Why aren’t people riding the train?

Addressing short-term and long-term challenges to the area’s transit system is the way to bring riders back to Green Line light rail and area buses. Doing so will be a collaborative effort between riders, Metro Transit officials and the Metropolitan Council.

More than 70 area residents and business owners attended a Feb. 22, 2024 Metro Transit Midway Listening Session, held at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in the Midway. They heard from Deb Barber, who chairs the Metropolitan Council Transportation Committee, as well as Metro Transit leaders Police Chief Ernest Morales III, General Manager Lesley Kandaras and Chief Operating Officer Brian Funk.

In recent weeks, transit and council officials have spent time on buses and trains observing situations, said Kandaras. That effort is going to continue. Listening sessions are being held. Ways to improve communication and gather community feedback are on the table.

A theme throughout the discussion is that while many people value transit service, they don’t value the behaviors sometimes seen on the trains and buses. Drug use and sales, crime, smoking, loud behavior and a prevalence of litter were among issues raised. Older people and people with disabilities are among those who feel threatened at times.

Another theme is that transit ridership is changing. Ridership dropped dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic and hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels. Some routes were discontinued, and in other cases, trips were offered less frequently. Now, changes in when people use transit are being seen.

Concerns raised from area residents include frequency of service, travel speeds (especially on Green Line), and how the Route 21 will be replaced with the B Line bus. People also asked how routes get priority.

One challenge the Green Line has faced is that the past winter’s cold snap and subsequent thaw damaged nine areas of rail, said Funk. Trains must slow down significantly when traveling in those areas. Eight of the nine areas where damage was sustained are on University Avenue. Repairs will be made in the April 19-21 time frame.

Metro Transit has focused much attention on Blue Line light rail. When Morales took his post last year, he and his wife made a point of riding Blue Line light rail and saw some huge problems. Morales said his wife commented, “This is the first place that you will fix.”

Green Line is the next line to receive added attention.

Morales noted that the bad behavior seen on transit is a small window into larger societal issues. Trains and buses often serve as shelter for people who have no place to go. Or riders are people struggling with drug addiction.

Drug dealers often use major transit stops, such as University Avenue, to interact with customers. That is yet another problem Metro transit is working to address. More security on platforms can deter that.

Morales made it clear that the transit police cannot arrest their way out of the problems.

One change is the addition in late February of “trip agents” on Blue and Green lines. The agents will check fares and provide passenger education on routes and schedules. They can also help direct people to social services and administer first aid, including Narcan, that is used in an opioid overdose.

TRIP stands for Transit Rider Investment Program. It’s one of many steps being rolled out in a larger transit safety and security plan.

Several people at the meeting said they want changes. One comment was that the odor of fentanyl can be so strong, people said they must get off of the trains before becoming ill.

One speaker said that he is in recovery and works with others who are trying to become sober and maintain sobriety. He said that riding transit and being around drug users is a “trigger” and can bring fears of a relapse. His suggestion that recovery specialists are on the trains got a positive response.

One step taken for those who cannot afford fares is to provide information programs that can help. Fare evasion is now something that won’t draw a criminal charge. Instead it is an administrative citation.

Hamline Midway Coalition and Union Park District Council were meeting hosts. HMC’s Transportation Committee is drafting a meeting summary and will post it online.

HMC is also adopting the Snelling Avenue Green Line station through a Metro Transit “Adopt a Stop” program, as part of the council’s work to improve conditions at Snelling and University avenues.