NextStop Blog

The safety of our customers and passengers is our top priority, and we recently honored MetroBus, Metro Call‑A‑Ride and MetroLink operators who have consistently delivered the safest transit service the Metro system has to offer.

Nearly 150 operators were recognized for providing accident-free service for more than 10 years. Of that group, seven operators have provided 20 or more years of service without an accident. Those operators include:

MetroBus (Illinois): Charles Jones (20 years)

MetroBus (Brentwood): Harry O’Brien (20 years)

Metro Call‑A‑Ride: Betty Clark (22 years), Zelda Richardson (22 years)

MetroLink: Michael Schaefer (36 years), Robert Hare (34 years), C. Wayne Stewart (22 years)

Each MetroBus and Metro Call‑A‑Ride operator drives about 26,000 miles annually. In the past 10 years, MetroBus and Metro Call‑A‑Ride have reduced the total number of preventable accidents by 42 percent.

For MetroLink, each operator travels about 50,000 miles annually. In fiscal year 2014, the MetroLink accident and incident rate was one tenth of a percent per 100,000 vehicle miles. This means, collectively, the 19 MetroLink operators honored have traveled about 10 million miles without any type of incident.

“There’s nothing more important than ensuring the well-being of our passengers, and that these operators have been able to consistently provide accident-free service over the years while traveling millions of miles throughout the region is a truly remarkable achievement,” said Ray Friem, Chief Operating Officer of Transit Services. “Transit is an important service for our communities, and our operators represent the very best that any transit system anywhere could hope to have.”