Legislators, Met Council look to decriminalize light rail fare evasion

Proposal also would add "transit ambassadors" to improve safety on trains.

February 1, 2020 at 4:11PM
Transit officers Noah LaBathe, left, and LaFayette Temple checked for valid passes or receipts from riders at the East Bank Station Tuesday afternoon in Minneapolis. ] JEFF WHEELER ï jeff.wheeler@startribune.com A new report shows that light rail fare dodgers cost the Met Council about $28,000 a week in lost revenues. Riders rarely see anyone checking for compliance, but Tuesday afternoon, April 7, 2015 Transit Police were at the East Bank station at the U of M asking for proof of payment.
Transit officers Noah LaBathe, left, and LaFayette Temple checked for valid passes or receipts from riders at the East Bank Station in Minneapolis in 2015. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

People caught riding Twin Cities light-rail trains without paying would no longer face criminal penalties under a plan Democratic legislators and the Metropolitan Council will push at the Capitol this year.

The proposal also would add uniformed "transit ambassadors" to monitor the trains, which saw an increase in serious crime in 2019. They would ensure that those who can pay are doing so and connect people with services if they cannot afford the fare, said bill sponsor Rep. Brad Tabke, DFL-Shakopee.

Someone caught riding without a ticket now faces a $180 misdemeanor penalty, though Tabke said a tiny fraction of such cases are prosecuted. The bill would reduce that to a $25 petty misdemeanor fine that could be paid online.

"It's not just. It's not fair. And [prosecutors] have more important priorities," Met Council Chairman Charlie Zelle said of the significant fine now in place for failing to pay a $2 fare.

The plan comes as robberies, assaults and thefts have increased on Twin Cities light-rail lines, including a fatal stabbing on the Blue Line in January.

Transit ambassadors would address a trend of fewer people paying fares, but more importantly they would create a safer and more welcoming atmosphere and deter people from criminal behavior in their presence, Zelle said. They would also free up police to focus on more serious problems, Tabke said.

Ambassadors are just one piece of the puzzle to improving riders' experience on light-rail lines, said Zelle, who recently took over as chairman.

Metro Transit has already beefed up the police presence inside trains and buses and added a homeless action team, Zelle said. The agency is adding live surveillance cameras inside light-rail cars and is looking to change seats from fabric to plastic and increase cleaning services, he said.

"One of these things doesn't seem to be that big of a deal, but when we piece all this together, it creates a much different impression about what it is to be riding transit," he said.

Tabke and Zelle said they do not yet have a number of how many transit ambassadors they want to add or a cost estimate for the program. However, as more people pay to ride, that would generate additional dollars, Tabke said. His bill sets a goal of having 10% of transit riders inspected for fare compliance by 2024.

Rep. Paul Torkelson, the Republican lead on the House transportation committee, said he hasn't looked through Tabke's proposal but believes something needs to be done to address light-rail safety.

He said he's not opposed to decriminalizing fare evasion, as long as it's part of a bigger plan to make the system safer.

Torkelson, R-Hanska, plans to introduce a bill instructing the Met Council to bring in outside experts to evaluate light-rail safety and make recommendations. The issue is particularly important as the system expands, with the new Southwest line being developed between Minneapolis and Eden Prairie, he said.

"We want people to feel safe and use the light rail. That's the objective. And with this new project coming on board fairly soon … it would be good if we could address some of these problems before that opens up," he said.

In November, Torkelson offered a slew of ideas to address the rise in criminal behavior on transit. He said at the time that lawmakers would be evaluating options, including making loitering on light-rail station platforms a crime and adding barriers or turnstiles to prevent people from getting on a platform without buying a ticket. He also suggested an increase in Metro Transit officers and fare inspectors, along with a rule that officers would have to cite anyone who didn't have a valid ticket.

Jessie Van Berkel • 651-925-5044

about the writer

Jessie Van Berkel

Reporter

Jessie Van Berkel is the Star Tribune’s social services reporter. She writes about Minnesota’s most vulnerable populations and the systems and policies that affect them. Topics she covers include disability services, mental health, addiction, poverty, elder care and child protection.

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