More than 650 Pace operators belong to the National Safety Council Million Mile Club, representing more than 580 miles of safe driving
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL – Pace honored 22 bus operators for their exceptional safe driving record during a special ceremony this past Saturday, November 7. The 22 operators were recognized for their recent induction to the National Safety Council Million Mile Club. This prestigious award celebrates bus operators who have driven 12.5 years (or more) without a preventable accident.
As a transit agency that prides itself on keeping riders safe, Pace is proud to have more than 650 operators, both current and retired, inducted into the Million Mile Club. Their combined record totals 584 million miles of safe driving, which represents more than 1,200 trips to the moon and back.
“A million miles is an extraordinary milestone. But our celebration of Pace’s Million Milers goes way beyond the number on an odometer,” said Pace Executive Director Melinda Metzger. “We are celebrating the care behind those miles. The miles matter because the people matter. Every safe trip is a promise kept to a rider who is counting on us.”
The newest class of inductees includes 14 One Million Milers, six Two Million Milers, and two Three Million Milers.
To become a One Million Miler, an operator must drive 12.5 years without a preventable accident. Two Million Milers must drive 25 years without a preventable accident, and Three Million Milers must drive 37.5 years without a preventable accident.
“Safety is not separate from our mission. It is how we carry it out. Every day, our employees make thousands of decisions that help protect our riders and the communities we serve,” said Pace Chairperson John Noak. “The many Pace operators inducted into the Million Mile Club exemplify that commitment and demonstrate how safety is a core value that guides everything we do.”
The ceremony this past Saturday highlighted the achievements of Pace’s entire group of Million Milers. This list of inductees includes:
- 364 current and retired One Million Milers
- 95 current and retired Two Million Milers
- 10 current and retired Three Million Milers
- 219 Million Milers in memoriam
“The Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) commends and thanks these Pace operators newly inducted into the Million Mile Club,” said NITA interim Executive Director Jamie Rhee. “Our agencies are charged with keeping riders safe, and we are grateful to those operators who do their part by avoiding preventable accidents.”
The ceremony over the weekend brought together hundreds of Pace staff members and their families and included special recognitions for each new Million Mile Club inductee. For more information on how to safely use Pace’s family of services, visit PaceBus.com.
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Pace Suburban Bus safely and efficiently moves people to work, school, and other regional destinations with its family of public transportation services. Pace offers affordable and environmentally responsible transit options for the residents of 274 municipalities in Cook, Will, DuPage, Kane, Lake, and McHenry counties. The backbone of Chicago’s suburbs, Pace serves tens of thousands of daily riders. One of the largest bus services in North America, Pace covers 3,677 square miles, an area about 15 times the size of the City of Chicago. Pace’s innovative approach to public transportation gives the agency a national reputation as an industry leader.