Mitigation Strategies for Deterring Transit Assaults (2025)

Chapter: Appendix B: Transit Assault Mitigation Strategy Summary Matrix

Previous Chapter: Appendix A: Focus Group Discussion Guide and Interview Guide
Suggested Citation: "Appendix B: Transit Assault Mitigation Strategy Summary Matrix." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Mitigation Strategies for Deterring Transit Assaults. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29204.

APPENDIX B
Transit Assault Mitigation Strategy Summary Matrix

A summary matrix lists strategies and sub-strategies for mitigating transit assaults, with details on cost, effectiveness, and implementation.
Long Description.

The table comprises eight columns from left to right titled Strategy, Sub-Strategy, Applications, Location, Cost, Ease of Implementation, Common Strategy, and Effectiveness. The entries of the first row from left to right are S1. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED); S1.1. Increased Visibility; Bus stop shelter design, vegetation design, large bus/train windows, translucent walls, maintaining clear sight lines; Rail station, bus stops, transit center, on vehicle (bus and rail); $-$$$; Moderate; Common; and High. The entries of the second row from left to right are S1. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED); S1.2. Sufficient Lighting; Visibility, evenness, color quality, and psychological reassurance; Rail station, bus stops, transit center, on vehicle (bus and rail); $-$$; Moderate; Common; and High. The entries of the third row from left to right are S1. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED); S1.3. Routine and Regular Maintenance; Landscape, cleaning; Rail station, bus stops, transit center, on vehicle (bus and rail); $-$$; Easy-moderate; Common; and Moderate. The entries of the fourth row from left to right are S1. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED); S1.4. Controlled Access; Card entry system, fare gate, fencing and walls, safety partitions; Rail station, bus stops, transit center, on vehicle (bus and rail); $-$$; Moderate; Not Common; and High.

Suggested Citation: "Appendix B: Transit Assault Mitigation Strategy Summary Matrix." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Mitigation Strategies for Deterring Transit Assaults. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29204.
A summary matrix lists strategies and sub-strategies for mitigating transit assaults, with details on cost, effectiveness, and implementation.
Long Description.

The entries of the fifth row from left to right are S2. Education, Outreach, and Awareness; S2.1 Awareness Campaigns; Programs to increase awareness of transit crime/violence, campaigns to encourage, or incentivize, to report suspicious behavior and packages, campaign to encourage or incentivize the reporting of assaults, public outreach campaigns to discourage inappropriate behavior, posters with reminders/safety tips, digital displays/monitors; Rail station, bus stops, transit center, on vehicle (bus and rail); $-$$; Easy-moderate; Not common; and Moderate-high. The entries of the sixth row from left to right are S3. Information Dissemination and System Monitoring; S3.1 Posters with Reminders/Safety Tips; Stating behavior expectations, encouraging people to report concerns; Rail station, bus stops, transit center, on vehicle (bus and rail); $; Easy; Common; and Moderate. The entries of the seventh row from left to right are S3. Information Dissemination and System Monitoring; S3.2 Digital Displays/Monitors with Messages or Public Service Announcements; Digital displays with targeted campaign messages; Rail station, bus stops, transit center, on vehicle (bus and rail); $$; Easy-moderate; Common; and Moderate. The entries of eighth row from left to right are S3. Information Dissemination and System Monitoring; S3.3 Surveillance Cameras; Live feed video, recorded video for post incident investigation; Rail station, bus stops, transit center, on vehicle (bus and rail); $$; Moderate; Common; and High.

Suggested Citation: "Appendix B: Transit Assault Mitigation Strategy Summary Matrix." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Mitigation Strategies for Deterring Transit Assaults. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29204.
A summary matrix lists strategies and sub-strategies for mitigating transit assaults, with details on cost, effectiveness, and implementation.
Long Description.

The entries of the ninth row from left to right are S4. Technology; S4.1 Communications and Emergency Response Solutions; See/Say App, a smartphone application; Rail station, bus stops, transit center, on vehicle (bus and rail); $$-$$$; Moderate-difficult; Common; and High. The entries of the tenth row from left to right are S4. Technology; S4.2 Advanced Surveillance Systems; Predictive analytics and AI monitoring, real time incident response; Rail station, transit center, on vehicle (bus and rail); $$-$$$; Moderate-difficult; Not common; and High. The entries of the eleventh row from left to right are S4. Technology; S4.3 Advanced Access Control Systems; Predictive maintenance for gates and doors, real-time alert, safe zones for victims, panic areas for transit workers; Rail station, transit center; $$-$$$; Moderate-difficult; Not common; and High. The entries of the twelfth row from left to right are S4. Technology; S4.4 Advanced Weapon Screening Systems; Sensors to detect weapons to other threats; Rail station, bus stops, transit center, on vehicle (bus and rail); $$-$$$; Moderate-difficult; Not common; and Moderate. The entries of the thirteenth row from left to right are S5. Partnerships; S5.1 Security or Law Enforcement Agencies; Deploying officers to high-risk ares, conducting joint patrols, integrating surveillance systems; Not applicable; $-$$$; Moderate; Common; and High. The entries of the fourteenth row from left to right are S5. Partnerships; S5.2 Social Service Agencies or Groups; Municipal or county social service agencies, mental health service centers, services for unsheltered/people experiencing homelessness, nonprofit agencies on violence prevention, homeless advocacy groups, victim service center; Not applicable; $-$$; Easy-moderate; Common; and Moderate. The entries of the fifteenth row from left to right are S5. Partnerships; S5.3 Other Agencies or Entities; Local transportation agencies; Not applicable; $; Easy-moderate; Not common; and Moderate.

