AH-HOOOO ♪♪ >> Eric: ONE YEAR AGO THIS WEEK THE FRONT PAGE OF THE STAR TRIBUNE CALLED OUT THE EYE-OPENING DRAMATIC RISE IN CRIME ON METRO TRANSIT BUSES AND TRAINS.

CRIME REPORTS HAD INCREASED BY 54% IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

MET COUNCIL OVERSEES THE TRANSIT SYSTEM AND HAS SPENT SIGNIFICANT TIME AND MONEY ON EFFORTS TO IMPROVE SAFETY SINCE THAT REPORT WAS ISSUED.

INITIATIVES IN THE PAST MONTH INCLUDE MORE ROBUST FARE ENFORCEMENT AND A REVISED CODE OF CONDUCT FOR RIDERS.

LESLEY KANDARAS HEADS UP METRO TRANSIT.

WELCOME TO YOU.

SO I'M ON THE TRAIN TODAY BETWEEN MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL, AND I WAS IN THE SMOKING CAR.

>> OKAY.

>> Eric: AND THERE'S A BIG -- IN THE DIGITAL READOUT ON ABOVE IT SAYS SMOKING, NO SMOKING, SMOKING PROHIBITED AND THEY'RE TOTALLY IGNORING THAT SIGN.

AND I WONDER BASED ON THAT UN-EXPERIENCE, HOW IS A CODE OF CONDUCT GOING TO HAVE MUCH EFFECT?

>> WELL, AT METRO TRANSIT WE WANT ALL OF OUR RIDERS TO HAVE A COMFORTABLE EXPERIENCE WHERE WE FEEL SAFE AND UNFORTUNATELY WE KNOW THAT'S NOT THE CASE IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES RIGHT NOW, AS YOU EXPERIENCED TODAY, UNFORTUNATELY.

AND WE'RE REALLY PUTTING A LOT OF FOCUS AND EFFORT IN TRYING TO CHANGE THAT.

A BIG PART OF THAT IS INCREASING PRESENCE ON THE SYSTEM, SO OVER THE LAST YEAR WE'VE WORKED TO MAKE SURE OUR POLICE OFFICERS ARE ON THE TRAINS AND RIDING, WE'VE PUT COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFERS OUT THERE INSPECTING FARES, AND IN THE COMING MONTHS WE'LL HAVE TRANSIT RUDER INVESTMENT PERSONAL OR T.R.I.P.

AGENTS OUT ON THE SYSTEM AS WELL WHO WILL ALSO BE EDUCATING PEOPLE ABOUT THE CODE OF CONDUCT AND BEING OUR EYES AND EARS ON THE SYSTEM TO TRY TO DETER THE TYPE OF BEHAVIOR YOU EXPERIENCED TODAY.

>> Cathy: ARE YOU CRACKING DOWN AT ALL IN TERMS OF FINES?

>> FUNDAMENTALLY, WE WANT PEOPLE TO PAY THEIR FARES, NOT FINES.

WE HAVE PUT AN INCREASED EMPHASIS ON FARE INSPECTION.

BACK IN SEPTEMBER WE STARTED HAVING OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICERS INSPECTING FARES.

THAT'S A CHANGE FOR US.

THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION IF YOU RODE TRANSIT WITHOUT PAYING IT WAS A MISDEMEANOR OFFENSE.

POLICE FORCE IS VERY BUSY THESE DAYS, IT'S STRETCHED THIN, THEY'RE DOWN OFFICERS LIKE MANY LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENTS, SO BY BEING ABLE TO HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION, WE ARE NOW ABLE TO HAVE PERSONNEL WHO ARE NOT SWORN DO FARE INSPECTION LIKE OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICERS, THESE FORTHCOMING T.R.I.P.

AGENTS AND THAT'S REALLY HELPING US DO MORE FARE INSPECTION, MORE EDUCATION TO OUR CUSTOMERS THAT WE EXPECT THEM TO PAY THEIR FARE.

