Star Tribune
Camera monitors are coming to hundreds of Metro Transit buses
Eva Hyvarinen was recently on a Metro Transit Route 11 bus when she noticed movement near the front. She looked up and did a double-take.
She saw a TV monitor mounted behind the driver displaying images from outside the bus, then inside and finally an image of her.
“At first, I thought, what in the world is that,” said the Minneapolis resident who has been riding public transportation since 1982. “Oh, that is this bus. I found it disconcerting. It made me sick. I didn’t see any explanation for it.”
Metro Transit is installing monitors that show what is being captured by onboard cameras on hundreds of its buses this year as the agency takes more steps to improve safety on the state’s largest public transportation system.
Like cameras at self-checkout stations in retail outlets, the purpose “is to remind people when on transit there are expectations that you behave in a certain way. It’s a reminder there is a watchful eye and their behavior is being recorded,” said spokesman Drew Kerr.
As part of a concerted effort to beat back crime, Metro Transit over the past year has put into place steps outlined in its Safety and Security Action Plan to address issues such as homelessness, smoking, drug use and violent crime. The agency has stationed unarmed security guards at troubled light-rail platforms and transit stations, put Transit Rider Investment Program (TRIP) agents on trains to crack down on fare evasion and revised its Code of Conduct to give riders clear explanations of what is expected of them on trains and buses.
The monitors are part of the action plan.
Frontline staff like drivers like Howard Hudson suggested Metro Transit install the screens as another way to deter bad behavior.
“I like them,” he said. “I’m excited about being part of change. They record what is going on.”
The agency is spending about $3,000 per bus to install the system, which takes footage from six to eight cameras and displays what was recorded on the screen near the front of the bus. The images, which change every few seconds, are beamed back to headquarters where transit staff can watch and dispatch help if necessary.
“There are no dead spots,” said Metro Transit Chief Operating Officer Brian Funk.
Hyvarinen, who suffers from motion sickness, says the rotating images are nauseating and invasive. While she is aware security cameras are on the bus, she doesn’t see the point of broadcasting what they pick up.
“I don’t want to see anybody in the back of the bus, and I don’t want to see things I don’t want to see,” Hyvarinen said. “What do I do if I see something that looks dangerous? If people are going to fight, a camera won’t stop them from having a fight. It does not make me feel safer.”
A: Well, if I’m doing a book like “Lost [Twin Cities],” I’m researching a lot of different places. I’m looking at old newspapers, old magazines. I’m looking at architects and architectural styles, looking at the history of how things were developing in downtown Minneapolis or St Paul. When I do research for one of my novels, I did one called “Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders,” I’ll research things like the Winter Carnival. It’s set in 1896, and I was hoping I could use a real ice palace. But turns out, the 1896 Ice Palace, melted before it was done. So, I made up an ice palace.
You’ll find the name of a certain well-known person who was in town. And you start digging into that, seeing if you can maybe insert them into the book. I insert a lot of real people into my books. James J. Hill is in a lot. I look for real places and people to incorporate into the novel to make it feel more real.
Mel Northway, a three-year starter for the Gophers men’s basketball team, died Monday.
Northway, who lived in Hartselle, Ala., was 81.
After moving into the Gophers’ starting lineup as a sophomore in the 1962-63 season — freshmen were ineligible for varsity play then — the 6-8 center from Minneapolis Henry High School averaged a double-double in points and rebounds in each of his three seasons as a starter for coach John Kundla.
Northway, who was an Academic All-American in 1964, averaged 13.6 points and 11.7 rebounds in 72 games for the Gophers. He is sixth on the Gophers’ career rebounding list with 841 rebounds.
Northway was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in the 1965 NBA draft but started the basketball program as coach and athletic director at Anoka-Ramsey Junior College.
After two years at Anoka-Ramsey, he played and coached professionally in Belgium for three seasons. He was named the top player in the Belgium League in 1968 and 1969.
He returned to Minnesota and served as an assistant to Gophers coach Bill Fitch while completing a master’s degree. He then started the basketball program at Inver Hills Junior College. After two years as the Inver Hills coach and athletic director, he became the basketball coach at Blaine High School.
After Blaine, Northway spent 20 years as athletic director and assistant principal at Neenah (Wis.) High School. He was named to the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association Hall of Fame in 2022.
Metro Transit fares will be lowered and simplified after the new year after a series of changes were approved by the Metropolitan Council on Wednesday.
The changes, which take effect Jan. 1, include:
Additionally, at some point in 2025, people who qualify for the Transit Assistance Program, an income-based program, will pay $1 fares for up to two years before re-applying is necessary.
Metro Transit said in a news release the price changes are expected to draw an additional 926,000 rides in 2025, which will offset some of the costs associated with lower fares.
Through September this year, ridership has increased 8% compared to last year.
“Making transit easier to use is key to growing ridership, and we believe simplifying fares will help do just that,” Metro Transit General Manager Lesley Kandaras said. “These changes also support our belief that cost should not be a barrier for those who want or need access to our services.”
Journalist and author Larry Millett highlights St. Paul history
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary, was investigated for alleged sexual assault in 2017
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary, was investigated for alleged sexual assault in 2017
Journalist and author Larry Millett highlights St. Paul history
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary, was investigated for alleged sexual assault in 2017