CHICAGO – Chicago commuters had a fun way to enjoy their morning coffee Friday — inside a Metra train car turned pop-up party.
What we know:
Metra and the Active Transportation Alliance teamed up to host a Commuter Coffee Rave at LaSalle Street Station. For two hours, a parked railcar became a mini café and dance floor, complete with iced coffee from Chicago-based Hexe Coffee, breakfast snacks, free swag, and live music from DJ Tres Awesome.
The event was open to the public and required no registration — but the coffee and snacks were first come, first served.
Active Transportation Alliance officials said the event was meant to encourage more people to bike and take public transit to work.
The backstory:
The Commuter Coffee Rave is part of ATA’s Bike Commuter Challenge. The challenge invites workplaces across Chicago to compete on who can log the most miles biking to work.
Metra is a sponsor of the initiative — and has been taking steps to make train travel more bike-friendly. Last year, the agency relaxed its Bikes on Trains policy, allowing bikes on every train and installing new racks on many cars. That helped Metra carry a record 338,000 bikes in 2024.
What’s next:
Transit supporters are planning a rally on Thursday, June 26 at 12 p.m. outside Union Station’s Jackson Street entrance. The event aims to raise awareness about funding concerns and the need to invest in regional transit.
Why you should care:
The Active Transportation Alliance is a longtime advocate for safe, sustainable commuting. Events like this one — and bigger efforts like Bike the Drive, ATA’s major annual fundraiser happening August 31 — highlight how biking and transit are key to Chicago’s transportation future.
The Source: The details of this story were provided by the Active Transportation Alliance and Metra in a joint press release.