Metro Transit community service officers issued citations to 193 people caught riding light-rail trains without paying during the first week of a new fare enforcement effort.
Metro Transit fined 193 riders for not paying in first week of increased enforcement
Officers asked nearly 2,000 riders to show proof of payment. Security guards may soon be able to issue tickets to fare dodgers.
December 12, 2023 at 10:39PM
The team of 12 non-sworn officers, members of the Metro Transit police who are on a path to law enforcement careers, checked nearly 2,000 riders on Green and Blue line trains to increase fare compliance and increase visibility of transit officials.
On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Council, which oversees Metro Transit, is expected to amend its contract with Allied Universal to allow unarmed security guards that patrol six bus stations and light-rail platforms to also issue the fare dodgers tickets that come with a $35 fine.
The fare crackdown is one of several elements that agency officials unveiled in June as part of a so-called Transit Rider Investment Program (TRIP) to address concerns about crime, make riding buses and trains safe, and win back riders lost when the pandemic hit.
"Our No. 1 goal is the customer experience," said Metro Transit General Manager Lesley Kandaras. "We are well on our way to meet those goals."
Kandaras and Metro Transit Police Chief Ernest Morales III gave an update on progress and upcoming initiatives during Tuesday's House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee meeting.
Overall, serious crime is down 33% from January to last week when compared to the same 12 months of last year. At the same time, ridership is up 15%, agency data shows.
By February, the agency plans to finish posting its newly revised Code of Conduct to give riders a clear expectation of what is expected when riding transit, Kandaras said.
Added Morales, "We are committed to cleaning up the perception of our light-rail system."
Morales also said the Metro Transit Police Department is continuing to hire staff. The department has 109 licensed officers but is allocated to have 171. The agency also has 12 community resource officers, but are allotted to have 70.
The governor said it may be 2027 or 2028 by the time the market catches up to demand.
