Where Is This Happening?

Transit safety ambassador programs are operating in transit systems across the United States. In 2025, Illinois passed state legislation creating ambassador programs for the Chicago metropolitan region under a new transit authority — the first time this program model has been written into state law.

Major Established Programs

Los Angeles, California — Metro Transit Ambassador Program. In July 2025, LA Metro transitioned from contractor-operated to fully in-house management under a Teamsters collective bargaining agreement. The authorized workforce expanded to 439 positions — 388 Teamsters-covered ambassadors, 49 supervisors, and 2 in management — with a daily deployment target of 322 ambassadors. The FY2026 budget added $11.8 million for the transition. Bus deployment doubled from 10% to 20% of coverage. Ambassadors wear distinctive lime green jackets. [1] As of July 2025, Metro’s official board records document 334 lives saved through Narcan administration and CPR, a figure that grew from 72 at program launch to 334 over the program’s history. [1] A Safer Cities rider survey found 63% of passengers reported feeling safer when they see ambassadors. [Safer Cities rider survey, 2023] Community groups have called for a four-to-five-fold increase to expand to buses. [1] Metro’s board has positioned the program as safety infrastructure for the system hosting the 2028 Olympic Games, according to Metro board materials. [1]

Bay Area, California — BART Crisis Intervention Specialists. The Bay Area Rapid Transit system operates Crisis Intervention Specialist (CIS) teams across its five-county service area. Specialists are trained in “conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques for people suffering from mental health, homelessness and substance-abuse issues” and carry naloxone. [2] A frontline specialist stated: “there needs to be 100 of us, not just 20” — a documented five-fold gap between current deployment and assessed need. [2] BART reported a 45% year-over-year drop in overall crime as of October 2025, with Chief Kevin Franklin crediting the combination of Crisis Intervention Specialists alongside other safety measures. [BART news release, January 29, 2026] A pilot at BART’s Embarcadero and Montgomery stations, running from late July through December 2025, was associated with a 53% drop in safety-related 911 calls and a 67% drop in calls tied to violent incidents; the pilot period coincided with a citywide 25.8% overall crime decrease, meaning those reductions cannot be attributed exclusively to ambassadors. [3] BART Deputy Chief of Police Ja’Son Scott told KQED: “We didn’t have all the tools as police officers to deal with all the issues that you see in BART, and it’s not always necessary for a police officer” to respond. [2]

Sacramento, California — Regional Transit Ambassador Program. Sacramento Regional Transit’s board voted unanimously in 2024 to expand its ambassador program with a $1 million budget increase, growing the team from 40 to 50 employees, adding camera monitoring and incident response staffing, and extending coverage across light rail trains, stations, and parking lots. [4] Board member Roger Dickinson (who subsequently won election to the Sacramento City Council in November 2024) described the expansion as “calibrated to have the right level of response for the particular incident.” [4] In June 2025, a Sacramento Regional Transit ambassador fatally stabbed a 16-year-old boy at Mills Station in Rancho Cordova following a reported altercation. SacRT stated the ambassador acted in self-defense but confirmed that ambassadors are not authorized to carry knives. The matter was referred to the district attorney. [4]

Washington, D.C. — Metro Ambassadors. D.C. Metro deployed ambassadors as part of a strategy to “tamp down on crime spikes and boost security without hiring or deploying more police officers.” [9] General Manager Randy Clarke stated: ambassadors “provide great service and are another additive layer to make sure we have more visibility for safety, security and more thinking about the customer in everything we do.” [9]

Cleveland, Ohio — Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. Cleveland’s RTA created what it describes as a “highly visible, uniformed civilian force created with the goal of preventing violence and disruptive behavior, providing assistance during medical emergencies and maintaining a vigilant watch over rail stations, transit centers and bus lines.” [6] The program includes “crisis intervention specialists who are trained and have expertise in using conflict resolution skills to help people experiencing mental health crises.” [6] As of November 2024, the program operated at 16 ambassadors plus 4 crisis intervention specialists. [6]

