Metro Transit, COTA approve 2025 budgets

Metro Transit in Minneapolis and the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) have approved their 2025 operating budgets. COTA has also approved its 2025 capital budget.

Metro Transit

Metro Transit’s 2025 operating budget will allow the agency to grow the Transit Rider Investment Program (TRIP), expand the use of supplemental security officers, partner with community-based organizations and bring on more police officers and community service officers (CSO). The budget also provides funding for more maintenance staff dedicated to cleaning and maintaining stations, vehicles and track areas.

“We continue to act with urgency to provide the kind of experience our riders and staff deserve, investing in efforts that are working while seeking new opportunities to involve new partners to expand our impact,” said Metro Transit General Manager Lesley Kandaras.

Metro Transit notes the 2025 budget provides $10.75 million for contracted supplemental security services and the continued use of contracted employees as TRIP agents, as well as up to $750,000 to partner with organizations focused on issues like substance abuse disorders, mental health and housing.

According to the agency, TRIP agents and CSOs have together inspected more than 459,000 fares in 2024, doubling the number of fare inspections recorded in 2023. TRIP agents began working on transit in late February. Nearly 60 TRIP agents are now working on transit. The goal is to have up to 100 TRIP employees by the end of 2025.

Metro Transit notes it has seen a decline in reported crimes and growing ridership. According to the agency, crime is down 8.4 percent in the first three quarters of 2024 compared to the same time period in 2023. The agency also notes more than 40.1 million rides have been provided through the end of October, which is up seven percent compared to the same time in 2023. September brought Metro Transit’s highest ridership in over four years, with average weekday ridership approaching 157,000 rides.

“We’re making great progress, but we know our work is far from finished and that we need to continue to put our resources to work while engaging people across the region as our system expands in 2025 and beyond,” said Metropolitan Council Chair Charlie Zelle.

Metro Transit says efforts to improve public safety on transit are guided by the Safety and Security Action Plan. Several of the initiatives being advanced are focused on improving conditions along the METRO Green Line corridor. Metro Transit notes that coinciding with an expansion of the Saint Paul Downtown Improvement District, safety ambassadors from the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance will regularly spend time at downtown St. Paul light-rail stations and adjacent bus stops beginning in January.

“Safety ambassadors are a cornerstone of our Downtown Improvement District and a proven model that has significantly improved safety outcomes in downtown,” said Saint Paul Downtown Alliance President Joe Spencer. “We are excited to partner with Metro Transit to expand the presence of our safety ambassadors to all light-rail stations and bus stops throughout downtown Saint Paul.”

Metro Transit notes it has also partnered with The Listening House of Saint Paul to have participants in their work now program to regularly clean several Green Line stations and bus stops. The Metro Transit Police Department is also increasing officer presence along the Green Line in partnership with the Saint Paul Police Department.

According to the agency, a key partner in the effort to improve conditions on transit is the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1005, the union that represents more than 2,000 of the agency's frontline transit workers. In addition to expanding Metro Transit’s workforce, the 2025 budget funds new positions focused on supporting transit workers who experience traumatic events and de-escalation training for all frontline workers.

“Transit workers deserve a safe and clean working environment, and they also play a key role in creating and maintaining that environment,” said ATU Local 1005 President David Stiggers. “I commend our union members for their service and for being such a huge part of the work to create a system we can all be proud of.”

Metro Transit is also investing in a program that provides aspiring police officers tuition assistance and several apprentice and mentorship programs.

COTA

COTA’s balanced $238 million operating budget focuses on more frontline staff, increased service and improved customer experiences. According to the agency, the 2025 budget proposes an additional 63,000 service hours, more transit frequency and better technology to help customers plan their trips.

The agency notes the $220.9 million 2025 capital budget has been approved. Most of the funding from the capital budget will be invested in transit corridors authorized by the LinkUS mobility plan supported by voters during the 2024 election.

“Our operating and capital budgets reflect the will of Central Ohio voters, who have given us the resources to invest in a modern mass transit system,” said COTA President and CEO Monica Téllez-Fowler. “Starting next year and continuing for years to come, COTA service will have later hours of service, more frequency and be easier for our customers to access our system.”

“Our residents and our customers have called for more transit service and today we begin delivering on our promise to them,” said COTA Board of Trustees Chair Marlon Moore. “The full transformation of our system will take years to complete but our customers will notice COTA improving each year, beginning in 2025.”

Highlights of the operating budget include funding support for: