Riders taking Metro Transit Green and Blue Line trains will see an extra presence starting Friday as 24 Transit Rider Investment Program (TRIP) Agents will work alongside Community Resource Officers (CSOs) to address issues and educate riders.
TRIP Agents, through a contract with Allied Universal, will work from 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. and will be identifiable by their royal blue uniforms.
“Having a visible, official presence on transit is at the center of our efforts to provide a safe, welcoming system," said Metro Transit General Manager Lesley Kandaras. "These TRIP Agents are a welcome addition to the many other layers of presence that exist already."
Initially, TRIP Agents will train alongside CSOs who have been inspecting fares and issuing administrative citations since early December. The more than 14,000 fare inspections that have taken place since December have resulted in more than 950 administrative citations.
Fines for fare non-payment being at $35.
The added presence along Metro Transit's system is having a noticeable impact according to Andy Baseman with Mental Health Minnesota who sees the rising mental health and addiction issues firsthand.
"We're out here trying to show them that there's a difference between what we're doing and the police," explains Baseman. "We're a resource. The police are an escalation. We're trying to make it so that escalation doesn't happen."
Metro Transit plans to expand the TRIPS Agent team in the future.
"We also know we have a lot of work yet to do," Kandaras added. "I hear from riders everyday and I ride our system quite a bit myself. I know we have a lot of behavior that's illegal or otherwise not following the rules we expect of people. We're not providing a consistently safe and clean experience that people expect from us."
Crime and rider safety has been an issue for Metro Transit, with rising numbers since the beginning of the pandemic. Their numbers show a drop since the start of 2023, but crime numbers overall in 2023 were higher than 2022.
Last year's public safety bill passed by the Minnesota legislature provided extra money for Metro Transit to increase security on public transportation.
Duties assigned to Transit Rider Investment Program (TRIP) Agents who will ride the METRO Green and Blue lines include:
- Inspecting fares and issuing administrative citations for fare non-payment
- Educating riders about “Your Role As a Rider,” which outlines illegal activities like smoking and behaviors that violate Metro Transit’s Code of Conduct, such as playing loud music
- Providing information about routes and schedules
- Sharing information about social service programs
- Administering first aid and Narcan