Service Details
e omer GuidCust
Table of Contents
Customer Guide............................. page 1
Service Details............................... page 2
Areas........................................... page 2
Eligibility........................................ page 3
Hours........................................... page 3
Responsibilities and expectations........page 4
Reservations and Rides.................... page 5
Canceling a ride.............................. page 6
Fares........................................... page 6
No shows..................................... page 7
Other ride considerations.................. page 8
Transfers to other transit................... page 9
Resolving Service Problems.............. page 9
Special Circumstances..................... page 10
ADA-Certified passengers................. page 10
Animals........................................ page 11
Holidays....................................... page 11
Standing Orders............................. page 12
Transit Link is alternative public transportation
option for people throughout the region to get to
work, medical appointments or enjoy recreational
activities. It is public transportation for areas where
regular route transit service is less frequent or not
available. Anyone traveling within the service area
can use Transit Link by making reservations in
advance.
Several different transportation operators
throughout the metro area provide service for
Transit Link. There are five service areas, but
customers can travel within and between any
service area. Some trips may require a transfer to a
regular route where customers will be dropped off
at a transit hub or park-and-ride facility.
Transit Link customers can expect a safe and
reliable ride when they are on the bus. Our
courteous and professional staff will be able to
assist with making a reservation and guide you
through options.
Transit Link
651-602-LINK (5465)
www.transitlinktc.org
1
35
Transit Centers
Primary
Secondary
Anoka Co Government Center
Secondary
Rush Hours Only
35E
35W
94
Foley Blvd Park & Ride
Northtown Transit Center
Maple Grove
Starlite Transit Center
Transit Station
94
Brooklyn Center
Columbia Heights
Transit Center
Transit Center
694
Little Canada
St. Croix Rec Center
494
Transit Center
Robbinsdale Transit Center
Maplewood Mall
Transit Center
Rosedale Transit Center
Plymouth Road Transit Center
694
35E
Sun Ray Transit Center
Ridgedale Shopping Center
Louisiana Ave
94
Transit Center
94
Uptown Transit Center
Woodbury Mall Theater
35W
Woodbury Lutheran Church
Southdale
Signal Hills
Chanhassen
Transit Center
Shopping Center
Transit Station
Southwest Station
494
Mall of America
Transit Center
Southwest Village
Cottage Grove Park & Ride
Bloomington
South Transit
East Creek Station
Eagan Transit Center
Center
Burnsville Transit Station
Marschall Road
Southbridge Crossing
Transit Station
Park & Ride
Burnsville Shopping Center
Eagle Creek
Park & Ride
Apple Valley Transit Center
Miles
35
0 2.5 5 10
Service Details
Areas
Anoka/Ramsey: All of Anoka County and the
Ramsey County communities of Arden Hills, Falcon
Heights, Lauderdale, Mounds View, New Brighton,
Roseville, St. Anthony, and Shoreview.
Carver/Scott: All of Carver and Scott counties
Dakota: All of Dakota County
Hennepin: All of Hennepin County
Ramsey/Washington: All of Washington County
and the Ramsey County communities of Gem Lake,
Little Canada, Maplewood, North Oaks, North St.
Paul, St. Paul, Vadnais Heights, White Bear Lake,
and White Bear Township.
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Eligibility
Transit Link is available to anybody in parts of the
region not served by frequent regular transit routes.
Each trip must be scheduled in advance. When
you call to reserve a trip, the reservationist will help
determine whether your trip is eligible for Transit
Link service. If both trip origin and destination are
served by regular transit routes, the trip will likely
not be eligible for Transit Link.
Trip origins and destinations must be more than
¼-mile from regular transit from November to
March and more than ½-mile from regular transit
from April to October to be eligible for Transit Link.
Transit Link will not provide rides shorter than the
seasonal walking distances.
