Metra has launched a multimedia communications campaign, “My Metra,” to highlight the steps taken in response the COVID-19 and to demonstrate to riders that Metra is a safe and healthy option for travel.
“The thrust of this effort is to tell our customers that we’re ready for them when they’re ready for us,’ said Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski. “They will find clean stations and trains, a mask requirement, plenty of room for physical distancing and a multitude of signs and announcements reinforcing our efforts to help them Commute with Confidence.”
The campaign theme is meant to remind riders of the central role Metra plays in their lives and in their community. The campaign aims to reach as many riders and potential riders as possible, with advertising across a wide range of media, including television, radio, streaming radio, outdoor billboards, social media, website, direct mail and others.
“’My Metra’ is about making sure we’re there when you need us,” Derwinski said. “It’s about getting you home safely and comfortably, just as we did for essential workers throughout the pandemic. It’s about always meeting your expectations. And it’s about communicating our value and relevance to you and the region.”
The campaign will highlight all the steps Metra has taken, following the guidance of the CDC and health officials, to create a safe experience for its customers on its system. Those include thoroughly deep cleaning all cars and stations in the spring and summer and keeping them that way with daily cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting, using new equipment and new cleaning methods. Other safety protocols include requiring that masks be worn for the duration of the ride, providing plenty of room for riders to spread out and giving them plenty of time to board and de-board so they don’t bunch up. Additionally, the campaign highlights Metra’s use of hospital-grade air filters and new touchless hand sanitizer dispensers in each car.
Riders will find a significant number of signs on each car reinforcing the mask and social distancing rules and highlighting these steps and more. Metra also has created a new ridership dashboard showing the number of people using each train so riders can make informed decisions about which trains to use.
“I don’t think it’s too early to say that 2020 will go down as one of the most challenging years in history,” Derwinski said. “Although there may be uncertainty ahead, you can be certain that Metra won’t let you down. We will do everything we can to provide the safe, healthy, comfortable and reliable service you have come to expect.”
