Project Summary
Safety and heightened exposure to crime on transit in recent years are increasing concerns that have received widespread media coverage. Young riders are particularly concerned about crime on transit at a time when fewer younger drivers are obtaining driver’s licenses. In Los Angeles, crimes covering LA Metro have risen 55 percent between 2020 and 2023 while violent crimes rose 11 percent between 2022 and 2023. This poses an equity issue to young riders, given a large majority of young riders on transit are from low-income households and need safe, fast reliable service. Our analysis will seek to determine how individual safety concerns and perceptions impact subjective values of travel time reliability. To do this, we will survey Metro riders, many of whom also participate in GoPass, which has generated substantial cost savings for young Metro riders.
