Metro News

Operator Michael Cassinelli inducted into National “Two Million Mile Club”

CINCINNATI – More than 90 Cincinnati Metro operators and maintenance employees were recognized Thursday during Metro’s 48^th Annual Safety Awards for achieving outstanding safety milestones. The virtual event was streamed live on Metro’s Facebook page. 

June is National Safety Month, and Metro’s top priority is delivering riders to their destination safely every trip, every day. 

“We have outstanding employees here at Metro, as demonstrated by the incredible milestones that many have achieved in the past year,” said Darryl Haley, Metro CEO and General Manager. “We take great pride in the confidence our riders have in us to get them to their destination safely every day. It’s the hard work and the commitment of our employees that instills that confidence.” 

Metro transit operator Michael Cassinelli, who started at Metro in 1988, was inducted into the National Safety Council’s prestigious Two Million Mile Club for driving two million miles over the past 30 years without a preventable accident. 

Two million miles is like driving to the moon and back four times, or driving around the circumference of the earth 80 times. It is a feat achieved by only a tenth of transit operators nationwide over their career. To log two million miles, an operator would have spent between 36,000 and 40,000 hours on the road. 

Metro also honored maintenance employee Bruce Tabar for achieving 35 years without an accident. Tabar is a mechanic in Metro’s Main Shop and has been at Metro since 1977. 

Milestone awards were given to employees who achieved between five and 35 years without a preventable accident or injury. A preventable accident is one in which the employee did not exercise every available precautionary measure to avoid the accident. 

Overall, 94 operators and maintenance employees achieved outstanding safety milestones. Five employees reached 10 years without a preventable accident within their first 13 years of service; 15 employees achieved 10 consecutive years; 19 employees reached 15 or more years; 13 employees had 20 or more years; and four employees achieved 25 or more years free of accidents or injuries. 

The employees recognized demonstrate Cincinnati Metro’s commitment to safety, a commitment that saw the transit agency make big strides in 2020. Over the course of the year, Cincinnati Metro:

– Reduced collisions overall by 37%
– Reduced preventable collisions by 13.4%
– Reduced maintenance injuries by 37% 

Cincinnati Metro is a non-profit, tax-funded public service of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, providing about 13.5 million rides per year. Learn more about Metro at www.go-metro.com