MARTA
MARTA on April 22 announced that it has launched a new online trip planner web application as part of ongoing efforts to enhance the customer experience.
This “mobile-responsive, user-friendly platform,” MARTA says, provides improved real-time information on bus and train arrivals, schedules, routes, and service alerts. Designed to simplify the trip planning process, the new tool also supports MARTA’s environmental responsibility by reducing the need for printed maps and paper schedules, the agency noted.
Riders can now plan their trips more efficiently here.
Metra
Metra on April 22 announced that it will conduct Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) safety blitzes at 40 train stations across the six-county region in 2025 as part of its ongoing efforts to “raise awareness about the importance of safe behavior” around the agency’s trains and tracks.
During a safety blitz, Metra employees will visit one of the railroad’s 243 stations during the morning rush hour, distributing educational materials about train and grade crossing safety, answering questions, and listening to riders’ safety concerns. A short video about grade crossing safety is also available for customers to view while they wait for their trains. Local police, fire and other public officials are also invited to participate.
“Safety is always Metra’s highest priority,” said Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski. “These safety blitzes allow us to reach our customers directly to ensure that they understand the need to stay vigilant about safety anytime they’re around the railroad.”
Illinois has the nation’s second-largest rail system with more than 7,300 miles of railroad track and 10,264 public rail crossings, according to the agency. In 2024, Illinois ranked sixth in the nation in train vs. vehicle collisions at highway rail crossings and fifth in the nation in trespassing fatalities. Preliminary statistics compiled by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) show that in 2024, 21 people died and 52 people were injured in grade crossing incidents in Illinois and another 39 people were killed and 21 people were injured trespassing along railroad right-of-way.
To help promote rail safety awareness and eliminate preventable injuries and deaths, Metra develops an annual schedule of safety blitzes throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. The complete 2025 safety blitz schedule can be found below.
The safety blitz program’s primary purpose is educational, the agency noted. Metra Police will also conduct additional enforcement blitzes at locations throughout the region, where citations and warnings will be issued to pedestrians and drivers who ignore gates and warning devices.
Additionally, Metra promotes safety through its annual Safety Competition for the region’s students and conducts hundreds of free OLI presentations annually to schools, community groups, school bus drivers, professional truck drivers, emergency responders and other organizations throughout the region.
More information is available here.
