Great People

For 30 years, riders boarding Bonnie Ripple's bus sometimes got more than a ride — they got a song.

"I love making people happy," Bonnie said. "If you make somebody else happy, it makes you happy."

Known as Metro Transit's "singing bus lady," Bonnie turned every route into an opportunity to connect with riders. After a rider heard her rehearsing, she decided to sing over the bus microphone.

"They liked it," she said. "So, I started doing it all the time."

Eventually, she invited riders to challenge her with song requests to see if she knew the lyrics, while also creating theme weeks and performing holiday favorites that made each trip a little more memorable.

"They'd say, 'You just made my day,'" Bonnie said.

Her unique approach earned recognition beyond the bus. Bonnie was featured during the Winter Carnival and appeared in Metro Transit campaigns.

Bonnie's path to becoming a bus operator included service in the Army, work as an architectural specification writer and a 911 operator. At Metro Transit, she found a career that fit the life she wanted.

"I decided that my life was going to be my life, and my job was never going to be my life again," she said.

Thirty years later, Bonnie says she has no regrets.

"I always thought I would never retire because I loved my job so much," she said. "But I'm 73 and in good health. It's time."

In retirement, Bonnie plans to spend more time gardening, exercising and traveling, including a long-awaited trip to Asia.

After working two jobs deejaying at a radio station and operating a bus for a decade, Demetairs Bell decided it was time to drop the microphone and focus on his Metro Transit career. 

With two children to support, he chose Metro Transit for job stability and the opportunity for advancement. After serving as an operator, he moved into roles as a relief instructor, acting Nicollet Garage coordinator and assistant manager of street operations. 

To advance in his career, Demetairs took as many Metro Transit management classes as he could and studied computer programming and applications on his own.   

nown as D-Bell, he retired in January 2026 with more than 33 years of service. “Outside of a couple of strikes, I have never not had a paycheck from the time I was 22 to 55,” Demetairs said. 

And what did he most appreciate about working for Metro Transit? “I would say witnessing an agency that walked a walk that they talked,” he said, noting this was especially true in the areas of diversity, strong leadership, and advancement opportunities.  

In retirement, Demetairs planned to work on a podcast about music, sports, and entertainment. He also looked forward to working with the Greater Twin Cities African American Hall of Fame recognizing past great athletes from the region.  

Daniel Abramowicz came to Metro Transit for the benefits. He stayed for love. “The best thing that came out of Metro Transit for me was my wife,” he said. 

Dan and his wife, Michelle Sommers, met while working at different garages in the early 1990s. What began as professional overlap turned into familiarity and then partnership, shaped by shared schedules and a mutual understanding of transit life. “We just clicked,” he said. “We got used to each other, had a lot of fun together, and we still do.” 

Before joining transit, Daniel drove a school bus, a job that introduced him to long days behind the wheel and the appeal of steady work. As friends and co-workers began making the move to Metro Transit, he followed. The benefits mattered, but the work itself quickly took hold. “I had a lot of fun for the first few weeks, then months, then years,” he said. 

Over the next two decades, Daniel worked out of nearly every garage in the system, building relationships across shifts, routes, and job titles. He spent about 20 years as an operator before stepping into a union representative role, advocating for coworkers and gaining a broader perspective on the organization. 

Later, he transitioned into a dispatcher position, remaining close to daily operations even as his driving days slowed. The role kept him connected to operators and the rhythm of the system, supporting service from behind the scenes. “I had a lot of fun with the people I worked with and got to know a lot of people over the years,” he said.,” he said. “I just don’t want to forget anyone.” 

For Daniel, retirement is not a clean break. Metro Transit remains a place he feels welcome, somewhere he can return to ride, visit, and reconnect. “I don’t think anyone’s ever really gone for good,” he said. 

Daniel retired in January 2026 after 33 years of service. In retirement, he looked forward to traveling, spending time with his dogs, and riding his motorcycle. 

Diane Chavez gave up multiple jobs for a three-decade career at Metro Transit. Before joining Metro Transit full-time, she spent years juggling work as a hairdresser, a school bus driver, and as a part-time bus operator before realizing the pace was unsustainable. 

“I couldn’t keep doing all those jobs,” Diane said. “So, I let the others go and stayed with transit.” 

The decision proved life changing. The pay and benefits provided stability when she needed it most, but it was the work itself that kept her committed year after year. “I loved the job,” Diane said. 

Diane spent most of her time at South Garage. She also served on safety and peer support committees, remaining involved beyond her daily assignments and advocating for co-workers and riders alike. 

What defined Diane’s career most was her connection to riders. She learned names, routines, and destinations. She asked passengers for help when learning new routes, and learned greetings in multiple languages.

Some of those relationships extended beyond the bus. On one route, a group of riders invited her to community events after she announced she was leaving the line. On another, regular passengers celebrated her move to full-time work by taking her out to dinner. A group of Route 16 riders even welcomed her into their weekly breakfasts. 

“That respect comes back to you,” Diane said. “Treat people the way you want to be treated. Help when you can, and don’t assume the worst.” 

Diane retired in January 2026 with 34 years of service. In retirement, she planned to spend more time up north, travel during the winter, and stay active with animals and volunteer work. 

Metro Transit not only shaped Soultar Allera-Beaumont's career but helped him shape the careers of others. But his path didn’t begin with an immediate hire. “I actually applied the first time with my dad,” Soultar said. “He wanted company during the process. He got hired. I didn’t.” 

Soultar applied again in 1993 and was hired. After a few years as bus operator, he became an instructor, a role that would define his career and others around him.  

Over the course of his 32-year career, Soultar instructed thousands of operators and mentored many others who would later become trainers themselves. He was among the original full-time trainers when the program launched in 2000 and retired as one of the last remaining from that group. “Everybody learns differently,” he said. “You figure that out fast when you’re training one-on-one.” 

That belief became central to his approach. Rather than asking students to conform to his style, Soultar adapted to theirs, focusing on confidence as much as competence. 

A strong work ethic ran in the family. Soultar’s father spent more than two decades with Metro Transit and later returned part-time after retirement. His example left a lasting impression. “He taught me how to be genuine and how to show up,” Soultar said. 

The organization’s benefits also became deeply personal. After his mother died of lung cancer in 1998, his father shared what he called a “gratitude box,” filled with medical bills totaling more than a million dollars, alongside a comparatively small out-of-pocket expense covered through benefits. The lesson stayed with him. 

Reflecting ahead of his January 2026 retirement, Soultar said he was confident the training program will continue to thrive. “The wheel keeps moving,” he said. 

In retirement, he and his wife planned to run a holistic business and to travel to Ireland, Africa and Australia.