RReady to reduce your carbon footprint by embracing public transit in the metro area?
Good idea — transportation accounts for about a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions in Minnesota. Metro Transit and public transit booster groups like Move Minneapolis and Move Minnesota are here to help. So are the dozens of transit riders who responded to our query on social media for tips.
Transit newbies "mostly fear the unknown; there's a fear of getting lost," said Doug Cook, outreach coordinator with Metro Transit. "My job is to get them over that fear, and show them the resources we offer."
YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
On this Earth Day, the Star Tribune offers a guide to the many ways you can take action today to reduce your carbon footprint.
So let's get started.
Where do you want to go?
You can download Metro Transit's app on your smartphone and tap where you want to go on the Trip Planner. Once you figure out your route, keep tabs on the bus or train schedule on NexTrip. Others prefer Google Maps, Pantograph or an app simply called Transit; lots of transiteers mix and match apps for different functions. Route information is also available on Metro Transit's website.
Minneapolis and St. Paul have more frequent and available routes. But the suburbs do have their share of service, either on Metro Transit or on suburban providers (which feature somewhat limited express service, but accept Metro Transit fare payments) Maple Grove Transit, Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, Plymouth Metrolink, and SouthWest Transit. There are dozens of park-and-ride facilities throughout the metro area, too.
If you frequently use a certain route, sign up for rider alerts, which ping you when there's an issue with service.
How do I pay?
You can download the Metro Transit mobile app to pay for your fare using your phone.
You can also buy a Go-To stored value card on Metro Transit's website and at area retailers, including Cub Foods stores. Keep a record of the serial number on your Go-To card — you'll need it to add value or if it's lost or stolen. You may opt for an employer-subsidized Metropass, or a College Pass or a Student Pass through educational institutions.
Credit cards are not accepted on buses. But you can still pay the old-fashioned way — buses accept cash, but it has to be exact change (coins or dollars). Ask the driver to give you a transfer.
One-way fares on buses and light rail trains vary from $2 to $3.25 depending on the time of day. Northstar Commuter Rail service between Target Field and Big Lake is $6.25 one way.
Metro Transit also offers reduced fares of $1 per trip for people with lower incomes through its Transit Assistance Program.
Now what?
Familiarize yourself with Metro Transit's code of conduct, a lengthy and often-ignored rule book that mandates such things as keeping non-service animals in carriers, one seat per rider (no manspreading!), and no eating on board.
Tap the card on the reader at the front of the bus, or at light-rail and bus-rapid transit stations (A, C, D, and Orange lines) before you board. Some express buses call for passengers to pay as they leave during afternoon rush hours.
Save the front seats for people in wheelchairs or mobility devices, passengers with strollers, and others who may need a little help. If the bus has a rear exit, get off there to avoid a scrum at the front of the bus. About a block before you need to get off the bus, pull the cord, touch the yellow tab near the window, or push the red button to alert the driver.
Common fears
Let's talk about crime and nuisance behavior aboard transit, particularly the Blue and Green light-rail lines. This usually involves drug use, smoking, harassing, creepy, gross or criminal behavior. Metro Transit says it's putting more police, private security and "transit rider assistance program" agents on buses and trains. Frequent transit users say they're noticing these people, but it's too early to say whether it's helping.
In the meantime, if you see something suspicious or inappropriate on a bus or train, text 612-900-0411. Include the location, route number, bus or train number, a description of the issue and the person or people involved. If you witness a crime, call 911.
Frequent transit users recommend boarding the car closest to the driver on light rail; avoid the middle car if there is one, known as the "party" or "poop" car. If it gets bad, switch cars at the next stop, or get off and wait for another train.
Rider tips
We asked frequent transit users on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, for some tips on taking public transportation in the Twin Cities. Responses may have been lightly edited for spelling and style.
Not all of the bus drivers know where every bus goes, or what street you need to get off to get a connection, or even all the connections on the route they're driving. So don't expect them to be able to answer all your questions. Another response: Ask the other riders. People may or may not answer, but usually they do, and can help out.
Rides within the Downtown Zone are only 50 cents! But give the driver a second to push the button — and wait a half beat for the fare to actually change on screen.
Be alert to your surroundings!
After boarding and paying your fare, hold onto something as soon as you can — most drivers are trying to stay on time and the bus will start moving before you sit down. This can be startling and tricky, especially for older riders.
Pay attention to the letters. The "4″ is not the "4P." (Editor's note: Ask the driver where the bus goes.)
The first time, you might get on going the wrong way. I did that once (transferring from bus to bus) and had to get off, cross the street and catch the next bus the other way. So, good to watch streets (and transit or Google app) as you roll and make sure you know where you are.
You might know where you're going and the bus route might go right by it, but know in advance which stop you are getting off at. This is especially true on limited stop routes like arterial bus-rapid transit and the Route 54.
Riding transit for the first time is easier together with a friend or co-worker who has a little experience. Or, let the driver know. They want your first bus trip to be a good one. You'll then look forward to your next trip.
