TCRP OVERSIGHT AND PROJECT SELECTION COMMISSION^*

CHAIR

Jeanne Krieg

Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority (retired)

VICE CHAIR

Jameson Auten

Lane Transit District

SECRETARY/TREASURER

Ryan I. Daniel

St. Cloud Metro Bus

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR

Doran J. Barnes

Foothill Transit

MEMBERS

Mallory R. Avis

City of Battle Creek Transit

Alva Carrasco

Burns Engineering

Dorval Ronald Carter, Jr.

Chicago Transit Authority

Desmond Cole

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority

Francis “Buddy” Coleman

Clever Devices Ltd.

Faye DiMassimo

Chatham Area Transit

Carolyn Flowers

InfraStrategies LLC

David Harris

New Mexico Department of Transportation

Vince Huerta

East Texas Council of Governments

Joseph Leader

HDR

Benjamin Limmer

Connecticut Department of Transportation

Bacarra Mauldin

Memphis Area Transit Authority

Jessica Mefford-Miller

Valley Metro

Brad Miller

Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA)

Elizabeth Presutti

Charlotte Area Transit System

Daniel J. Raudebaugh

Center for Transportation and the Environment

Jeffrey Rosenberg

Amalgamated Transit Union

Bernard Schmidt

NextEra Energy

Justin Stuehrenberg

Madison Metro Transit

Frank White, III

Kansas City Area Transportation Authority

David C. Wilcock

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.

Kimberly J. Williams

Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County

Nigel H.M. Wilson

MIT

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS

Shailen Bhatt

FHWA

Victoria Sheehan

TRB

Paul P. Skoutelas

APTA

Jim Tymon

AASHTO

Veronica Vanterpool

AASHTO

TOPS COMMISSION STAFF ADVISOR

Arthur L. Guzzetti

APTA

SECRETARY

Victoria Sheehan

TRB

___________________

^* Membership as of May 2024.

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2024 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE^*

OFFICERS

CHAIR: Carol A. Lewis, Professor, Transportation Studies, Texas Southern University, Houston

VICE CHAIR: Leslie S. Richards, General Manager, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Victoria Sheehan, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC

MEMBERS

Michael F. Ableson, CEO, Arrival Automotive–North America, Detroit, MI

James F. Albaugh, President and CEO, The Boeing Company (retired), Scottsdale, AZ

Carlos M. Braceras, Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation, Salt Lake City

Douglas C. Ceva, Vice President, Customer Lead Solutions, Prologis, Inc., Jupiter, FL

Nancy Daubenberger, Commissioner of Transportation, Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul

Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, New York State Department of Transportation, Albany

Garrett Eucalitto, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Newington

Chris T. Hendrickson, Hamerschlag University Professor of Engineering Emeritus, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA

Randell Iwasaki, President and CEO, Iwasaki Consulting Services, Walnut Creek, CA

Ashby Johnson, Executive Director, Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), Austin, TX

Joel M. Jundt, Secretary of Transportation, South Dakota Department of Transportation, Pierre

Hani S. Mahmassani, W.A. Patterson Distinguished Chair in Transportation; Director, Transportation Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Scott C. Marler, Director, Iowa Department of Transportation, Ames

Ricardo Martinez, Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Decatur, GA

Michael R. McClellan, Vice President, Strategic Planning, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Norfolk, VA

Russell McMurry, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta

Craig E. Philip, Research Professor and Director, VECTOR, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Steward T.A. Pickett, Distinguished Senior Scientist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY

Susan A. Shaheen, Professor and Co-director, Transportation Sustainability Research Center, University of California, Berkeley

Marc Williams, Executive Director, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS

Michael R. Berube, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC

Shailen Bhatt, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

Amit Bose, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, Washington, DC

Tristan Brown, Deputy Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

Steven Cliff, Executive Officer, California Air Resources Board, Sacramento

Rand Ghayad, Senior Vice President, Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC

LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Germantown, MD

William H. Graham, Jr. (Major General, U.S. Army), Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC

Robert C. Hampshire, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

Sue Lawless, Acting Deputy Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Washington, DC

Niloo Parvashtiani, Engineer, Mobility Consultant Solutions, Iteris Inc., Fairfax, VA, and Chair, TRB Young Members Coordinating Council

Sophie Shulman, Acting Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, DC

Karl Simon, Director, Transportation and Climate Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC

Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC

Polly Trottenberg, Deputy Secretary of Transportation and Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

Jim Tymon, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC

Veronica Vanterpool, Acting Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC

TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM

The nation’s growth and the need to meet mobility, environmental, and energy objectives place demands on public transit systems. Current systems, some of which are old and in need of upgrading, must expand service area, increase service frequency, and improve efficiency to serve these demands. Research is necessary to solve operating problems, adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and introduce innovations into the transit industry. The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the transit industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it.

