In this edition...
  • Metro Transit Enhances Public Safety
  • Car-Free MSP - Save the Date(s)
  • Move is Hiring!
  • Nice Ride for All on Campus
  • Transportation Affordability Programs
As Riders Return, Metro Transit Announces $4 Million In Safety Investments
Metro Transit’s overall ridership dropped by 55% during the pandemic and is now slowly climbing back. As more workplaces reopen, and the workforce returns to the office, Metro Transit is making a $ 4 million investment to increase the monitoring and improve safety of transit services. General Manager Wes Kooistra announced the public safety campaign on July 15th to “improve customer service and safety”.

These initiatives include adding public safety staff. Metro Transit’s 137 full-time police officers will be joined by 20 new hires as part of this plan.

Over the next year, the plan calls for 50 additional Community Service Officers (CSOs) to join the current complement of 20. Duties of CSOs, who will wear polo shirts and baseball caps, are focused on the customer experience including assisting with wayfinding, educating on how the fare system works, and connecting those experiencing homelessness and in need of services to the MTPD’s Homeless Action Team.

Other improvements include additional cameras on rail cars, platforms, transit stations and other public facilities, and more staff to monitor the system at any time during Metro Transit service hours.

Metro Transit is making these and other investments in public safety at a critical time as the community emerges from the pandemic. The safety improvements are part of an effort to build a stronger, safer, and better transit system as ridership increases back towards pre-pandemic levels.  

Save The Date(s)!
Sept. 21 - 23
"Back to Downtown"
The day after Labor Day is the unofficial “return-to-the-office” date for many employers, though some are embracing a hybrid remote working model. As you prepare to return to downtown, make a fresh start with your commute. Move Minneapolis and our transportation partners have options for an easier, healthier, more sustainable commute “Back to Downtown”. Save the date(s) September 21 – 23 for Car-Free MSP, and we’ll show you a better way to move with in-person and virtual events. Stay tuned for details… 
Move Minneapolis announces two full-time positions:
 Outreach Specialist and Outreach & Events Specialist
We're hiring two specialists to carry out mission-critical activities leading to demonstrable drive-alone reduction among downtown Minneapolis commuters.

The mission of Move Minneapolis is to promote transportation options to enhance economic vitality, environmental sustainability, air quality, equity, and quality of life for everyone in the Minneapolis region.

Interested? Download the job descriptions below. Email a cover letter and resume by August 13 to: etjoflat@mplschamber.com  Please include the title of the position in the subject line.
Start fall semester with the sweetest ride on campus! Hop on a Nice Ride ebike or classic bike at the U of M, MCTC, Dunwoody Institute, Augsburg College and other Minneapolis schools!

Nice Ride for All offers affordable, accessible, and fun transportation options for everyone, regardless of income.
Benefits
  • $5 Annual Membership
  • Unlimited rides, with the first 45 minutes of each trip included
  • Ebike trips are an extra $0.05/min*
  • Bikes available during riding season throughout service area
  • Pay with credit, debit, or prepaid card

The program offer more opportunities for residents to try Nice Ride, including all Minneapolis students receiving Federal Student Aid are eligible to receive a $5 annual Nice Ride for All membership!

If you receive the following Federal and State grants, you qualify for subsidized Nice RIde For All memberships:
  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
  • Minnesota State Grant Program
  • Federal Unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loan
  • Federal Subsidized Direct Stafford Loan
  • Federal Perkins Loan
  • Federal Direct PLUS Loan
  • Federal TEACH Grant


***Come see us at Malcom Yards in Prospect Park National Night Out and Heritage Park National Night Out at 1000 Olson Memorial Hwy, both events on Tuesday, Aug. 3 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Stop by and learn about Nice Ride for All and pick up some Nice Ride swag!
Get Where You Need To, Save As You Go
The NEW Move Minneapolis Guide To Transportation Affordability Programs is available as a free downloadable pdf that will help you or your employees save money as they get to work and home again each day. Solutions are tailored toward employees in lower-wage jobs such as food service, retail, housekeeping, and security. These are jobs in which number of hours and shift times can vary greatly. Having affordable options for getting around town is a tremendous benefit. No matter where you are going, our guide will help you #MoveLikeABoss. Learn about affordable ways to ride Metro Transit, bike commute, Nice Ride for All, scooters, and carpooling, and even get home fast in an emergency.
Move Minneapolis is a 501c4 nonprofit that promotes sustainable transportation.

Support is provided by a federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant in partnership with the United States Department of Transportation, the Metropolitan Council, the City of Minneapolis, MnDOT, Hennepin County, and the downtown community.