Metra Could Begin Allowing Pets On Trains After Test Run
By Rachel Cromidas in News on Jun 17, 2015 7:25PM
A Capybara. A chicken. A litter of corgi puppies. These are some of the pets I hope to see on the train once Metra turns its fleet into a veritable petting zoo. (But perhaps no kangaroos...)
The transit agency's board is discussing plans to allow Metra riders to bring their pets on board for the first time, but only in a test limited to weekends on the Rock Island District route. Pets would need to be placed in a crate that can sit on a rider's lap or under a seat, according to CBS. And if the animal is loud, smelly or otherwise awful, conductors would have the authority to send them off the train.
The board will decide today whether to allow the three-month trial to begin this year.
"In light of the fact that other transit agencies, including the CTA, have the program, staff thought it advisable to try it out on Metra," spokesman Michael Gillis told the Tribune. In a rider survey, about 60 percent of respondents told Metra they would be in favor of the test run. How the agency would deal with riders with pet allergies is still an open question.