The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special Report 213—Research for Public Transit: New Directions, published in 1987 and based on a study sponsored by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration—now the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Transportation 2000, also recognized the need for local, problem-solving research. TCRP, modeled after the successful National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), undertakes research and other technical activities in response to the needs of transit service providers. The scope of TCRP includes various transit research fields including planning, service configuration, equipment, facilities, operations, human resources, maintenance, policy, and administrative practices.

TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992. Proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was authorized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). On May 13, 1992, a memorandum agreement outlining TCRP operating procedures was executed by the three cooperating organizations: FTA; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, acting through the Transportation Research Board (TRB); and APTA. APTA is responsible for forming the independent governing board, designated as the TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Commission.

Research problem statements for TCRP are solicited periodically but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility of the TOPS Commission to formulate the research program by identifying the highest priority projects. As part of the evaluation, the TOPS Commission defines funding levels and expected products.

Once selected, each project is assigned to an expert panel appointed by TRB. The panels prepare project statements (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process for developing research problem statements and selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative research programs since 1962. As in other TRB activities, TCRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation.

Because research cannot have the desired effect if products fail to reach the intended audience, special emphasis is placed on disseminating TCRP results to the intended users of the research: transit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. TRB provides a series of research reports, syntheses of transit practice, and other supporting material developed by TCRP research. APTA will arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure that results are implemented by urban and rural transit industry practitioners.

TCRP provides a forum where transit agencies can cooperatively address common operational problems. TCRP results support and complement other ongoing transit research and training programs.

TCRP RESEARCH REPORT 245

Project F-29
ISSN 2572-3782
ISBN 978-0-309-70989-7
Digital Object Identifier: 10.17226/27592

© 2024 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the graphical logo are trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein.

Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, APTA, FAA, FHWA, FTA, GHSA, or NHTSA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP.

NOTICE

The research report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; or the program sponsors.

The Transportation Research Board does not develop, issue, or publish standards or specifications. The Transportation Research Board manages applied research projects which provide the scientific foundation that may be used by Transportation Research Board sponsors, industry associations, or other organizations as the basis for revised practices, procedures, or specifications.

The Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the sponsors of the Transit Cooperative Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names or logos appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.

Published research reports of the

TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM

are available from

National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360
Washington, DC 20001

(800) 624-6242

and can be ordered through the Internet by going to
https://nap.nationalacademies.org

Printed in the United States of America

The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. John L. Anderson is president.

The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president.

The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.

Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.

The Transportation Research Board is one of seven major program divisions of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to mobilize expertise, experience, and knowledge to anticipate and solve complex transportation-related challenges. The Board’s varied activities annually engage about 8,500 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation.

Learn more about the Transportation Research Board at www.TRB.org.

COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS

CRP STAFF FOR TCRP RESEARCH REPORT 245

Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs

Gwen Chisholm Smith, Manager, Transit Cooperative Research Program

Mariela Garcia-Colberg, Senior Program Officer

Stephanie L. Campbell-Chamberlain, Senior Program Assistant

Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications

Heather DiAngelis, Associate Director of Publications

Lisa Whittington, Editor

TCRP PROJECT F-29 PANEL
Field of Human Resources

Karen E. Philbrick, Mineta Transportation Institute, San Jose, CA (Cochair)

Edward F. Watt, WattADR, Rockaway Park, NY (Cochair)

Darwyn B. Anderson, New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, New Orleans, LA

LaShanda Dawkins, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Atlanta, GA

Judith Deutsch, Miami-Dade County, Miami, FL

Samantha Blaire Nourse Einarson, Charles Wright Academy, Yelm, WA

George F. Fields, Jr., Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA), Cleveland, OH

Paul A. Landsbergis, SUNY-Downstate School of Public Health, Brooklyn, NY

Sylvia Marotta-Walters, George Washington University, Washington, DC

Amina Wolf, DART, Garland, TX

Betty F. Jackson, FTA Liaison

Kevin Osborn, FTA Liaison

Polly Hanson, APTA Liaison

Carly Allen, Amalgamated Transit Union Liaison

Brian L. Sherlock, Amalgamated Transit Union Liaison

FOREWORD

By Mariela Garcia-Colberg
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board

TCRP Research Report 245: Mental Health, Wellness, and Resilience for Transit System Workers describes common factors that influence the mental health, well-being, and resiliency of frontline transit workers and provides guidance on strategies that transit agencies can implement to address them. The report will be of immediate use to transit agency leadership, transit agency staff, practitioners, and other stakeholders that influence an agency’s programs and processes. The research products also include a research brief that summarizes the report and highlights the importance of utilizing all available tools to address mental health, wellness, and resilience for transit system workers.

