The agency says assaults on transit workers are at ‘unacceptable’ levels.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is set to enact a general directive that calls on transit agencies to address violence toward transit workers. As Mischa Wanek-Libman explains in Mass Transit, “Under the directive, each transit entity subject to FTA's Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans (PTASP) regulation would be required to conduct a safety risk assessment, identify safety risk mitigations or strategies.”
An Urban Institute study found a tripling of unlawful attacks against transit operators between 2008 and 2022, with the study’s author noting that the data is likely an undercount.
The directive calls on agencies in large, urbanized areas to create safety committees tasked with developing and implementing risk mitigation measures.
Last month, the FTA announced it is considering new minimum standards for hours of service to prevent fatigue for transit operators.
FULL STORY: FTA issues proposed directive concerning transit worker safety
How Inequality Impacts Transit Safety
Transit workers are being assaulted by riders at alarming rates, and inequity may be partly to blame.
FTA Directive Addresses Violence Against Transit Workers
Verbal and physical assaults against transit operators have grown alarmingly in the last decade.
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