>> Eric: I WANT TO CUT YOU A BREAK, THOUGH.

YOU BEAR THE BRUNT OF SOCIETAL PROBLEMS, THAT YOU HAD NO WAY OF DEVELOPING YOURSELF WHETHER IT'S BAD BEHAVIOR OR SMOKING OR CRIME.

AND SO YOU NEED COORDINATION WITH OTHER FOLKS TO KIND OF GET AT THOSE PROBLEMS SO YOU DON'T GET THEM ON YOUR END?

>> REALLY APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION BECAUSE AS TRANSIT WE ARE PART OF THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE.

AND IN MANY WAYS WE'RE A WINDOW INTO THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE.

SO CHALLENGES OUR REGION IS EXPERIENCING SUCH AS SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS BECOME VERY VISIBLE ON TRANSIT.

SO OUR APPROACH TO THIS IS, ONE, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING ALL WE CAN WITHIN TRANSUT TO ADDRESS ISSUES SUCH AS GETTING MORE PRESENCE ON THE SYSTEM, BUT THE OTHER PART EXACTLY AS YOU'RE SUGGESTING IS WE KNOW WE NEED TO BUILD PARTNERSHIPS.

WE KNOW WE NEED TO WORK TO ET MORE UPSTREAM TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE BROADER, BROADER ISSUES ARE SO VISIBLE ON OUR SYSTEM.

>> Cathy: BY THE WAY, DO YOU RIDE THE TRAINS OR THE BUSES YOURSELF?

>> I DO, I'VE BEEN A TRANSIT RIDER MUCH ONGER THAN I'VE WORKED IN RANSIT.

IT'S MY PRIMARY WAY OF GETTING TO WORK.

AS I'M NEW IN MY ROLE AS GENERAL MANAGER AND COMMITTED TO RIDING EVERY ROUTE WE OPERATE MY FIRST YEAR AND SO I REALLY NJOY BEING OUT ON THE SYSTEM AND LEARN A LOT IN THE PROCESS TOO.

>> Cathy: WHEN YOU LEARN A LOT, WHAT'S STICKING WITH YOU?

WHAT ARE YOU SEEING THAT YOU REALLY WANT TO CHANGE THAT'S FAIRLY EASY TO CHANGE RIGHT NOW?

>> WELL, I THINK A LOT OF IT COMES DOWN TO THE BEHAVIOR OF OTHER PASSENGERS AND PART OF OUR FOCUS IS WE HAVE A NEW CODE OF CONDUCT THAT THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL ADOPTED LAST DECEMBER AND WE'RE GEARING UP TO REALLY COMMUNICATE ABOUT THAT AND REMIND PEOPLE WHEN YOU'RE SHARING SPACE ON PUBLIC TRANSIT, WE ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO BE RESPECTFUL TO EACH OTHER AND FOLLOW A SET OF RULES.

SO I THINK THAT TYPE OF EXPECTATION IS SOMETHING WE ARE FOCUSING MORE ON.

>> Eric: AND IT'S ONLY A BUCK BETWEEN 9 AND 3 FOR SENIORS.

>> RIGHT, RIGHT.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> Cathy: THAT'S WHY HE'S SO EXCITED ABOUT IT OBVIOUSLY.

HAVE YOU SEEN RIDERSHIP GO UP, BY THE WAY?

>> WE ARE, 2023 RIDERSHIP WAS UP ABOUT 15% COMPARED TO 2022.

SO THAT'S A GOOD SIGN AND IN 2023 WE WERE ABLE TO INCREASE SERVICE AS WELL.

AND SO AS WE ARE ABLE TO PUT MORE TRIPS OUT THERE WE'RE HOPING THAT CONTINUES TO BRING PEOPLE TO TRANSIT.

>> Eric: KEEP US POSTED.

I'M A FREQUENT RIDER