(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Metra will provide free rides all weekend long in celebration of the transit agency's 40th anniversary, officials announced.
June 8, 1984, is an important date for Metra: It's when the board of the newly formed Commuter Rail Division (CRD) first met. Leaders in Springfield formed the CRD as part of an effort to reform the Regional Transportation Authority.
Metra Executive Director/CEO Jim Derwinski said the weekend-long promotion is their way of saying thanks to Chicago-area residents "for riding and supporting us for the last four decades."
"We encourage everyone to leave their cars at home this weekend and use Metra to experience everything that our city and suburbs have to offer," Derwinski said.
The transit agency will also unveil a special railcar — filled with items from Metra's history and its predecessor railroads — at the LaSalle Street Station on Saturday from 1 – 4 p.m.
Officials said the railcar will also be on display at various locations throughout the summer, including the Ogilvie Transportation Center on June 22, Chicago Union Station on July 6, and Millennium Station on July 20.
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