A new national study shows the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) was again America’s safest transit system in terms of serious crimes (Part I) in 2016 out of the top 12 transit agencies. The study was conducted by the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA).
Part I crimes are serious offenses that can occur with regularity and are likely to be reported to police. They include aggravated assault, arson, burglary (breaking and entering), criminal homicide, larceny theft, rape, and robbery.
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“The Maryland Department of Transportation’s MTA has made tremendous improvements over the past two years, thanks in large part to the launch of Governor Hogan’s BaltimoreLink plan to transform transit in the region,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn. “As this study shows, the safety of our customers remains the top priority.”
The MTA had no homicides, shootings, or rapes and a total of 240 Part I crimes for the year 2016 — the lowest total of the transit systems in the cities and states studied, which includes Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
With interagency collaboration at the federal, state, and local levels, MTA Police reported the fourth straight year of declining crime figures, according to the study. The number of serious crimes reported has decreased from 388 in 2013 to 285 in 2014, 255 in 2015, and 240 in 2016 on MTA local bus, light rail, metro subway, MARC train, mobility, and commuter bus.
“Nothing is more important than the safety and security of our passengers and operators,” said MTA Administrator/CEO Paul Comfort. “We are proud to have the fewest serious crimes of any of the top 12 transit agencies in America. The numbers show that the MTA continues to be a very safe transit system to ride.”
The MTA Police Force added 20 uniformed police officer positions over the last two years to enhance its available resources. MTA Police utilize the Compstat process to smartly deploy its resources (data driven deployment/predictive policing) and have embraced the latest technologies available in security monitoring as a force multiplier. The MTA Police Force has approximately 49 memorandums of agreement with federal, state, and local agencies, which greatly enhances its ability to provide a police response to patrons across the state.
The Plan is CTA's formal response to an FTA Special Directive issued in December and details how the agency will significantly expand the law enforcement surge it launched.
On a recent episode of METROspectives, METRO Magazine’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sat down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the CSA Group, to explore a bold initiative aimed at addressing those challenges: the development of a National Code for Transit and Passenger Rail Systems in Canada.
During a safety blitz, Metra employees will visit one of the railroad’s 243 stations during the morning rush hour, distributing educational materials on train and grade-crossing safety, answering questions, and listening to riders’ safety concerns.
Operated in partnership with Tech Valley Security, trained CDTA Ambassadors will be on select routes and will rotate throughout CDTA’s route network. Their presence is intended to provide customers with an approachable, visible resource focused on assistance and engagement.
Customers have always been able to report concerns through the CATS Customer Service line or the “Report a Problem to CATS” feature in the CATS-Pass mobile app; however, CATS has also integrated a Text-a-Tip line, giving riders multiple, easy-to-use channels to get support.
The audit found multiple safety compliance failures at the Charlotte agency, citing elevated assault risks and ordering corrective action within 30 days.
While their comprehensive analysis of bus stops focused on Massachusetts, the researchers are excited about the generalizability of the findings and application to other locations.