Minneapolis, Minnesota — Transit Rider Investment Program (TRIP). Minneapolis launched TRIP to address community concerns about transit safety and cleanliness. The program grew to approximately 92 agents (67 internal and 25 contracted) as of late 2025, targeting 100. Functions include fare checking, codes of conduct enforcement, and connecting “people experiencing homelessness and addiction with social services agencies.” [5] Only 41% of riders reported feeling safe on light rail trains as of 2025. Light rail ridership declined 14% in 2025, and Metro Transit acknowledged that stepped-up fare enforcement through TRIP “may have contributed” to that drop. [5]

Expanding Programs and New Adoptions

Olympia (Thurston County), Washington. Thurston County launched transit ambassadors on bus routes in July 2025, outfitting them in bright blue uniforms. The scope includes de-escalating situations with passengers in mental health crisis, administering CPR/first aid and Narcan, supporting bus operators, walking passengers between buses for transfers, and face-to-face customer service. [7] Ambassador Lois Thomas reported that riders tell the team “seeing an ambassador onboard the buses makes them ‘feel better,’ ‘safer.'” [7]

Boston, Massachusetts — MBTA Transit Ambassadors. Active since August 2, 2017, operated by contractor Block by Block. Ambassadors stationed at stations 6 AM–midnight Monday–Saturday, 7 AM–midnight Sundays, across the system. Equipped with tablets (Google Translate, trip planning, real-time alerts) and “I Speak” flashcards. The Massachusetts Inspector General published an audit in July 2023 finding MBTA overpaid Block by Block by more than $5.3 million and failed to set performance metrics to track ambassador performance. [Massachusetts Inspector General, July 2023: https://www.mass.gov/news/the-oigs-internal-special-audit-unit-isau-review-of-the-mbtas-in-station-customer-service-contract-with-block-by-block; MBTA.com: https://www.mbta.com/customer-support/transit-ambassadors]

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — SEPTA SCOPE Ambassadors. Up to 88 ambassadors deployed on the Broad Street Line, Market-Frankford Line, and Center City concourses since February 2022, under the SCOPE initiative (Safety, Cleaning, Ownership, Partnerships and Engagement). Operated through three vendors: Extrity LLC, Scotlandyard Security Services Inc., and The Philadelphia Protection Connection. A separate cohort of 50+ social workers patrols alongside SEPTA Transit Police. [Railway Age; SEPTA.org]

Seattle, Washington — Sound Transit Fare Ambassador Program. Piloted September 2021; made permanent by the Sound Transit Board in 2022. Approximately 75 Fare Ambassadors work in pairs, checking fares on Link light rail, Sounder commuter rail, and T Line. Starting June 2025, platform-based fare checking added. Fare compliance rose from an estimated 55% in 2023 to 84% in May 2024 under the program. Prior enforcement was discontinued after a King County Equity and Social Justice analysis documented racial disparities: Black passengers received 46.7% of citations and 56.9% of theft charges despite comprising approximately 9% of riders. [Sound Transit: https://www.soundtransit.org/ride-with-us/how-to-pay/fare-ambassadors; The Urbanist, March 21, 2023]

Kansas City, Missouri — KCATA Transit Ambassadors. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority is planning to grow its program from 12 ambassadors to 50–60 ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, using part of $8.63 million from $100.3 million in FTA World Cup host-city funding. [KCTV5, March 4, 2026: https://www.kctv5.com/2026/03/04/kcata-eyes-50-60-transit-ambassadors-ahead-2026-fifa-world-cup/]

Spokane, Washington — Spokane Transit Authority. Active pilot under the Connect 2035 strategic plan. Ambassadors ride buses for customer service and safety. [Spokane Transit Authority: https://www.spokanetransit.com/ambassadors/]

Systems Without Dedicated Transit Safety Ambassador Programs

The following major U.S. transit systems do not currently operate dedicated transit safety ambassador programs as of early 2026, per documented public sources:

