Project Summary
In recent years, systems in Washington, D.C., the San Francisco Bay Area, and Boston have deployed ambassadors—unarmed, civilian staff who monitor the system, solve customer issues, and de-escalate situations. The details of these ambassador programs, however, vary widely: how many staff are hired, what their duties are, whether they are in-house or contracted out, etc. With more agencies looking to adopt new approaches to improve safety on transit, a better understanding of what ambassadors do and their effects on riders, how they are trained, and their employment pathways is necessary. This project will evaluate LA Metro’s transit ambassador program approach and compare LA’s approach to a subset of other similar programs in order to derive lessons learned for other agencies seeking to start their own ambassador programs. In addition to interviews with former LA Metro Public Safety Advisory Committee members and contractors when appropriate, the team will review contracts and other relevant materials to gain a well-rounded understanding of the program and produce knowledge of how this model fits into a growing cadre of new approaches to transportation safety.
