SPRING 2004     VOLUME 2  ISSUE 1

NATIONAL TRANSIT DATABASE
SAFETY AND SECURITY NEWSLETTER

• Service Area: 869-square-miles
• Communities Served: 37
• Population Served: ~ 525,000.
• Bus Fleet: 45 fixed-route buses
• Regular Routes: 28
• Vans and 20-Pass. Minibuses: 1011

WRTA 2002 NTD Reporting:

• Fare Evasion: 8
• Vandalism: 2
• Aggravated Assault: 1
• Other Assaults: 7

Law enforcement and regional government agencies are, understandingly, focusing transit security efforts on preventing terrorist attacks on large regional transit systems. However, the majority of transit agencies in the U.S. are small or medium-sized. What kinds of security issues and challenges do these agencies face, and how they are addressing them?

To help answer these questions, the Safety & Security Newsletter editors recently visited the Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA), in Worcester, Massachusetts, and interviewed several key staff including: the Administrator; the Safety, Security and Training Manager; the Community and Government Affairs Manager; the Media Relations and Marketing Manager; and the General Manager.

WRTA is typical of transit agencies serving mid-sized cities. Central to WRTA’s service area is the recently renovated and
re-opened Union Station, a multi-modal transportation hub that provides commuter rail, Amtrak, regional bus and local transit service, and is adjacent to active freight rail lines.

The security track record througout the WRTA system is excellent. Thus, riders feel safe using the system. In a recent survey of WRTA riders, over 60% of respondents graded WRTA at 8 or better (out of 10) in terms of feeling safe and secure while using the bus. WRTA bus drivers recognize their passengers and in some cases get to know them quite well, which contributes to that secure feeling.

WRTA continues to maintain and enhance their system security. First, in addition to the standard two-way radio link with dispatch, every bus is equipped with a “Red Phone,” which is a dedicated link to the Emergency Services division of the Worcester Police Department. WRTA installed the Red Phones in 2000. Since then, the Red Phones have proven useful in dealing with passenger medical emergencies.

Second, video cameras are active on four buses, and ten more cameras will be installed over the next year. The security cameras store recorded images, either onboard or via a wireless network to the WRTA dispatch center. In the event of a security

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1 As a Massachusetts regional transportation authority (RTA), WRTA contracts out the actual operation of its vehicles to private companies. One company handles the fixed-route buses; several others operate the vans and mini-buses.

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