Transit Link will provide trips going to medical
facilities or senior centers located no more than
two miles outside of the Council’s seven-county
metropolitan area. Trips must originate within the
seven-county service area and not cross state lines
to be eligible.
Transit Link reserves the right to request photo
identification from a customer.
Program information changes periodically. Refer to
the Transit Link web site at www.transitlinktc.org
for the most recent updates.
Hours
Transit Link service is available from 6 a.m. to
7 p.m., Monday through Friday (note: 7 p.m. is the
latest possible scheduled dropoff time). Contact
Transit Link at 651-602-LINK (5465) for more
information.
3
Responsibilities and expectations
Transit Link customers should:
• Be ready to board within 3 minutes of the
scheduled pickup
• Show courtesy and respect to other customers
• Adhere to safety rules and service requirements
• Refrain from eating or drinking on the bus
Transit Link riders can expect:
• A safe and reliable ride
• Courteous and professional customer
service staff
• Professional, well-trained drivers
• Drivers with identification badges who are
appropriately dressed and groomed
• A properly maintained vehicle free of smoke
and litter
• A shared ride, meaning other customers may
be picked up and dropped off while you are
on board
4
Reservations and Rides
To schedule a ride, call Transit Link at
651-602-LINK (5465) on weekdays between
7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. First, tell us the county where
your trip will begin. Once you select your county,
you will be transferred to a reservationist who will
process your request.
You will be asked a number of questions, including:
• Trip date
• Requested ride time or appointment time
• Pick-up address
• Destination address
• Number of companions or personal care
attendant
All ride requests are subject to availability – they
are not guaranteed. Rides may be reserved
up to five business days in advance of the trip.
Reservations are taken from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday. Same day rides may be
scheduled, but there must be at least two hours
between the time the customer calls to reserve the
ride and the desired pickup time. Once a trip is
booked, reservationists are not allowed to adjust
the original request. If a customer wants a different
time than what is available, the reservationist must
cancel the original request before booking a new
trip. Same day rides are not guaranteed and may
not be accepted during inclement weather.
FOR A RIDE ON:
Call as soon as the previous-
Monday
Monday
Tuesday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Thursday
Friday
Friday
*Saturday
Friday
*Sunday
Friday
*Subject to availability
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Canceling a ride
Customers who need to cancel a scheduled ride
(including a standing order ride) should call Transit
Link as soon as possible to cancel, but no later than
one hour prior to the scheduled ride. Customers can
cancel a ride by speaking directly to a reservationist
or by using the voice response system (call).
Fares
Fares for Transit Link trips are $4.50 per one-way
trip during peak hours (6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6:30
p.m.) and $3.50 per one-way trip from 9 a.m. to 3
p.m. Trips longer than 15 miles will be subject to a
75-cent surcharge.
Passengers may pay fares with a Go-To Card with
stored value or by paying cash. Drivers are not
allowed to make change for cash-paying customers.
Go-To Cards can be purchased at most Cub Foods
locations. Visit metrotransit.org/go-to-card for
additional information about retail outlets.
Cash-paying customers who travel on more than
one bus or train to reach their destination should
ask the driver for a transfer when they pay their fare.
If connecting to a regular route bus, the Transit Link
transfer may be exchanged for a regular route bus
transfer when boarding that bus. If you’re paying
with a Go-To Card, the transfer is stored on your
card. Transit Link transfers are valid for the amount
paid and for two-and-a-half hours. Additional
payment is sometimes necessary to complete a trip.
If the trip starts on regular route, ask for a bus
transfer or keep your rail ticket. This must be
presented to the Transit Link driver to verify
payment. Additional charges may apply depending
on the length of the Transit Link trip (see fare table).
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FARES (each way)
Peak
(weekdays 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.)
$4.50
Off-Peak
(all other service times)
$3.50
Children age 5 and younger ride free.
A surcharge of 75 cents will apply to all trips longer than 15 miles
.
