The city is one of several aiming to improve driver safety.
Philadelphia will test new bulletproof enclosures on eight of its buses in the coming months, a move spurred partially by the fatal shooting of a SEPTA driver by a passenger in October, 2023.
Violent attacks have plagued the system in recent years, U.S. News reports, “including one in which eight high school students waiting to board a SEPTA bus after class were wounded by gunshots from suspects who jumped from a car and opened fire.” The article quotes John Samuelsen, international president of the Transport Workers Union of America, calling attacks on bus drivers “the dirty secret of public transit in America.” New York City and Philadelphia see over 20 assaults against operators per week combined.
The enclosures, which cost between $15,000 and $18,000 to install, will be tested and adjusted based on driver feedback.
FULL STORY: Philadelphia Tests Bullet-Resistant Glass Enclosures Aimed at Protecting Bus Drivers
FTA Directive Addresses Violence Against Transit Workers
Verbal and physical assaults against transit operators have grown alarmingly in the last decade.
How Transit Architecture Impacts Real and Perceived Safety
More than a third of Americans believe major transit systems are too unsafe to ride. The built environment can change that.
New Philly Fare Gates ‘Astonishingly Easy to Beat’
A set of high-tech gates aimed at limiting fare evasion is already failing.
USDOT Revokes Approval for NYC Congestion Pricing
Despite the administration’s stated concern for the “working class,” 85 percent of Manhattan commuters use public transit to enter the city.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
Tiny House Villages for Addressing Homelessness: An Interview with Yetimoni Kpeebi
One researcher's perspective on the potential of tiny homes and owner-built housing as one tool to fight the housing crisis.
Preserving Altadena’s Trees: A Community Effort to Save a Fire-Damaged Landscape
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena Green is working to preserve fire-damaged but recoverable trees, advocating for better assessment processes, educating homeowners, and protecting the community’s urban canopy from unnecessary removal.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Investigation Reveals Just How Badly California’s Homeless Shelters are Failing
Fraud, violence, death, and chaos follow a billion dollar investment in a temporary solution that is proving ineffective.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research