A mother’s persistence is why Peter Blomgren became a Metro Transit bus operator.
“It took about six years of convincing,” Peter said. “But I’m glad she kept at it.”
Jo Ann, who began as a bus operator at Metro Transit in 2012 after driving school buses, saw the job's potential for her son. “I knew it was good pay and great benefits,” she said. “I just kept telling him to apply.”
Eventually, Peter started in 2017, drawn by stability. “I needed more income and benefits. That’s what brought me in the door.”
For Peter, however, the job came with an added benefit: a mentor he knew well. “She didn’t sugarcoat anything,” Peter said. “She gave me the real picture. That helped me feel ready in a way many new operators don’t get to.”
For a few months, the two even lived together and worked out of the same garage. “We were both at East Metro, but on different shifts,” he said. “It wasn’t like sharing a cubicle. We’d just see each other in passing.”
Jo Ann retired in 2019 and recently came back in 2024 as a part-time weekend operator. During that time, she saw a shift.
“It was funny,” Jo Ann said. “When Peter first started, people would say, ‘Hey, I know your mom!’ But when I came back recently and took a class he instructed, everyone started telling me that they knew Peter instead!”
Jo Ann is proud of and sees natural talent in her son. “He’s a gifted driver,” she said. “Some people are just naturals. Me? I’m trainable. But he just gets it.”
Peter’s first full time shift was on St. Patrick’s Day, a busy, 9-hour shift on Route 54. “That was a real trial by fire,” he said. “I saw my mom that night and just thought, ‘Thank God for a familiar face!’”
Moments like that highlight the value of having a family connection in transit. “You can’t always talk about this job with people outside it,” Peter said. “But I can talk to her. She’s been there.”
JoAnn agrees, “It’s a unique job. But when your kid gets it and gets good at it, that’s something special.”
And when pressed to answer the potentially divisive question, “who’s the better driver?” JoAnn didn’t hesitate to respond.
“He is,” she said proudly.
“That’s not the answer I expected!” Peter laughed.