lesley Kandaras and Police Chief Ernest Morales III, shared new information Tuesday morning about data collected regarding safety and ridership so far this year.
“Across the organization, there has been a sustained and deliberate effort to make our system safer and more welcoming to riders and frontline transit workers,” Kandaras said in a press release. “We hear clearly that there is more work to be done but are encouraged by the progress we’re making.”
Safety has been a focus for the organization this year, including the implementation of TRIP Agents earlier this year. Those agents act as greeters and can perform first aid if needed.
Metro Transit currently has 28 TRIP Agents, with another 22 slated to start next month.
"We are seeing good progress when it comes to hiring operators," Kandaras said. "We've hired more than 200 bus and train operators thus far this year, and this is allowing us to expand service."
Officials say ridership is up about 9 percent from January to June this year, compared to the same time last year.
"We've provided nearly 23.5 million rides in that time period, and that's an average weekday ridership of over 143,000 rides," Kandaras said.
Kandaras says they're also focusing on campaigns to stop people from smoking on rides, something they say is a top complaint.
Chief Morales III says they've also been heavily focused on safety.
"Our success has been driven by several factors, multi-layered approach, but also working with our partners in Minneapolis, Brooklyn Center transit center, as well as St. Paul," Morales said.
Morales says that also includes the Lake Street corridor. Earlier last month, a man was shot under the Lake and Hiawatha station in the afternoon.
"As a matter of fact, right after that incident, I met with Councilman Chavez and Inspector Gomez from Third Precinct," Morales said. "We sat down for an hour talking about long-term plans, and now we can collaboratively help one another during, with our presence."
There are plans to add a safety center just feet from the Lake and Hiawatha Station at some point later this year.
That also includes the use of third-party security companies.
"We're still working with a third-party security agency, they're helping us with our presence," Morales said. "We currently have them at eight of our stations, and I would say their presence has definitely helped us improve the overall success that we're having."
While there are improvements, there are still areas that Metro Transit is trying to improve. The organization is still understaffed, with 104 full-time officers out of an authorized 171, 15 community service officers out of an authorized 70, and 29 working in support services out of an authorized 34.
"As of two weeks ago, we placed nine individuals into the academy, and we're currently up at 112 full-time officers," Morales said.
