- Maryland Transit Administration Launches Transit Ambassador Team To Strengthen Rider Safety. For WBAL, Greg Ng reports the MTA launched a new transit ambassador team, called the Customer Assistance and Rider Experience unit, that “will provide a highly visible presence [] to engage with riders on the Metro Subway and Light Rail systems.” The ambassador team “will assist with trip planning and navigation, provide service information, explain fare and payment options and answer questions” and “proactively resolve [public safety] issues while also promoting respectful behavior.” Maryland Transit Administrator Holly Arnold explained that the team will “provide a comprehensive safety approach across the transit system.”
- Chicago Transit Authority Launches Transit Ambassador Team Trained In Crisis Intervention And Community Violence Prevention. For the Chicago Tribune, Talia Soglin reports “new teams of crisis intervention and community violence prevention workers will soon roam portions of the agency’s Red, Blue and Green rail lines,” with CTA investing $9.6 million in the one-year pilot. The “safe ride specialists” will be “trained in de-escalation, crisis intervention, mental health, and in first aid like CPR and Narcan administration.” CTA Chief Security Officer Joe Bird said violence prevention workers will “engage proactively” with young people and “serve as a positive presence, building a rapport and trust on the system.” Nora Leerhsen, acting president of CTA, explained that the teams add to the agency’s “multilayered security strategy… we’ve layered on another layer here today. And it’s not just one type of resource, it’s several.”
- Tucson Launches Transit Ambassador Team As Part Of Broader Push “To Improve Public Transit Safety.” For 13 News, Payton May reports on Tucson’s launch of its transit ambassador pilot “with plans to scale the program citywide if effective,” alongside a transit safety plan allocating more than $2 million to “bus stop cleaning crews and contracted security guards” and other public safety enhancements. Assistant City Manager Liz Morales said the new ambassadors will “offer help and resources when officers are not present… the goal of the transit ambassadors is to be a presence, and a welcoming resource to anyone.”