By James Pluta
Staff writer
Published: 9/6/06
Metra commuters leaving work for their homes in five DuPage County communities -- including Elmhurst, Villa Park and Lombard -- will be given a lesson in railroad safety before and after being dropped off at their respective train stations Thursday, Sept. 7.
Villa Park Police Chief John Payne said his officers are participating in a multiagency railroad safety blitz that afternoon along with police in Elmhurst, Lombard, Wheaton and West Chicago. They have teamed up with the Illinois Commerce Commission, Union Pacific Railroad and Metra for the event.
The blitz will involve several uniformed officers riding from downtown Chicago's Ogilvie Station, along with commuters, discussing the importance of talking with their children and families about railroad safety in hopes of preventing more tragedies along the tracks.
"Our whole point is to meet the parents ... because it's a captive audience," said officer William Lyons, one of four Villa Park officers who plan to ride the trains and meet as many as 1,000 commuters coming home that day. "We already teach Operation Lifesaver to the kids, so this just kind of brings it all together."
Both on the trains and at each participating station, officers along with Metra and UP personnel will also be distributing educational material to the riders to assist them in their talks at home.
James Pluta's e-mail address is jpluta@libertysuburban.com