NO SHOWS
First & second suspensions No rides for 30 days
(within 12 months)
Third suspension No rides for 45 days
(within 12 months)
Fourth suspension No rides for 60 days
(within 12 months)
Fifth suspension No rides for 90 days
(within 12 months)
Note: each suspension above the fourth suspensions will add an additional
30 days to the penalty.
Additional no-shows prior to the start of a suspension will extend the
suspension by two weeks.
No shows
Failing to cancel a ride at least one hour before
the scheduled pickup time will result in a no-show.
Three no-shows within 30 days will result in a
warning letter. Additional no-shows in the next 30
days will result in suspension from service and
termination of any standing orders. A new standing
order will not be granted for 12 months from the
date that the previous suspension ended. If there
is a no-show on an outgoing trip, the return trip
will automatically be canceled. If there is a no-
show on the return trip the customer must contact
Transit Link to let them know that the return ride
is still needed. Prior to requesting a new standing
order, a customer must use the service for three
consecutive weeks without having any no-shows.
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If a customer no-shows two consecutive rides, all
future rides will be suspended, and a customer
services representative will make one attempt to
contact the customer. All rides will remain suspended
until the customer responds that he or she wants to
continue active service. All standing orders will be
deleted if the customer does not respond within two
weeks.
Passengers may dispute a no show or suspension
after receiving a warning or suspension letter; the
procedure will be explained in the letter. Suspensions
apply to all Transit Link service areas.
Other ride considerations
One adult may bring up to four children on the bus.
Children younger than four or weighing 40 pounds or
less must be in a car seat. Adults are responsible for
providing and properly securing the child’s car seat.
Children age 10 and older are welcome on Transit
Link unaccompanied by an adult, but an adult must
schedule the ride.
Customers may bring up to four grocery-sized
bags and request driver assistance. Drivers are not
allowed to provide any further assistance, both for
their safety and the safety of the customer.
Pickups
Transit Link drivers will arrive within 30 minutes of the
scheduled pickup time. For example, if the scheduled
pickup time is 1 p.m., the vehicle will arrive between
1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., and will be considered “on
time” within that timeframe.
The ride will be free if the vehicle arrives more than
one hour after the scheduled pickup time.
Passengers are allowed three minutes to board the
bus once it arrives. After that, the bus will depart
without the passenger who will be considered a
no-show. If a customer skipped the outgoing ride
(a no-show), but still needs the return ride, the
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customer must call Transit Link to let staff know
the return ride is still needed.
If a vehicle arrives before the scheduled pick-up
time, the three-minute clock begins at the scheduled
pick-up time. The ride will be free if the vehicle
arrives more than one hour after the scheduled
pickup time.
Transfers to other transit
Customers may transfer between Transit Link and
other transit services within the metro area. Transit
Link passengers will only be asked to transfer from
Transit Link to regular route transit at transit hubs
and park-and-ride facilities, with amenities such as
ample lighting, frequent regular route service, and
shelter facilities for passengers. Examples include:
Brooklyn Center Transit Center, Cottage Grove Park
and Ride, Foley Boulevard Park and Ride, Mall of
America, Maplewood Mall, Ridgedale Mall, Rosedale
Mall, and Sun Ray Shopping Center. (Map page 2.)
For example, a customer going from Shoreview to
downtown Minneapolis may take Transit Link to a
transit center, such as Rosedale, and ride the rest of
the way on a regular route.
Resolving Service Related Concerns
Transit Link takes all reported complaints and
incidents very seriously. We are committed to
providing you the highest possible level of service.
Customers that spend more than 90 minutes on the
bus or are picked up more than one hour after the
established pickup time may receive a free ride.
Complaints about Transit Link service should first
be directed to the vendor that provided the service.
Customers can expect to receive a response within
two business days.
If the vendor does not sufficiently resolve a concern,
please call Transit Link at 651-602-LINK (5465)
and press “9” to leave a message in the customer
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voicemail box. Do not leave a message to schedule
or cancel a ride in the general Transit Link voicemail
box. You must speak to a reservationist to schedule
or cancel a ride.
