Resource Center

Bus Design Innovation Program

The Bus Design Innovation Project aimed to improve the security and environment of bus operators. The design provides a barrier that shields the operator’s workspace from the passenger area, which reduces the risk of assaults and protects against biohazards without decreasing view of mirrors. The design also improved ergonomics. The partnership between ATU International, ATU local 113, Centennial College, and Toronto Transit Commission enabled the development of a prototype, which was showcased at the ATU Canada Conference in September 2024. 

ATU International; ATU local 113; Centennial College; Toronto Transit Commission

Bus Operator Workforce Management: Practitioner’s Guide

This report is a practitioner’s guide that provides recommendations and resources enabling transit agencies to better assess, plan, and implement their operator workforce management programs. A link to a related TRB webinar is also included.

Transit Cooperative Research Program

August 2023

Air Quality in Transit Buses

This report provides a summary from a TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Insight Event about the air quality in transit buses, particularly since the start of the pandemic. Since then, an increased understanding of infectious disease in confined spaces and the role of droplets and particles in transmission has been increasingly important to the bus industry. At this event, senior transportation executives; representatives from federal, state, and local government; and representatives from technology, consulting, academia, and engineering to discuss opportunities and the challenges of implementing air quality control in buses.

Transportation Research Board

May 2023

Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs: Addition of Oral Fluid Specimen Testing for Drugs

This rule amends the U.S. Department of Transportation’s regulated industry drug testing program to include oral fluid testing. This additional methodology for drug testing will give employers a choice that will help combat employee cheating on urine drug tests and provide a less intrusive means of achieving the safety goals of the program.

Department of Transportation

May 2023

Transit Workforce Shortage: Synthesis Report and Toolkit

The Transit Workforce Shortage Study builds a framework for APTA, its members, and its partner organizations to better understand the workforce shortage’s causes and provides best practices for recruiting, hiring, and retaining transit operations workers.

American Public Transportation Association

March 2023

Assault Awareness and Prevention for Transit Operators (Direct Delivery)

This course provides transit bus operators with knowledge and skills to reduce the likelihood of assault incidents, including defining assault and types of incidents that could be considered assault, covering prevention strategies such as communication and response skills, and emphasizing the importance of reporting assault incidents and seeking recovery assistance.

National Transit Institute

Assault Awareness and Prevention for Transit Operators (Train the Trainer)

This virtual course will provide transit agency instructional staff with the support necessary to deliver the Assault Awareness and Prevention course within their agencies. Each registered participant will receive an electronic instructor package that will include an instructor guide, course slides, instructor notes, and the participant workbook. Participants will be able to deliver the training to provide transit bus operators with knowledge and skills to reduce the likelihood of assault incidents.

National Transit Institute

January 2023

Violence in the Transit Workplace – Prevention, Response and Recovery (Train the Trainer)

The goal of this course is to provide participants with knowledge and skills to deliver training to transit agency personnel on how to prevent, respond to, and recover from workplace violence. Prevention methods covered include implementing system and personal security measures, recognizing and reporting the warning signs of potentially violent behavior and using effective interpersonal skills for dealing with different, difficult and dangerous people.

National Transit Institute