1. Patience 2. Google or NexTrip texts are great for timing 3. Say "Thank you," to the driver 4. Digital tickets are OK; I use the Go-To card which is great and auto-refills.
I often change the "willing to walk" setting on the app from a half mile to one mile. I'll often find better options that way (which may be only slightly farther than half mile). Similarly, I often try a few different time options (five or 10 minutes on either side).
I like to text NexTrip so see when the next bus is coming but often it disappears minutes before it arrives so don't be fooled, it may still be coming.
Don't go to the office Happy Hour if you live in the suburbs and ride one of the express buses. They don't make restroom breaks.
If you have transfers, your return trip may take longer than your initial trip due to timing. Get to your stop at least five minutes ahead of the scheduled time (and factor in how long it will take you to get out the door, especially in winter).
If leaving out the back door of the bus and the green light above it isn't on and the door won't open don't be afraid to kindly yell "BACK DOOR, PLEASE" to the driver.
I love NexTrip and Trip Planner. Stop numbers are the bus stop sign. Put the number for emergency help in your phone so it is handy. Check to see if your workplace/school offers a discount on passes. Avoid the train, if you can, unless you like the smell of drugs and pee.
If a bus shelter is very far back from the street, a driver might not see you. Wave or step forward and make eye contact so they don't miss you (looking at the new shelter for northbound Route 22 at Franklin and Cedar, I predicted they'd miss us and they did! We flagged 'em down though).
For bus riders, check the website to see if your regular routes have branches. Know which letters to avoid that might not go to where you want it to go. And bear in mind that most routes use different branch letters in different directions (the Route 3 is a notable exception).
If there's any significant amount of snow, consider higher boots or even gaiters. Bus stops are maybe the most neglected area when it comes to shoveling/plowing. Everything gets pushed there.
Buy a few digital tickets at once when you need just one. That way when I go back into the app and need a ticket later, I'm pleasantly surprised that I'd purchased a few already! As long as you haven't activated them, they can just sit in your app as usable tickets.
Explore! Take time to ride the routes without an agenda just to give yourself an idea of ways you can access the city on your routes to and from places. Shop along your stops!
Bring something to listen to if you are sensitive to sounds — announcements have increased recently and can be quite loud, especially on LRT platforms.
Don't judge — just ride.
Relax, enjoy the view, learn something new, stay alert, don't wear earbuds, trust you'll be just fine. Thank the driver on your way off the bus. Same with the LRT, except you'll never see the driver.
A lot of routes have seriously reduced service at night and on weekends, so keep that in mind. Some routes will have decent coverage during the week and then you'll try and schedule a trip on the weekend and it's only every hour or they stop really early in the evening.
When riding on a train or bus that is not crowded, it's fine to take the "outside" rather than an inside seat. I once had someone sort of trap me in and not let me exit from a train. No reason to sit on the inside unless it's full. (Then do move over and let someone sit.)
Fifth and Hennepin is a great place to catch a bus, especially after 10 p.m.
Accept that other people will be around you and in your buffer zone. It's not a car. People will be near you.
Wear a mask.
Activate the "GO" feature (on the Metro Transit app) while riding; it tells you when you need to get off the bus or train. Not all the stops are announced; you might miss the announcement, and it can be difficult to see out the window at night to tell where you are.
Open windows near your seat if the air is stuffy and your windows aren't sealed. Don't block the back exit door. Most drivers are pretty nice and informative, even/especially the gruff-seeming ones. Don't get splashed. If a bus is coming that you're not boarding, wave off the driver.
Get wired headphones and use them even if not listening to anything. You can point to the cord when people try to bother you.
And at night (at the bus stop) turn on your phone flashlight or another light (I use a bike light ) to get the driver's attention. Once I waited in the cold and dark at a bus stop and they passed right by without stopping!
Why bother with all this?
Cars are the biggest contributor to a household's carbon footprint, according to the American Public Transportation Association. By taking public transit instead of driving a car for a 20-minute commute, a single person can save 4,800 pounds of carbon dioxide a year, the APTA says.
The U.S. needs to cut annual emissions by about 15,000 pounds per person to help prevent the world's temperatures from reaching a crucial threshold that scientists say could have catastrophic effects on the planet. By taking transit, you're making good progress towards that goal.
For naysayers and gentlemen who email this reporter anti-transit rants in the middle of the night, it is true that buses run on diesel gas or some variation, and transit on electricity. But the Massachusetts Institute of Technology points out that cars usually carry one or two people at a time, while a bus can often ferry dozens of passengers, and a train in a large city may serve thousands. It's just more efficient.
Finally, will I save money?
Households that use public transportation save an average of $6,251 every year, and even more should gas prices rise, according to the APTA. The average cost of owning and operating a new vehicle is close to $13,000 a year, or about $1,000 a month, according to AAA.
So give public transit a try, and ask for help if you need it. As Move Minneapolis' outreach manager John Barobs says, it's all about "trying to take the intimidation and mystery factor out of it."
Star Tribune staff writer Greg Stanley contributed to this story.