SFMTA’s MuniSafe initiative enhances safety across San Francisco transit

Credit: San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has unveiled significant initiatives aimed at enhancing safety and combating harassment within its transit system. In 2022, the agency introduced MuniSafe and the Safety Equity Initiative to bolster efforts in preventing and addressing harassment incidents across Muni vehicles, stops and stations.

These programmes emphasise proactive measures such as de-escalation, enforcement, education and outreach to foster a safer environment for all passengers. SFMTA has expanded its staff presence by hiring more transit ambassadors, adding to its existing workforce of 3,150 employees. These ambassadors are equipped to intervene in conflicts promptly, ensuring passenger safety and promoting a positive transit experience.

Moreover, SFMTA has prioritised enforcement by partnering with city agencies like the San Francisco Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office. Surveillance technology, including on-board cameras and sound recording systems on buses and trains, aids in both crime deterrence and investigation, contributing to an impressive 48% reduction in overall Muni-related crime since 2018.

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SFMTA’s commitment to education and outreach is evident through its MuniSafe programme webpage and widespread dissemination of resources via text messages, wallet cards, tear sheets, emails, multilingual signs at stops and stations, and partnerships with local businesses. This comprehensive approach aims to empower passengers to prevent and report harassment incidents effectively.

Looking ahead, SFMTA plans to leverage data-driven insights gathered from community surveys and partnerships with academic institutions like UCLA to refine safety strategies further. The agency is pioneering efforts to comply with new state laws mandating harassment data collection among large transit agencies in California, positioning SFMTA as a pioneer in transit safety innovation.

To build on these accomplishments, SFMTA is developing a Safety Equity Action Plan, which will encompass improvements in lighting at bus stops, engagement with diverse community partners, innovative educational campaigns, potential staffing enhancements and upgrades to incident reporting tools and data collection mechanisms.