The Metra board recently confirmed Don Orseno as the permanent executive director following his stint as interim chief after Alex Clifford resigned last year. After the confirmation, the Tribune reported that Orseno, a decades-long railroad and Metra employee who lives in Manhattan, a far southwest suburb, said that he has to drive to work because the "SouthWest Service Line schedule doesn't get him to the office early enough, or home late enough."
He's right: Each weekday, three trains depart Manhattan for Chicago Union Station, arriving at 7:25 a.m., 8:17 a.m. and 3:48 p.m. The last train bound for Manhattan leaves Union Station at 5:40 p.m. The line doesn't run at all on Sundays and six holidays.
Orseno's comments come at a very interesting time. Tonight, state representatives Ron Sandack and Darlene Senger host a public hearing to discuss Metra's extremely long delays, leaving passengers on cold platforms with nary a communiqué. Orseno will attend and Metra staff will make a presentation before a public Q&A.
It won't be surprising if the meeting, to be held at Naperville City Hall, is canceled because of today's inclement weather, but one Twitter user has this question queued up for Orseno already:
@OnTheMetra they are holding a meeting about the issue with Metra tonight in Naperville. My one question to them will be did u take Metra.
It's infuriating that a person who was entrusted to help keep the public safe was reckless enough to take her eyes off the road while driving to pick up a phone, with tragic consequences.