Contact the appropriate service provider at
651-602-5465 for lost-and-found items.
Comment cards are available on all Transit Link
buses. Comments about service may also be
submitted by email to TransitLink@metc.state.
mn.us. Staff will investigate and respond within five
business days.
Special Circumstances
ADA-certified customers
Transit Link is public, dial-a-ride transit. It is
not Metro Mobility. All Transit Link vehicles are
equipped with lifts that meet or exceed the
minimum ADA requirements, so ADA-certified
customers may use Transit Link to connect to the
Metro Mobility service area. In addition, ADA-
certified customers using Transit Link outside the
Metro Mobility service area may request door-
to-door assistance. Customers should request
additional assistance when booking a trip.
Transit Link vehicles cannot accommodate devices
that are greater than: 30 inches wide (or) 48 inches
long (or) 600 pounds combined weight of the
passenger and device. Failure to follow the safety
guidelines may result in a disciplinary suspension,
a mandate to be accompanied by a personal care
attendant (PCA), or loss of Transit Link service.
Customers needing assistance with a mobility
device or any other type of specialized assistance
must bring a personal care attendant. ADA-certified
passengers may bring a personal care attendant
on Transit Link. When scheduling a ride customers
should let the reservationist know that a care
attendant will also be riding. One attendant is
allowed for each ADA certified rider.
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Animals
Service animals, including therapy animals, are
always welcome on Transit Link. The animal must
be under the customer’s control throughout the
trip, and while boarding and exiting. Drivers or
other passengers may not control the animal at
any time. Service animals may sit on the floor or in
the customer’s lap. Service animals may not sit in
a passenger seat. Customers may bring pets on
Transit Link buses if there is space and the animal
is properly caged.
Holidays
Transit Link service will not be available on the
following observed holidays: Thanksgiving Day,
Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Standing
orders will automatically be canceled, unless the
passenger requests otherwise, on the following
holidays: Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor
Day, and the day after Thanksgiving Day.
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Standing orders
Customers who schedule regular trips to work,
medical appointments, or other activities may
apply for a standing order. Standing orders are
automatically scheduled trips each day, several
times a week, or the same day and time each week.
Standing orders are reviewed and scheduled on a
monthly basis if space is available at the requested
time. Standing orders are limited to 75 percent of
the trips in a service area during any hour of the
day. Some requests for standing orders may not be
accepted based on capacity.
Customers may make up to four changes to
an existing standing order each year. To make
changes, the customer must contact the service
provider at least 21 days in advance of any desired
change. All changes are subject to availability.
Changes may include any of the following:
• Changing the pickup or dropoff location
• Adding one or more days
• Changing the pickup time
Standing orders are reserved for customers who
travel regularly. If a customer cancels or is a
no-show on 50 percent of their standing order
trips over a two-month period, the customer will
receive a warning letter. If the customer cancels
or is a no-show within the next two-month period,
the standing order will be canceled. If the standing
order is canceled, the customer will not be granted
a new standing order for 12 months. A customer
may place a standing order on hold for up to six
weeks within the calendar year. A customer must
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contact the service provider to request that a
standing order be placed on hold. Standing order
rides will automatically be canceled, unless the
passenger requests otherwise, for the following
holidays: Memorial Day, Independence Day
observed, Labor Day, the day after Thanksgiving
Day.
A standing order request form can be found on
www.transitlinktc.org.
651-602-LINK (5465)
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Transit Link is public transit, available
throughout the seven county
metropolitan area. It is a curb to curb
service, with limited assistance. Transit
Link serves areas where regular transit
route service is not available. For more
information, visit www.transitlinktc.org.
Transit Link is a service of the
Metropolitan Council, the regional
planning agency for the seven county
Twin Cities metropolitan area.
