Safety on Transit: Episode 19

(or listen on YouTube)

Safety, through both physical design and staffing, is a key part of any successful public space. We discuss common safety challenges facing transit systems today, as well as both innovative and simple solutions that various agencies are trying out: improving the layout of stations, increasing frequency, making safe walking routes around bus stops, and most important of all, providing a staff presence on metro and light rail systems. Parallel to this discussion, we look at how the media spins safety issues for transit as compared to other mobility options (namely cars), and how narratives should be spun such that they result in improvements, not unwarranted scares.

Timestamps

References & notes

  1. [1] Victoria Transport Policy Institute: Safer Than You Think!
  2. [2] BikePortland: How can we improve safety on public transit?
  3. [3] The Intercept: NYPD Was Powerless to Stop Brooklyn Shooting — Yet Mayor Calls for Doubling Cops in Subway
  4. [4] Mass Transit: GCRTA launches transit ambassador program
  5. [5] Mass Transit: St. Louis Metro Transit and partners see additional progress on creating safer transit system