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July 22, 2019
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Metro-North Awarded Operation Lifesaver Grant for Rail Safety Education ProgramFunds to Enhance Railroad’s On-Going Safety Outreach Efforts
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MTA Metro-North Railroad today announced it’s been awarded an Operation Lifesaver grant to support TRACKS, a free community outreach program that covers grade crossing safety, rider safety, trespassing and suicide prevention. TRACKS, an acronym for “Together Railroads And Communities Keeping Safe,” is designed for students, drivers, customers, pedestrians and residents who work and live in or around the communities Metro-North Railroad serves.
The $7,500 grant from Operation Lifesaver, a non-profit public safety education and awareness program, will be used to roll-out new initiatives that help amplify TRACKS outreach.
Funds from the grant will help Metro-North’s outreach team make its safety message resonate more with young people in fun and engaging ways. As part of the presentation delivered at schools, Metro-North’s safety team will distribute special “MTA Passports” that have safety facts and messages on every page. When kids ride a Metro-North train and share a safety fact with the conductor, they’ll get a special stamp added to their “MTA Passport.”
The “MTA Passport” supplements kid friendly safety outreach that includes giveaway coloring and activity books, and appearances by a costumed safety superhero named Metro-Man and his faithful canine partner, Tracks.
The grant award also means that that the vehicle used for TRACKS outreach will be outfitted with a new wrap design banner. This attention-grabbing makeover aims to build awareness of Metro-North’s free rail safety presentations. Adorned with safety messaging and the “See Tracks, Think Trains!” logo, the vehicle will remind passing motorists to stay safe at railroad grade crossings and when driving near train tracks.
“Safety is our top priority at Metro-North,” said Catherine Rinaldi, President of Metro-North Railroad. “Our goal is to have Metro-North’s safety team out in force every day. Whether this means a school or community presentation, or events at stations and grade crossings, we’re doing all we can to bring our safety message to the public. I congratulate Metro-North’s safety department for being awarded this grant, which will only reinforce our efforts to keep people safe.”
TRACKS earned the Gold Award for Safety, which is the highest safety award presented by the American Public Transportation Association. Since Metro-North initiated the program in 2016, TRACKS has reached over 298,000 people.
For more information about TRACKS, please visit: http://web.mta.info/mnr/tracks.
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