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Center for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy, and Health (CARTEEH)

A USDOT University Transportation Center

Public Transit Safety Improvements

Public transit safety improvements seek to resolve behavioral, infrastructure, and vehicular safety challenges. This can be done by leveraging creative and efficient collaborations, tools, and initiatives to avoid, mitigate, share data, and respond to these issues.1 This approach can include improved transit driver training, newer vehicles, better station designs, and increased separation between transit vehicles and road users.2 Particularly in developing nations, public transportation has resulted in a significant risk to safety and security due to the lack of a suitable and integrated approach.3

Considering this strategy will help achieve the goal of the following objectives

  • Less Contamination
  • Less Emissions
  • Less Traffic Noise
  • Connectivity and Inclusion
  • Healthy Destinations
  • Less Traffic Violence
  • Active Transportation
  • Green Space

Transportation lifecycle phases

This strategy is associated with the following transportation lifecycle phases:

  • Construction
  • End of Life
  • Maintenance
  • Material Selection
  • Operations
  • Policy and Planning
  • Project Development

Who's involved

  • Local governments
  • State governments
  • Transit agencies
  • Vulnerable road users
Public transit safety improvements seek to resolve behavioral, infrastructure, and vehicular safety challenges. This can be done by leveraging creative and efficient collaborations, tools, and initiatives to avoid, mitigate, share data, and respond to these issues.1 This approach can include improved transit driver training, newer vehicles, better station designs, and increased separation between transit vehicles and road users.2 Particularly in developing nations, public transportation has resulted in a significant risk to safety and security due to the lack of a suitable and integrated approach.3

How it Helps

This approach will help lead to community-wide crash reductions due to fewer single-occupancy vehicles on the road.2 Promoting safer public transit systems can also encourage more individuals to switch to this form of transportation, mitigating traffic congestion and improving air quality to make communities safer and healthier. Transit can contribute to connectivity, but only if it is used. When people don’t feel safe waiting for a bus or a train, they likely won’t use it as often as they otherwise would. The most important determinant of user satisfaction with a transit stop or station is frequent, reliable service in an environment of personal safety.

Implementing

Equity Concerns:

Price reduction on safer public transportation options should be encouraged to increase accessibility for poor and vulnerable populations.

Comfort and Safety:

An event data recorder is an essential tool that can record a vehicle’s speed and improve drivers compliance, keeping both the driver and the passengers safe.4 Efforts should be made to improve the comfort and safety of commuters who use public transportation. Comfort and safety have been identified to relieve tension and make trips more appealing.5

Challenges:

According to research, most public transit vehicles are typically under-maintained and overcrowded. Even if attempts are made to improve the safety of public transit systems, maintenance and congestion remain significant challenges, especially in underdeveloped nations.3

Examples

1) Institute of Transportation Engineers
The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) is a worldwide organization dedicated to improving passenger and driver mobility and safety and fostering a safe environment for everyone. Through its services, ITE creates public awareness initiatives for its members.
https://www.ite.org/about-ite/about-ite/

2) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is committed to establishing the utmost quality standards in vehicle and driver safety. NHTSA strives to prevent accidents and their associated social and financial consequences daily.
https://www.nhtsa.gov/about-nhtsa

1. Improve safety of the transportation system [Internet]. Performance.gov. [cited 2022 Jun 19]. Available from: https://obamaadministration.archives.performance.gov/content/improve-safety-transportation-system-0.html
2. American Public Transportation Association. (2016). The Hidden Traffic Safety Solution: Public Transportation. https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uploads/Resources/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Hidden-Traffic-Safety-Solution-Public-Transportation.pdf
3. Joewono ,T.B., et al. (2006). Safety and security improvement in public transportation based on public perception in developing countries. IATSS Research, 301, 86-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0386-1112(14)60159-X
4. Raymond, T. (2021). Public transit safety improvements still needed years after crashes, expert says. CTV News. [cited 2022 Jun 19]. Available from: https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/public-transit-safety-improvements-still-needed-years-after-crashes-expert-says-1.5601100
5. VTPI. Online TDM encyclopedia - public transit improvements. [cited 2022 Jun 19]. Available from: https://vtpi.org/tdm/tdm47.htm