Improving Transit Customer Perception of Personal Security (2025)
Chapter: Appendix C: Interview Guide
APPENDIX C
Interview Guide
TCRP SB-39 Improving Transit Customer Perception of Personal Security
Interview Guide
Introduction
Thank you for being part of our study regarding the transit customer perception of security. We are trying to better understand the drivers of perception and strategies that may be working to improve the perception and how those are being monitored and measured.
The goal of todayʼs discussion is to document the practices employed by your agency to address the customerʼs perception of personal security.
Concerns about Confidentiality and Sensitivity
The notes from our discussion will be used to develop the case example summary. Interview responses will be summarized and published in the research report in an aggregate format, and the identity of respondents will remain anonymous.
- If a question comes up that you feel is sensitive, you may decline to respond.
- Issues that you consider to be confidential will not be included in the report.
- My notes will only be shared with other project team members who are working on the project.
- With your permission, the conversation will be audio recorded. This is being proposed to allow the project team to verify notes taken during the interview. The recording will be destroyed once the project is completed.
- If any issues come up regarding the information that you have provided, I may want to follow up with you later.
Do you have any questions before we begin?
Interviewee Details
- What is your title and role in the organization?
Current Experience
- In your experience, what are the conditions that may affect a transit customerʼs perception of personal security throughout the transit system?
- How much of a concern are these circumstances at your transit agency?
- Do you have a system to know what your customers perceive in terms of personal security? Is this a survey or otherwise? Tell me more.
- What does the data side of this system look like (ex. do you track feedback by location, certain categories, time of day, etc.)?
- What notification mechanism(s) is/are available?
- For when a customer is in the field and needs to contact Security for immediate assistance, and
- For the procedure for how customer experience feedback is gathered (then potentially documented/analyzed) from customers?
- How do you record notifications and address feedback from your customers? Weʼre interested in notification of incidents, suspicious activity, and safety/security concerns.
Strategies to Address Customer Perception
- What mitigation strategies surrounding the built environment has your agency implemented to address customer perception of security? How have these worked?
- What is your security configuration? Is that configuration working in terms of security perception? Tell me more.
- Have you implemented changes in technological solutions to improve passengersʼ perception of security? Tell me more about how this has worked for your agency?
- Would you share details about your public information and outreach programs that are designed to improve the transit customersʼ perception of security?
- Would you tell me about any policies you have implemented or are considering for improving transit customersʼ perception of security?
- Where are the biggest concerns of security perceptions in terms of locations on the transit properties? Tell me more about these locations and any strategies used to make them feel safer.
- Does your agency make any special effort to address security concerns for specific communities of people based on age, ancestry, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other class of people? If so, tell me about your efforts.
- Does your transit agency partner with any external agencies to address and prevent security concerns to improve the perception of security (e.g., addressing homelessness, mental health, and drug use)?
- Who are these partners and what are you doing?
- How are those partnerships funded?
Communication with the Public
- How does your transit agency communicate what they are doing to improve the public perception of personal security? Your response can address any of the initiatives, programs, or policies that you may have already mentioned or any other action that your agency is taking.
- How does your organization measure the success of its communication efforts to improve public perception of personal security? How will the information be used in communications efforts going forward?
Changing Strategies Over Time
- Is your transit agency using any strategies or tactics that are different from those used 10 years ago? Please describe the strategies and the resulting impact.
Additional Items of Interest
- Can you think of anything else you can share related to the project that would be beneficial to our information-gathering mission?
Thank you very much for your time and attention. We appreciate your insights and assistance.
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 |
Transportation Research Board
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