By Subcontractors USA News Provider
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) has been recognized for its proactive safety measures in response to COVID-19 by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), during its annual conference and expo in Orlando, Florida.
Each year APTA recognizes transit agencies that implement successful programs or projects to address a specific safety or security initiative. This year, METRO was named the winner of APTA’s 2021 Rail COVID-19 Certificate of Merit award for Light Rail/Streetcar Systems for transit agencies with more than 20 million passenger trips annually.
APTA selected METRO for its commitment to safeguarding the health of its employees and riders by implementing numerous safety mitigations that kept our community functioning during the height of the pandemic.
For example, METRO initially introduced free fares and rear-door entry, enhanced cleanings, social distancing strategies, emergency-response partnerships, robust communications, and educational campaigns.
| Other COVID-19 safeguards included: |
- Free shuttle services to COVID-19 vaccination sites.
- METROLift partnering with the city of Houston to deliver essential supplies to senior citizens and residents living with disabilities.
- Distributing more than 2 million face masks to riders since the agency began requiring the use of facial coverings last summer.
- Installing protective shields around drivers’ seats to add another layer of separation between operators and riders.
- Providing access to hand sanitizer on METRO buses, METRORail, and METROLift.
- Putting an even greater emphasis on disinfecting surfaces and adding cleanings during peak hours.
In addition, METRO’s Communications Department won numerous APTA 2021 AdWheel Awards for its educational video stories and last year it took home first place honors for “Rope a Ride with METRO,” winning APTA’s 2020 AdWheel Grand Award under the Best Marketing and Communications to Highlight Transit Needs/Funding category. That 2020 award was presented in person at this year’s APTA conference.
For more information, please visit ridemetro.org.
