Rider's Almanac Blog

From General Manager Lesley Kandaras

One of the most common questions I’ve received since becoming general manager is: What is Metro Transit’s vision for transit in our region?      

This is a question we all have a part in answering.

Over the coming months, I’m committed to working with staff, riders, and partners to co-create a bold new vision for Metro Transit.  

Ultimately, the goal is to have this process lead to the creation of a new strategic plan early next year. This plan will establish the goals we want to achieve, the principles we want to see reflected in all our work, and influence future budget proposals.  

Opportunities to join me and other Metro Transit leaders in conversation will come this fall. Until then, I invite you to consider this simple question: What does your ideal transit experience look like? 

From past conversations and surveys, I know common answers to this question are likely to center on reliability, safety, cleanliness, and accessibility.  

As a regular transit rider and decade-long Met Council employee, I know we’ve made some important progress in these areas. I also know we have a lot of work to do, and that creating a new strategic plan is, on its own, not enough to get us where we want to go.    

How we arrive at a new strategic plan – and with it new vision and mission statements – is as important as the plan itself.  

Done correctly, the co-creation of a new strategic plan will bring everyone who has a stake in transit together with a common purpose and an even stronger sense of unity.    

So, thank you in advance for sharing your ideas. And please continue to stay engaged as this work progresses.   

Contact General Manager Lesley Kandaras at [email protected] and keep up with her effort to ride every route during her first year on the job at metrotransit.org/ride-with-lesley. Learn more about Metro Transit’s strategic planning process at metrotransit.org/forward.