Study: How To Make Transit Safer

A new report recommends boosting ‘ambassador programs,’ improving reliability and frequency, and supporting more anti-harassment initiatives.

1 minute read

October 26, 2023, 11:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Yellow bus shelter with one young person sitting on bench at night.

Mihail / Adobe Stock

A study from TransForm called Ride Fearlessly: A Framework for Reimagining Transit Safety assesses how transit agencies can improve real and perceived public safety on trains and buses and in transit stations.

According to a story by Roger Rudick in Streetsblog San Francisco, “The study argues that systems across the country, from Philadelphia's SEPTA to the Bay Area's BART, should grow their "ambassador" programs. That means hiring people with crisis intervention skills to patrol the systems instead of flooding them with more police.”

The study also highlights enhanced service and frequency as a key way to avoid forcing riders to wait on dimly lit streets and at isolated stations. “Knowing when a bus or train is going to come allows riders to time their arrival at bus stops and stations, reducing the potential for incidents. Increasing transit frequency reduces wait times, similarly lowering the likelihood of harm.”

Friday, October 20, 2023 in Streetsblog San Francisco

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight