Women’s Safety Related to Public Transit: A Look at the U.S. and Florida

Why is the provision of safe transit for women, in particular, important? Access to transit means access to significant economic and educational opportunities for women. This paper summarizes a study of women’s safety related to public transit. Women are used to the idea of being aware and concerned about harassment in public. Research indicates that there are shortcomings in addressing gender-based harassment on transit and, more generally, in public spaces. National Transit Database (NTD) security data were also analyzed and the inclusion of the data demonstrates that the occurrence of crimes, such as assault, on transit is very low in the U.S., but these data do not reflect how often harassing incidents occur. Incidents of harassment, which typically do not meet NTD reporting thresholds, are also under-reported by victims. The study also included discussions with three transit agencies in Florida. While NTD-reportable personal security events at these agencies are very low, the discussions provided insight into the agencies’ awareness of gender-based harassment and various initiatives being implemented, including “see something, say something” campaigns, anonymous incident reporting, enhanced lighting and shelter design, operator safety barriers, and enhanced training. Women should not have to accept that they will be the targets of gender-based harassment or worse. Transit agencies are in unique positions as public entities to be leaders in addressing gender-based harassment, not only by addressing incidents on their services, but by engaging with their communities to address these issues on a larger, societal scale.

• Record URL:
  https://annualmeeting.mytrb.org/OnlineProgram/Details/15885
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AME20 Standing Committee on Women and Gender in Transportation.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Perk, Victoria
  • Antonov, Vanko
  • Corcoran, Katrina
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 100th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2021-1-5 to 2021-1-29
• Date: 2021

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Illustrations;
• Pagination: 20p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Data analysis; Females; Public transit; Sexual harassment; Transit operating agencies
• Identifier Terms: National Transit Database
• Geographic Terms: Florida; United States
• Subject Areas: Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01763860
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: TRBAM-21-03021
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 4 2021 10:57AM