Growing up in St. Paul, Art Shelton learned a lesson from his father that he carried throughout his life: Be the best you can be at whatever you’re doing. For 42 years, that meant striving to be the best Metro Transit bus operator he could be. “I enjoyed every day of work at Metro Transit,” Shelton said.

Before he became a bus operator, Shelton served as a police officer. When looking for his next career move, a former operator and friend pointed him to Metro Transit. “I took a test, passed, and the rest is history,” he said. After a few years at the Old Snelling and Nicollet garages, Shelton transferred to South, where he spent the rest of his career.

Over the years, Shelton only worked the extraboard, taking on new routes each day. “It made the job different every day,” Shelton said. “If I had a bad day, I knew the next one could be a good one. And, the vast majority were good.”

He credits his longevity on to the job to finding a career that fit his outgoing personality. Interacting with others and treating people with respect, he said, made the job fulfilling and fun.

In retirement, Shelton hopes to be the best volunteer he can be, stocking homeless shelters with winter clothing and walking shelter dogs.