Instructor
Tim Smith always wanted to be a bus operator and ended up a teacher.
“I used to ride Twin City Line’s Route 16 with my mother and that’s when I became fascinated with buses – how they worked, where they went,” Smith said. “From an early age, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
And, for multiple decades he did. Smith also knew that he wanted to work at Metro Transit, but like many, he started working for other transportation companies, like schools and other regional providers. When he began here in 1991, he split his time between Metro Transit and another company as he worked both part time.
“It was a changing of the guards and a changing of the uniform,” he said. “I’d take off my light blue uniform and put on my Army green uniform.”
That old transit uniform was one of many changes the St. Paul native saw throughout his transit journey – from the name of the company (MTC to Metro Transit), the color of the buses and uniforms, garages opening and closing, and new technologies like electric buses.
“I trained at Old Snelling Garage which was the old instruction center and started at Shingle Creek Garage,” Smith said. “There’s been a lot of changes in my time.”
And this included changes for his career. After an instructor noticed his work ethic around bus operations, they suggested that he consider becoming an instructor. That nudge launched him into the next phase of his career, first as a relief instructor in 1999, then a full-time instructor at the Instruction Center in 2008.
“I trained thousands of people throughout my career,” Smith said. “And they remember you throughout their careers.”
As an instructor, he taught not only bus operators, but any staff operating large or complex vehicles with his certifications to teach Commercial Drivers License, Class A, forklift, and Safety Keys. He’s proud of the high standards Metro Transit has for training. While he enjoys instruction, there’s still that kid inside of him who fell in love with buses and just wants to operate them. During the pandemic and short of staff, he got a consistent opportunity to fulfill his need to drive.
“It felt so good to get behind the wheel again,” he said. “But now it’s time to move on. I’ve put my time in.”
In retirement, Smith and his wife plan to move southwest for the weather and to be near family. They also plan to road trip around the United States.