Suggested Citation: "Appendix B: Transit Assault Mitigation Strategy Summary Matrix." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Mitigation Strategies for Deterring Transit Assaults. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29204.
A summary matrix lists strategies and sub-strategies for mitigating transit assaults, with details on cost, effectiveness, and implementation.
Long Description.

The entries of the sixteenth row from left to right are S6. Public Safety Personnel; S6.1 Sworn Police Officers; Transit police officers, off-duty police officers; Rail station, bus stops, transit center, on vehicle (bus and rail); $$-$$$; Easy-difficult; Common; and High. The entries of the seventeenth row from left to right are S6. Public Safety Personnel; S6.2 Nonsworn officers; Security personnel; Rail station, bus stops, transit center, on vehicle (bus and rail); $$-$$$; Easy-moderate; Common; and High. The entries of the eighteenth row from left to right are S6. Public Safety Personnel; S6.3 Fare Inspectors; Personnel who enforce fare policies that are not operators; Rail station, bus stops, transit center, on vehicle (bus and rail); $$-$$$; Easy-moderate; Common; and High. The entries of the nineteenth row from left to right are S6. Security Presence; S6.4 Other Public Safety Personnel and Supportive Equipment Options; Transit ambassadors, mobile surveillance boxes; Rail station, bus stops, transit center, on vehicle (bus and rail); $$-$$$; Easy-moderate; Not common; and High. The entries of the twentieth row from left to right are S7. Policy; S7.1 Rider Codes of Conduct; Prohibition of actions and behaviors; Rail station, bus stops, transit center, on vehicle (bus and rail); $; Easy; Common; and Moderate. The entries of the twenty-first row from left to right are S7. Policy; S7.2 Employee Training; Situational awareness training, de-escalation training; Not applicable; $$; Moderate; Not common; and High. The entries of the twenty-second row from left to right are S7. Policy; S7.3 Transit Ban Policies; Addressing repeat offenders, temporary suspensions; Not applicable; $$-$$$; Moderate; Not common; and High. The entries of the twenty-third row from left to right are S7. Policy; S7.4 Stop-on-Demand Services; Nighttime safety enhancements, stops for youth and students, weather-responsive service, stops for older or disabled riders; On vehicle (on bus); $: Easy; Common; and Moderate.

Suggested Citation: "Appendix B: Transit Assault Mitigation Strategy Summary Matrix." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Mitigation Strategies for Deterring Transit Assaults. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29204.

Abbreviations and acronyms used without definitions in TRB publications:

A4A

Airlines for America

AAAE

American Association of Airport Executives

AASHO

American Association of State Highway Officials

AASHTO

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

ACI–NA

Airports Council International–North America

ACRP

Airport Cooperative Research Program

ADA

Americans with Disabilities Act

APTA

American Public Transportation Association

ASCE

American Society of Civil Engineers

ASME

American Society of Mechanical Engineers

ASTM

American Society for Testing and Materials

ATA

American Trucking Associations

CTAA

Community Transportation Association of America

CTBSSP

Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program

DHS

Department of Homeland Security

DOE

Department of Energy

EPA

Environmental Protection Agency

FAA

Federal Aviation Administration

FAST

Fixing Americaʼs Surface Transportation Act (2015)

FHWA

Federal Highway Administration

FMCSA

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

FRA

Federal Railroad Administration

FTA

Federal Transit Administration

GHSA

Governors Highway Safety Association

HMCRP

Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program

IEEE

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

ISTEA

Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991

ITE

Institute of Transportation Engineers

MAP-21

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (2012)

NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASAO

National Association of State Aviation Officials

NCFRP

National Cooperative Freight Research Program

NCHRP

National Cooperative Highway Research Program

NHTSA

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

NTSB

National Transportation Safety Board

PHMSA

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

RITA

Research and Innovative Technology Administration

SAE

Society of Automotive Engineers

SAFETEA-LU

Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (2005)

TCRP

Transit Cooperative Research Program

TEA-21

Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (1998)

TRB

Transportation Research Board

TSA

Transportation Security Administration

U.S. DOT

United States Department of Transportation

Suggested Citation: "Appendix B: Transit Assault Mitigation Strategy Summary Matrix." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Mitigation Strategies for Deterring Transit Assaults. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29204.

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Suggested Citation: "Appendix B: Transit Assault Mitigation Strategy Summary Matrix." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Mitigation Strategies for Deterring Transit Assaults. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29204.
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Suggested Citation: "Appendix B: Transit Assault Mitigation Strategy Summary Matrix." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Mitigation Strategies for Deterring Transit Assaults. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29204.
Page 78
Suggested Citation: "Appendix B: Transit Assault Mitigation Strategy Summary Matrix." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Mitigation Strategies for Deterring Transit Assaults. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29204.
Page 79
Suggested Citation: "Appendix B: Transit Assault Mitigation Strategy Summary Matrix." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Mitigation Strategies for Deterring Transit Assaults. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29204.
Page 80
Suggested Citation: "Appendix B: Transit Assault Mitigation Strategy Summary Matrix." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Mitigation Strategies for Deterring Transit Assaults. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29204.
Page 81
Suggested Citation: "Appendix B: Transit Assault Mitigation Strategy Summary Matrix." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Mitigation Strategies for Deterring Transit Assaults. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29204.
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