Resource Center

Understanding the Prevalence of Mental Health and Behavioral Distress in Transit Assaults and Presenting Targeted Response and Mitigation Methods to Reduce Victimization Trends

This research aims to better understand the prevalence of mental health and behavioral distress in transit assaults and present corresponding targeted response and mitigation methods to reduce victimization trends. It includes a literature review, a data presentation and overview of reported public transit assault-related events, an examination of the contributing factors to those events, and documentation of 10 transit agency case studies. It discusses various approaches and strategies that transit agencies have used to prepare transit vehicle operators and other frontline workers to better recognize mental health presentations and engage appropriately. It also highlights evidence-based practices that transit agencies can use to better prepare their systems and provide tools employees can use to better communicate with individuals who may be having mental health-related episodes. The research team gathered additional data from case study sites, including the methods used to address assault-related challenges and the successful community engagement and partnerships. The report provides findings and policy and practice recommendations.

Full Report

Session Description: De-escalation, conflict avoidance, and conflict resolution are integral to an operator’s job. Operators primarily work alone, and the driver’s seat is an extremely vulnerable position. In this session, we honestly and productively explored the ways in which operators can deal with all manner of attacks, physical and verbal, and analyzed approaches to address the range of challenges that come with this profession. Presenters discussed different training models used to support operators with their challenges and engaged with the audience in considering options that can make a positive impact.

Moderator:

• Maurice Beard: Senior Workforce Development Advisor – International Transportation Learning Center / Transit Workforce Center

Speakers:

• Jamaine “G” Gibson: Director of Apprenticeships and Workforce Development – Amalgamated Transit Union
• Tricia Prince: Safety and Training Manager – Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority
• Lakecha Strickland: President – Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1212 (TN)
• Melissa Thomas: Transportation Training Manager – Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA)
• Lisa Rae Vickery: Deputy Director of Operations Development – Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority

MC24 Conflict Resolution and De-Escalation slides

Session Description: Transit workers operate in a challenging environment in close contact with the public. Recent years have seen an increase in assaults on transit vehicles and in transit facilities, making the protection of transit workers and riders a crucial goal for the industry. This presentation will feature perspectives from research, transit agency labor and management, and the federal government. Panelists shared updates on transit assault trends, examples of mitigation strategies identified through engagement with agency leaders and frontline workers, innovations in operator workspace design, and models of successful joint labor-management safety planning through FTA’s updated PTASP rule.

Moderator:

• Lisa Staes: Associate Director – Center for Urban Transportation Research

Speakers:

• Lisa Staes: Associate Director – Center for Urban Transportation Research
• Russell Bateman: Training and Education Administrator – Amalgamated Transit Union
• Andrew Falotico: Health and Safety Director – Amalgamated Transit Union
• Alexander Houck: Deputy Chief Safety Officer – Maryland Transit Administration
• Stewart Mader: Senior Program Analyst for Safety Policy – Federal Transit Administration
• Michael McMillan: President and Business Agent – Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1300 (MD)

MC24 Transit Worker Safety slides

The Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans (PTASP) Technical Assistance Center (TAC) provides comprehensive technical assistance to help the transit industry meet PTASP regulation requirements, as outlined in 49 CFR part 673.

The TAC:

• Provides one-on-one technical assistance
• Facilitates training and peer-sharing via live webinars and roundtables
• Conducts voluntary technical reviews of draft Agency Safety Plans
• Maintains a resource library with technical assistance tools.

Link to Website and Resource Library

The importance of security barriers for transit bus operators became even clearer after the fatal attack on a Tampa, Florida, bus operator in 2019. The need for security barriers was reinforced by a serious attack on another operator for that same system later that year. While these are two extreme examples, they are likely not unique, as many assaults against transit workers have been underreported in the past. Another important but more pernicious risk to bus operator health is viral and bacterial infection.

TCRP Research Report 249: Bus Operator Barrier Design: Guidelines and Considerations provides information and guidance for North American public transportation agencies, standards committees, and government and non-government policymaking organizations on designing, procuring, and installing bus operator barriers to prioritize the health and safety of essential operators and the public they serve.

Contributor(s): National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; STYL&TECH; International Transportation Learning Center; Transportation Research Board; Transit Cooperative Research Program; Andrew Krum; Scott Tidwell; Joshua Skole; Erin Mabry; Aditi Manke; Tarah Crowder; Christy Campoll

TCRP Research Report 249

Driving trucks and buses is a physically demanding occupation that carries one of the highest injury rates of major occupational categories in the United States. Drivers often work in postures that increase risk of low back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders, slow their response time, and put them at increased risk for acute injuries due to crashes.

TCRP Research Report 247: Assessing Lifecycle and Human Costs of Bus Operator Workstation Design and Components, from TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program, creates an easy-to-use toolkit for predicting the long-term safety of and promoting a healthy environment in bus operator workstations.

Contributor(s): National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Transportation Research Board; Transit Cooperative Research Program; Songlin Wu; Eunsik Kim; Andris Freivalds; Yiqi Zhang; Matthew Parkinson

TCRP Research Report 247