Improving Transit Customer Perception of Personal Security (2025)
Chapter: Summary
SUMMARY
Improving Transit Customer Perception of Personal Security
This synthesis includes a detailed literature review on the customer perception of personal security, an industry scan of U.S. transit agencies, a survey of customer service personnel at transit agencies, and findings from five case example interviews involving a diverse selection of transit agencies. The focus of the study was on bus and rail.
The survey of transit agencies included staff who work in customer service, customer experience, and marketing. A total of 35 transit agency representatives completed the survey, providing valuable information about experiences and practices. The 35 agencies ranged in size, modes of service, and geographical location across the United States. From these agencies, the project team selected five agencies as case examples:
- Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) in San Francisco/Oakland, CA
- Greenville Transit Authorityʼs (GTA) Greenlink in Greenville, SC
- Mountain Line in Missoula, MT
- Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) in the Philadelphia area
- Sun Metro in El Paso, TX
The literature review and industry scan revealed that enhancing the perceptions of security in public transportation is a multifaceted effort influenced by demographics, past experiences, and physical and social environments. The survey and case example interviews provided some answers to the question about how strategies to address customer perception of security have shifted from a more exclusionary approach to a more compassionate, comprehensive, and holistic approach, especially in large urban areas where homelessness and mental health issues are more of a concern. Transit agencies in regions around the country are moving toward a compassionate approach.
The discussion with agency staff and others in the case examples complements the information collected in the survey, providing a comprehensive picture of the understanding of ridersʼ perceptions of safety and strategies to improve it.
The most common strategies that have received positive results include surveillance technology such as CCTV, security personnel presence, and coordination or partnership-building with other agencies. Less common strategies included bus shelter art contests for high school students, partnerships with universities where students in the medical or social sciences fields volunteer as outreach coordinators or health navigators, and elevators that remain open when not in use.
This study emphasizes that the concern about security is not just a transit issue. It is a societal issue that transit agencies in large urban areas and in smaller cities alike are having to face.
Transit agencies are having to redefine roles, find creative partnerships, and consider new ways to approach solutions. Addressing the perception of security is a complex endeavor and requires a holistic and industrywide effort. Agencies are working to understand the complexities and nuances and are learning and modifying as they go. These agencies are collaborating to develop innovative solutions and leveraging funding to implement programs with local, regional, state, and federal partners.
