LA Metro has completed retrofitting full plexiglass barriers on its bus fleet to provide an additional layer of protection for drivers.
Metro announced earlier this week that it has completed installing barriers on all of its more than 2,000 buses, making it the first transit agency in the U.S. to equip its entire bus fleet with driver safety barriers.
The decision to install barriers on Metro buses comes after years of increasing violence and several high-profile attacks on passengers and bus operators in early 2024.
Trade unions representing bus drivers have called for improved safety for their members, with the proposed expansion of barriers just one of the solutions proposed to curb the growing problem. . The union also called for additional security in the form of armed guards and silent alarms to keep drivers engaged in case of an emergency.
The Metro Board of Directors approved fast-track procurement of plexiglass barriers in April 2024, with plans to install them on all buses by the end of the year, a goal that was ultimately achieved.
Images provided by LA Metro show the protected driving area before and after new full plexiglass barriers are installed in 2024. (source)
L.A. Metro installed partial fencing in 2020, but attacks on drivers continue to rise, and officials said the trend is impacting transit systems across the country.
The new barrier was designed and manufactured in-house at Metro using steel and “laminated low-reflective shatterproof glass.”
The $5.8 million project was funded by two local sales tax measures and additional funding from the state.
Metro says its effectiveness has already been proven.
“From April to September of this year, drivers were 58% less likely to be assaulted on buses with fully enclosed barriers,” Metro wrote on its online blog The Source. “Spitting incidents have also decreased significantly.”
In addition to physical violence, spitting was another complaint from drivers.
Tracy Davis, who has worked as a Metrobus driver for three years, said he has never been personally attacked while driving, but his loved ones have expressed concern about the frequent high-profile incidents of violence. sources told me that they are doing so.
“I was excited when Metro announced they were installing bus barriers,” Davis said. “We felt it was better protection for us.”
Police officers patrol a subway station in Los Angeles County, May 23, 2024 (KTLA)
LA Metro has invested millions of dollars in public safety efforts in recent years, and data shows crime is on the decline across the city.
The agency is currently in the process of installing sturdier, more advanced ticket gates at some stations in the hope of thwarting fare evaders, who are responsible for the majority of emergency calls. Passengers getting off the train are currently required to show proof of boarding. You need a valid tap card to hit the road. Metro says the measure has reduced the number of crimes reported at these stations.
Metro also announced its intention to establish its own police department from 1978 to 1997 before merging with the Los Angeles Police Department and Sheriff’s Department.
As Los Angeles hosts a number of major sporting events in the coming years, including the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, city leaders hope tourists will rely on the ever-growing public transportation system to get to and from the events. I hope that you will.
This is an ambitious goal and will depend largely on how safe Metro’s buses and trains feel for both travelers and the locals who use its services.
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