Rider's Almanac Blog

Spanish classes help operators break through ‘invisible wall’

| June 3, 2015

During a recent trip on Route 21, operator Ken Peters encountered a customer who spoke limited English but needed help figuring out where to transfer downtown. Fortunately, Peters had spent the previous eight weeks studying words and phrases [...]

Safety Transit Police

Academy tests, transforms aspiring Transit Police

| May 26, 2015

When Metro Transit Police Chief John Harrington addressed a group of new officers at the department’s latest swearing-in ceremony, he told them a "transformation" had taken place. "When you came to my office as job seekers you seemed a little [...]

Bus Community Safety Shelters

On West Broadway, shelters get a steward

| May 15, 2015

There are a few more watchful eyes making sure transit shelters along West Broadway Avenue are staying clean and safe. The West Broadway Improvement District has adopted more than a half-dozen shelters along the North Minneapolis corridor, which [...]

Bus Bus Maintenance Community

Introducing aspiring mechanics to a career in transit

| May 12, 2015

When Tony Harmon was in high school, he knew he wanted a career that involved computers. But after graduation, he found himself working at an auto repair shop where his days were largely spent performing oil changes. After 18 [...]

Bus Bus Rapid Transit Good Question

Good Question: How are the back doors on buses controlled?

| May 6, 2015

In most cases, Metro Transit encourages bus passengers to exit through the rear door so boarding customers can get on quickly. But customers who use the rear exit often wonder why the doors don’t always immediately open. For safety reasons, the [...]