FTA awards transit worker safety research grant to USF

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded a $500,000 research grant to the University of South Florida (USF) to identify safety risks for transit workers and riders and determine the most effective strategies to minimize them.

The research will inform FTA’s efforts in developing public transportation safety measures in the light of many reports of violence toward transit workers. Better understanding the data and risks will lead to strategies that improve safety on the nation’s transit systems, FTA officials said in a press release.

After identifying best practices, a second phase of research will provide technical and financial support to the transit industry and supportive organizations to pursue innovative approaches to reduce safety hazards affecting workers, riders and transit systems.

FTA is working to identify potential transit worker safety mitigations and standards, and to prevent operator assault.

The funding was made possible by the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The USF research is designed to identify underlying factors and trends in operator and rider assault incidents; document and assess strategies to address them; and develop best practices for transit agencies.

"As a nation who depends on them, we owe it to our frontline transit workers to ensure that when they go to work, they can expect to come home safe and sound. Transit riders also deserve to know that safety is the North Star of every transit agency, and that they will continue riding the safest mode of transportation in America," said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez.