lystn

It’s been a tough time for public transportation.

Passengers are slowly coming back to Metro Transit buses and light rail trains after a steep drop during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the average number of riders is still just over half of what it was in 2019, according to Metro Transit. 

Safety remains a top concern. Passengers in the Twin Cities say it’s not unusual to see people openly using drugs or smoking on the trains. Riders and transit staff have been harassed and even assaulted.

Reported crimes were up by a third in 2023 compared to 2022, and though assaults are rare and crime has declined in recent months, certain routes continue to attract trouble.

In February, a man was shot during a robbery on a light rail train on the Green Line in St. Paul. In early March, a rider was treated for injuries after being stabbed on a Green Line train. Earlier this year, a man died of a drug overdose on the Green Line. He had been found unresponsive when the train pulled into a stop late at night in front of the State Capitol.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two Metro Transit leaders about how the transit system is addressing safety and expanding some routes.

Police and security staff have stepped up their presence. More official staff are starting to ride buses and trains, including outreach workers to connect people with services and TRIP agents, who give directions, explain rules and check for fare compliance.

Guests:  

• Lesley Kandaras has served as Metro Transit’s general manager since July 2023. She joined the Metropolitan Council in 2012 as a senior project coordinator and in 2019 moved to Metro Transit, a division of the Met Council, to serve as senior manager-policy development.  




• Ernest Morales III started as Metro Transit police chief at the beginning of 2023. He spent most of his career with the New York City Police Department, including stints as a deputy inspector and as commanding officer in a transit division in the Bronx. Before moving to Minnesota he served as first deputy police commissioner in Mount Vernon.   

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.  

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.