The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) announced the winners of the annual Rail Safety & Security Excellence Awards at the 2017 APTA Rail Conference, which is being held in Baltimore. The awards recognize exceptional safety and security programs for rail systems in North America.
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) earned the Heavy Rail Gold Award for Safety for improving employee and contractor safety on the right of way. Since 2001, MARTA has had zero employee or contractor fatalities on the right-of-way, and has produced an updated version of the Wayward Access Procedure Manual/Standard Operating Procedures.
Ad Loading...
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) received the Heavy Rail Gold Award for Security. APTA recognized LA Metro for its Transit Homeless Action Plan, which aimed to improve passenger and employee safety, while focusing on engagement towards Los Angeles' homeless population. LA Metro also partnered with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's Peace Over Violence program to create a 24/7 hotline.
Metro Transit of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn., was awarded the Light Rail/Streetcar Gold Star Award for Safety for improving pedestrian safety around light rail lines through a comprehensive public outreach and engineering program. Metro Transit reached over two million people via billboards, on-board and platform advertisements, and social media. The agency also installed flashing train headlights and new cautionary signals at grade crossings. The number of pedestrian collisions was cut in half in the year following the program's start, and operators reported decreased usage of the emergency brake.
APTA awarded the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) the Light Rail/Streetcar GOLD Award for Security. Using crime data, MTA used data to target fare evasions and increased the issuance of citations for fare evasion since 2014 by 109%. Serious crimes also fell by 43% due to increased visibility of fare evasion enforcement.
LA Metro
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) received the Heavy Rail Certificate of Merit for Safety for its Emergency Pantograph Lowering System. The system helps keep operators out of danger, improves safety, and lowers management costs for heavy rail vehicles.
The Light Rail/Streetcar Certificate of Merit for Safety was given to the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) for its "Trolley Renewal" program that increased its system's safety and reliability. The program saw a 50% reduction in liability claims, elimination of injuries related to vehicle boardings, and zero roadway incidents occurred involving trains or track equipment.
Ad Loading...
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) received the Light Rail/Streetcar Certificate of Merit for Security for collaborating with the Transportation Security Administration to conduct a Baseline Assessment for Security Enhancement. As a result of improved crowd management, the VTA safely and securely transported spectators to events at Levi's Stadium, including Super Bowl 50.
MTA of Maryland
"This year's winners show that the industry is continuing to innovate as we make riding on rail public transit safe and secure," said APTA Acting President/CEO Richard A. White. "These best practices are the best of the best and contribute to the fact that traveling by rail is among the safest way to travel."
The phased introduction of the cameras for station staff follows the successful rollout of the devices with TTC Special Constables and Provincial Offenses Officers in January 2025.
The plan includes investments in cleaner vehicles and upgraded stations, NJT LiveView to provide real-time GPS tracking of train and light rail service, enhanced safety initiatives through a new Real Time Crime Center, and the debut of a redesigned NJ TRANSIT mobile app.
New research from MTI shows a sharp increase in attacks on public-facing transit employees, with North America accounting for a significant share and bus drivers among the most affected.
BRIT patrols are over and above those already occurring within the district. For example, the agency experienced three copper wire thefts along the G Line in April, followed by others later in the month and in early May.
Today’s riders—and the communities you serve—expect more from public transit. While ADA compliance is required, leading transit agencies know that true accessibility also means delivering dignity, efficiency, and a better rider experience. This whitepaper reveals why forward thinking agencies nationwide choose the Low Floor Frontrunner as their first choice for ADA compliant vehicles—setting a new standard with passenger first design, faster boarding, improved safety, and unmatched operational performance.
Fred Ferguson, president and CEO of the American Bus Association (ABA), discussed how the industry prepares for emergencies, the growing recognition of motorcoaches as critical infrastructure, and steps operators can take to strengthen disaster readiness.
The approved contract modification will increase funding for transit security officer services to a total not-to-exceed amount of $32.1 million, ensuring a continued and visible security presence across DART’s buses, trains, stations, and facilities.
