An experiment that places greeters wearing bright green T-shirts, and who carry maps, cell phones and a friendly demeanor in trains, buses and transit stations in LA Metro’s vast system, could become permanent.
The LA Metro Transit Ambassadors — a first for the county transit agency — started 13 months ago as a pilot program. It was created as an alternative option to armed enforcement of fare jumpers after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis by police spurred nationwide protests demanding law enforcement reform.
The ambassadors were set to provide directions, wayfinding and navigation to 115 miles of rails and 117 bus routes for one to three years. Created in September 2023, the program which has outsourced contracts to two, third-party companies who hire the workers, could become a division within Metro — with as many as 350 current ambassadors being rehired as Metro employees with full benefits.
The action will be considered by the Metro Board of Directors at its monthly meeting on Thursday, Oct. 26, beginning at 10 a.m.
Ambassadors have had 502,656 interactions with riders beyond just a greeting, according to data from October 2022 through September of this year, Metro reported. Face-to-face interactions with riders increased during that period by 256% when compared to about 175,000 visits to Metro’s Customer Service Centers during that same time period.
They’ve also reported 1,994 safety-related incidents on Metro’s Transit Watch App and made 655 phone calls to 911 or to Metro’s operations center.
“These interactions convey to customers that assistance is readily available for any needs they may have, thereby helping alleviate potential anxieties or concerns they might have about riding the system,” the staff report concluded.
Fabian Bolanos, who has been an ambassador for a little more than a year, said the latest phase includes helping people overdosing on opioids on trains, buses and station platforms. Ambassadors were…
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