Transit system workers are routinely subject to chronic and acute stressors that contribute to various mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, burnout, and post-traumatic stress disorder. These issues can lead to increased risk of injuries and chronic diseases, workplace dysfunction, safety issues, presenteeism, absenteeism, turnover, and high costs. The emergence of a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and the ensuing pandemic compounded chronic stressors with a unique set of acute stressors that were amplified by the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous nature of the pandemic. These acute stressors included potential personal exposure to the virus, as well as the potential to expose family members; the shortage or delay of engineering controls and lack of personal protective equipment; and the problems associated with social distancing, job uncertainty, layoffs, physical and verbal assaults, extended or shortened hours, and disruption of work schedules and tasks. The most effective and efficient way to provide relevant and actionable information on these topics to transit systems was to study the mental health, wellness, and resilience of transit workers and how transit system programs, policies, and practices address these issues. This study required examining chronic pre-pandemic stressors and outcomes and then exploring the acute stressors involved with trying to survive in highly exposed occupations amid a pandemic.

The goal of TCRP Project F-29, “Mental Health, Wellness, and Resilience for Transit System Workers,” was to develop guidance for transit agencies and other stakeholders on exploring and implementing various approaches to identifying and mitigating the factors that negatively impact mental health, wellness, and resilience for transit system workers. The research had seven key objectives: (1) Document the pre-pandemic stressors experienced by transit system workers and new stressors or exacerbation of preexisting stressors due to the pandemic; (2) document the impacts of those stressors at the individual and organizational level; (3) document any differences seen by race, ethnicity, gender, age, and occupation; (4) identify protective factors and actions that would help agencies proactively develop, promote, and sustain a culture that supports the mental health, well-being, and resilience of transit workers; (5) evaluate the impacts of existing programs, policies, and practices—

CONTENTS

Summary

Glossary

PART I Conduct of Research

Chapter 1 Previous Research

Introduction

Perpetually Adverse Work Conditions for Transit Workers

Effects of Adverse Conditions on Workers’ Health and Well-Being

Ways to Address Adverse Work Conditions

Impact of COVID-19 on Public Transit

Literature Review Conclusion

Chapter 2 Agency Interviews and Union Interview

Introduction

Interview Selection Approach

Causes and Factors That Impact Mental Health

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health

Agency Barriers to Recruitment and Retention

Practices: Current and Proposed

Considerations for Developing Practices

Challenges and Gaps

Findings and Conclusions from Interviews

Chapter 3 Frontline Worker Experiences

Introduction

Frontline Worker Survey Findings

Frontline Worker Focus Group Findings

Key Takeaways from Frontline Worker Engagement

Chapter 4 Findings and Conclusions

Key Findings of This Research

Suggested Responses to Worker Mental Health, Well-Being, and Resiliency Needs

Future Research

PART II Resources and Toolkit

Chapter 5 Case Studies and Effective Strategies

Introduction

Case Study 1: Using Technology to Connect Employees with Support

Case Study 2: Increased Access to Mental Health Services, Trained Professionals, and Other Benefits

Case Study 3: Incentives for Wellness Program Participation

Case Study 4: On-Site Health Clinic Services

Case Study 5: Creative Marketing

Case Study 6: Critical Incident Support Teams

Case Study 7: Red Kite Project Resiliency Training

Case Study 8: Lactation Van for Nursing Operators

Case Study 9: Training and Mentorship for Retention and Advancement

Case Study 10: Operator Restroom Workgroup

Case Study 11: Union Assistance Program

Case Study 12: Beyond Traditional Employee Assistance Program Services

Chapter 6 Toolkit

Introduction

How to Use This Toolkit

Program Evaluation

Evaluating and Improving EAPs and Union Assistance Programs

Establishing Wellness Programs

Support Mental Health in the Workplace: Checklist for Leadership and Senior Managers

How to Make the Case for Increased Benefits to Support Mental Health and Wellness

Improving Communications and Marketing of Resources

Building Trust between Parties

Increasing Training Offerings

Providing Support during and after Incidents

Modernizing Operational Policies for a Healthy Workforce

Fostering Community among Frontline Transit Workers

Developing and Implementing Mentor and Peer Programs

Self-Advocacy Tools

Bibliography

Appendix Research Questions and Results