TRANSIT SAFETY
We are a ward of many transit riders - myself included! Access to fast, convenient, and reliable public transportation is one of the great things about living in O-day'min. But I've heard from many of you over the last few months that lately your transit experience hasn't been what it should be. Lower ridership and increased marginalization caused by the pandemic have combined to create significant challenges in our transit system, including a lack of safety and cleanliness.
I am committed to making sure that taking transit is a safe and pleasant experience for all riders, and I wanted to share with you the work Council has been doing to address the situation.
In February 2022, City Council approved a Transit Safety Plan, along with funding for implementation. The Transit Safety Plan is a holistic approach to our transit system and includes a number of initiatives. The most exciting to me was an expansion of the Community Outreach Transit Teams. This is an innovative approach that pairs a Transit Peace Officer (TPO) with an outreach worker from Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, along with coordinated support from Edmonton Police Services. These teams are able to provide an integrated approach to crime prevention and targeted responses to criminal activity, while also connecting marginalized community members to the services they need. City staff are also working with Alberta Health Services to ensure that people have access to services that are out of scope for the teams, including addictions outreach. Security teams in the stations have also been trained and equipped with Naloxone to help respond to drug poisoning cases.
The Plan also includes having more TPO teams. I've definitely been noticing an increased presence of these teams in the system, and as we move through the hiring and training lag, we should start to see even more of these folks around. I appreciate the focus the teams have taken on compassionate interactions with all community members and the close collaboration they have with the COTT teams to ensure everyone gets access to the supports they need.
At Council, we also recently discussed an amendment to the Conduct of Transit Passengers Bylaw to strengthen the ability of bylaw officers to address inappropriate behaviours in the transit system. I had some questions about the proposed wording and was initially concerned it would be a return to the loitering bylaw. Through questioning, I gained confidence that the new wording is still intended to target behaviours rather than people and that operating procedures ensure respectful and compassionate interactions with all community members. I’ve also requested regular reporting to ensure that these amendments don’t result in greater ticketing or conduct complaints regarding TPOs. Ultimately, I do see this as a stopgap measure and look forward to further refinements coming forward later this summer as a result of an excellent motion made by Councillor Rutherford earlier this year. I hope this additional work can add even greater clarity in the bylaw to make it as functional and equitable as possible.
Another important aspect of the Transit Safety Plan is more frequent cleaning of LRT stations and transit centres. Maintenance teams have expanded their hours and are working to ensure these transit spaces are as clean as possible. I've definitely been noticing an improvement and try to say thank you to the teams whenever I can - I encourage you to do the same to let people know how valued their work is!
The Transit Safety Plan will also see more activation in our LRT stations and transit centres to create more vibrancy and welcome people into these spaces. This could include music, vendors, and artwork - I look forward to seeing our stations transform!
Going forward, ETS is bringing a project director on board to focus on implementing the safety plan and making sure everyone feels safe using ETS to get around. This will ensure a long-term and proactive approach to safety in our system, even exceeding the levels we enjoyed pre-pandemic. I'm grateful for all the teams involved, and particularly ETS staff who have been working so hard to respond to the issues we've seen. Their Safety and Security page has additional information on the great initiatives they're undertaking.
More work is still to come - including physical improvements such as CPTED reviews, the potential installation of fare gates, and extending cellphone service.
I will continue working to make sure the transit experience is the best it can be for everyone by listening to your suggestions, taking note of my own experiences, and making sure I share it all with City staff so they can make the best decisions on behalf of riders. Please keep your feedback coming - all of your input is really important in making sure we get the right resources to the right places and I’m grateful for your advocacy for high quality transit in our city!