Denver RTD — Operates an “Impact Team” of employee volunteers deployed during peak times and events, focused on customer service. RTD has expanded transit police, fare checks, and surveillance cameras since 2024 but has not launched a standalone transit safety ambassador program. [RTD-Denver; CPR News, November 2020]

Dallas DART — Operates a Mobility Ambassador Program providing travel training and orientation, primarily for riders with disabilities. Safety handled by Transit Security Officers and DART Police. [DART: https://www.dart.org/guide/supporting-services/mobility-ambassador-program]

Atlanta MARTA — Deploys ambassadors at rail station bus loops and high-traffic stops for specific events including the NextGen Bus Network launch and 2026 FIFA World Cup. Does not operate a permanent dedicated transit safety ambassador program. Safety relies on MARTA police officers and a Real-Time Crime Center. [The Atlanta Voice; Rough Draft Atlanta, March 17, 2026]

Houston METRO — In February 2025, METRO announced METRONow, a $7 million safety initiative that includes a Community Ambassador Program pairing officers with community residents. Not a standalone unarmed civilian transit safety ambassador program. [Houston Public Media, February 25, 2025]

Phoenix Valley Metro — Uses Field Security Officers, partnerships with Phoenix Transit Police, and other law enforcement contracts. A 2025 rider survey of 1,100+ riders found 81% feel very secure or secure. Rail security incidents dropped more than 50% year-over-year. No formal unarmed transit ambassador program documented. [City of Phoenix, October 2025]

San Francisco Downtown Station Pilot

A pilot at BART’s Embarcadero and Montgomery stations, operated by the Downtown San Francisco Partnership using contractor Block by Block and funded in part by private sponsors including Google, Visa, and Amazon, ran from late July through December 2025. [3] Plans for 2026 expansion to Powell and Civic Center stations with evening hours are underway, estimated at $2.8 million. [3]

The Northern Illinois Transit Authority Mandate

Illinois lawmakers passed legislation creating a new Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) to replace the Regional Transportation Authority. The legislation, signed by Governor Pritzker on December 16, 2025, includes a transit ambassador mandate for the Chicago metropolitan region’s transit system, deploying “unarmed staff at transit stations and on vehicles across the system” with functions including passenger safety, education and assistance, connections to “social, medical, and other services and community resources,” liaison with law enforcement for serious crimes, and system navigation. The ambassador program component is targeted for 2027 implementation. The broader NITA package includes $1.5 billion in annual transit funding and $150 million for downstate transit systems. [8]

The Regional Transportation Authority of Chicago described the legislation as “historic.” [8] The ambassador mandate covers the six-county Chicago metropolitan region; downstate transit systems receive funding but are not covered under the same mandate. [8]

Where Coverage Gaps Are Documented

Coverage gaps appear across the documented programs.

Bus coverage. LA Metro ambassadors are concentrated on the six rail lines, but 80% of Metro riders travel by bus. Community groups have called for major expansion to close this gap. [1]

Off-peak hours. Most documented ambassador programs concentrate deployment during peak transit hours. Off-peak coverage is inconsistent across programs. [7]

Smaller systems. The programs with documented outcome data are in major metropolitan transit systems. Smaller regional transit systems, suburban transit agencies, and rural transit operations have largely not implemented ambassador programs. [2, 6]

BART understaffing. BART frontline workers stated: “there needs to be 100 of us, not just 20.” [2]

Polling on Potential Expansion

A Safer Cities national poll found 75% of voters support “the creation of an unarmed transit security ambassador unit where they live,” a figure that exceeded 70% across party, race, gender, age, and educational attainment. [10]

In Harris County, Texas (home to Houston’s METRO system), a Safer Cities poll of Harris County residents found 81% say transit ambassador units would be “effective” at “making Harris County safer.” [10]

Federal Legislation

In January 2026, Representative Lateefah Simon, who represents a district covering much of BART’s service area in the East Bay, introduced the Rider Investment and Development for Enhanced Rider Safety (RIDER Safety) Act. The bill would provide federal grant funding for transit ambassador programs nationally. The legislation was introduced as a bill, not enacted into law as of early 2026. [11]