Local opinion: Safety by exclusion or by empowerment?

Transit safety is on the table. Though often sensationalized, it’s an important concern and ignoring it is not an option. Effective approaches will center riders and drivers. But first, let’s face an inevitable issue.

I support our fare-free transit policy for all the reasons I’ve expressed elsewhere. It’s especially appropriate in a region like Tucson with a high poverty rate; large numbers of households without cars and of people unable to drive; and a built environment that favors driving to the point where even though dangerous, expensive, and harmful, it remains the most comfortable option for most who can access it. Those using other modes like public transit face enough barriers without the cost and friction associated with fares.

But salient among the points raised in the safety discussion will be this: riders themselves sometimes wonder aloud when fares will return, expressing a hope that this will stop problematic behaviors and “clean up” bus stops. I have had countless conversations, on buses and at stops, that go essentially like this: “The fare-free bus is great, it helps me a lot. But some people feel it’s less safe.” “How would fares make it safer?” Long pause. “Well, they probably wouldn’t.” (And then we discuss what would.) Or, “They should bring back fares because of homeless people on the buses/drug use at stops/weapons on buses.” “Did you know that homelessness, drug use, and violence affect transit in other cities, including those that charge fares?” “No, I thought it was a Tucson thing because of the free fares.”

I am not making this up. The narrative has sunk in. But we would do a great disservice to those riders who do feel unsafe if we use our resources to create a system that adds a barrier for every potential rider, more work for drivers, and delays for everyone. That’s because it would fail to address the real need, which is to maintain an environment where bus stops are as comfortable as possible, passengers aren’t afraid of each other, drivers aren’t afraid of riders, and kindness and tolerance are the norm.

As you may not know if you don’t ride the bus, these things are already true throughout most of our system, most of the time. And the real problems we do have affect just about every city. Many are now instituting policies that allow removal and even banning of passengers who repeatedly cause problems. Clearly, fare collection is not preventing these issues. Even what’s proposed as a simple “tap card system” would impact every rider and every ride, on every route at every hour of every day. That’s not the way to focus efforts where the problems are.

So, how can we do better? We can start by empowering riders and drivers. First, both must have a voice in the creation of any new policies.

Passengers and drivers alike should have access to technology that enables immediate reporting of unsafe conditions. For passengers, there are apps used nationwide that provide this capacity, including a texting feature for phones without Internet connections. We should work to integrate this tool with Sun Tran and TPD communications.

We all feel protective of our bus drivers. But it’s also true that drivers set the tone for a safe space, and passengers look to them for leadership. Here are two more things I hear over and over. From riders: drivers ignore unsafe behaviors. From drivers: we’re not allowed to respond.

More support personnel are needed for sure. But our drivers should be able to prevent someone from boarding if they feel that person presents a threat to their safety or that of passengers. They should always be free to stop the bus and not move it again until a problem is resolved. Drivers need management to have their backs; passengers need the driver to be a human presence on the bus that helps them feel seen. There’s a lot of fear out there; we’re all dealing with it. Some honest conversations need to happen. Together we can make it better.