Council member urges WeGo to adopt emergency fare policy after rapid Journey Pass rollout
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Summary
Council member Quinn Evans praised WeGo's accelerated distribution of Journey Passes during the recent federal shutdown but urged the board to adopt a formal policy that would allow rapid fare waivers or other emergency measures in future crises affecting large numbers of residents.
Council member Quinn Evans urged the Metro Transit Authority board to develop a formal emergency fare-suspension policy after praising WeGo Public Transit’s rapid distribution of Journey Passes during a recent federal shutdown. "Concern though that 4,500 journey passes doesn't come close," Evans said, noting that the city has roughly 60,000 SNAP recipients and similarly affected federal workers who may face sudden income disruptions.
Evans told the board the Metropolitan Council's transportation and infrastructure committee has pushed for clearer processes so the transit agency and city partners can act quickly in crises — whether caused by federal funding freezes, shutdowns, or extreme weather — and consider options such as temporary fare waivers.
Chair Gail Carr Williams framed the Journey Pass as a voter-approved, equity-focused program that WeGo and partner agencies piloted in collaboration with the mayor's office. She credited internal staff and partners — Amanda Vandegrift, Zita Riggs and social service agencies including the Metro Action Commission, MDHA, Metro Public Health Department, Metro Social Services, Metro Public Schools' HERO program and the Office of Homeless Services — for accelerating distribution. “As of October 31… we had already distributed 2,500 passes through the pilot,” the chair said, adding that distribution rose to "over 5,000" in the first three weeks and that "over 70,000 individual trips have been taken with the journey pass cards."
A transit advocate in the public comment period, Adam Nicholson, echoed calls for crisis-ready options and suggested operational fixes such as directly mailing passes to known-eligible customers to speed access. The board did not take immediate policy action during the meeting but the chair emphasized continued partnership with the mayor's office and city agencies to expand the pilot and improve crisis responsiveness.
Next steps noted by staff included continuing pilot enrollment, working with partner agencies to streamline sign-ups, and bringing policy proposals or implementation updates back to the board for consideration.
