Mental and behavioral health correlations in transit assaults and methods to reduce victimization

As part of the Mineta Consortium for Equitable, Efficient, and Sustainable Transportation, led by the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) at San José State University (SJSU), the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida (USF) and the project team inclusive of MTI and USF’s Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, the research team is focused on understanding the causal or contributing factors that have led to the victimization of transit workers and riders to effectively address and mitigate this ever-increasing trend. The purpose of this research is to educate the public transit industry about the contributors to transit assaults and the strategies that may be deployed to address those factors. Through this research, the project team will examine transit agency reported assaults and the source of these behaviors – targeting those assault events that can be attributed to mental health/behavioral issues, drug abuse, and homelessness; will document successful practices; and present other actionable insight for the industry that can lead to risk mitigation. This will be accomplished through a robust literature review, data analysis, stakeholder engagement, and report development. This project is currently underway, and significant progress is scheduled to occur prior to the June 2024 conference. This conference presentation will focus the results of the literature review and data analyses that are completed prior to the conference.

There are safety risks within the public transit industry that have and continue to result in injuries and fatalities across systems. One of the most challenging of these risks are assaults on transit employees, riders, and others. When considering the conference theme of preparing civil engineers to drive a generational transformation toward a just & equitable, complex, connected, decarbonized & sustainable, and resilient future, it is obvious that improved transit safety, and assault reduction on transit systems, must be part of the generational transformation that is necessary to move ahead. Since 2014, transit agencies have consistently reported increases in assaults across person types, with the greatest number of victims those who are either transit vehicle riders or people who are waiting or leaving transit stops, stations, or platforms according to the National Transit Database.

Beyond examining data trends – both reportable and unreportable, it is important to also consider the contributing factors that may play a role in the changes in the data trends. This presentation will increase industry awareness of successful practices to reduce transit assaults, increase awareness of mental health presentation and how to effectively respond to those presentations, and help to improve community perceptions of transit as a safe mobility alternative.