Public transportation safety is top of mind in the Metropolitan (MET) Council’s proposed 2025 budget, which includes expanding security camera use, improving conditions on and off buses and the light rail and expanding the Transit Rider Investment Program (TRIP). 

Of the budget, over $1.6 million dollars would go toward Metro Transit’s daily costs like paying drivers, maintenance costs and hiring security in 2025. Over $500,000 would go toward Metro Transit buses and $111,000 would go toward the light rail.

The MET Council, which oversees some buses and the light rail system in the Twin Cities area, is accepting public comment on the proposed budget until Wednesday, according to a press release from the MET Council. 

Many of the proposed safety improvements in the budget are expansions of Metro Transit’s Safety and Security Action Plan, which started in 2022. According to the proposed budget, Metro Transit will expand the use of security cameras at light rail and bus stations which will be monitored in real-time. 

The proposed budget also looks to better maintain bus stops and light rail stations through deep cleanings and installations of public art to make the spaces more inviting.

Additionally, improving the accessibility of public transportation through better maintenance of escalators and elevators is a priority, according to the proposed budget. 

The TRIP program, which began in February, provides in-person resources and more official presence on the light rail, Metro Transit General Manager Lesley Kandaras said in September. TRIP agents ensure people have purchased tickets, answer questions about public transit, perform CPR and contact police in emergencies.

“Our TRIP agents are not police, but they are out riding light rail, checking fares, assisting customers, answering questions and really being eyes and ears out there,” Kandaras said.

In addition to TRIP officers, the proposed budget also calls for hiring other security agents at light rail and bus stations where security calls are common.

Metro Transit has seen some success with its increased safety efforts over the past year. Crime was down by over 17% in the second quarter of 2024, according to a statement from Metro Transit spokesperson Drew Kerr. 

“Ridership has meanwhile increased 9% comparing the first half of 2023 to the first half of 2024,” Kerr said in the statement.

MET Council Chair Charlie Zelle said in the statement that ridership numbers were encouraging, but that there was still a lot of work to do. 

“We are committed to maintaining a transit system that makes people feel safe and confident in their surroundings,” Zelle said in the statement.

According to the budget, Metro Transit wants to hire more front-line workers such as police officers, community service officers and TRIP agents. 

Outside of the light rail and other public transportation options, the around $1.6 billion 2025 proposed budget will also go toward reducing MET Council’s climate impacts, improving equity in the region and expanding affordable housing, according to a press release from the MET Council in November. 

“We provide essential services and collaborate with counties, cities, and townships to plan and coordinate growth so our region thrives, now and in the future,” Zelle said in the press release. “Through our partnerships, we can achieve ambitious goals that may be unrealistic for a single community but are possible together.”