In response to exponential increases in assaults on public transit workers, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a directive on Wednesday, Dec. 20, requiring urban transportation agencies to monitor the dangers faced by workers interacting with passengers and to list safety strategies.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) together with DOT are taking extraordinary steps to understand the scope of escalating attacks on bus and rail operators, requiring additional reporting accountability and concrete solutions from transit agencies nationwide, including Southern California. The goal is to keep workers on the job without fearing attacks from angry or frustrated passengers.
“Everyone deserves a safe workplace, including and especially the frontline transit workers who keep our nation moving,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement released Wednesday. “Assaults on transit workers are unacceptable.”
From 2008 to 2021, there were, on average, 241 assaults on transit workers per year, with 192 of those occurring each year on transit vehicles, 44 per year at transit revenue facilities and five per year in maintenance yards, according to the FTA’s National Transit Database.
The number of reported assaults per 100 million vehicle miles traveled increased 8% each year, resulting in a 121% increase from 2008 to 2021, the FTA reported.
“Each day, transit workers nationwide are responsible for moving millions of Americans to their jobs, schools, and other daily activities, and we must ensure that their safety remains a top priority,” said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez in a prepared statement.
The federal directive requires transit agencies to identify the risks frontline employees face and report what actions are being taken to protect workers. The draft directive is being circulated for public comment until Feb. 20. Reporting will be required within a few months of certification, according to the FTA.
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