The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is implementing initiatives to reduce roadway collisions and make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and users of other forms of transportation.

“Safety is Metro’s No. 1 priority, and that includes safety of pedestrians, motorists, cyclists and others on L.A County’s roads.” Metro Board Chair Ara J. Najarian said. “Metro is proud to join with the U.S. Department of Transportation on the National Roadway Safety Strategy to make our transit operations as safe as they can be.”

According to a 2018 report by the American Public Transit Association and the Vision Zero Safety Network, using public transit is 10-times safer than traveling by automobile. With a fleet of more than 2,200 buses, nine heavy rail and 61 light rail lines, and 1,493 non-revenue vehicles, Metro is committed to improving operational safety, Metro officials said.

“Far too many people die on L.A. County’s roads due to traffic accidents and pedestrian collisions,” Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins said. “While transit is one of the safest ways to travel, we still can do more to ensure that our own operations are as safe as possible. By joining the National Roadway Safety Strategy, we are doubling down on our commitment to safety, whether on the Metro rail system or on the streets and roads of L.A. County.”

To make Metro’s transit operations safer, Metro will collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to develop mitigation strategies for bus vs. vehicle and bus vs. pedestrian collisions. Actions include reviewing the design of Metro-owned bus stops to identify and resolve hazards that could result in injury to patrons; exploring the deployment of new collision avoidance technology on buses; evaluating new systems to enhance operator and maintenance operations worker safety along rail lines and on rail rights of way; and partnering with cities to install more bus-only lanes to separate vehicles from buses to reduce the potential for collisions. Metro will also look at the feasibility of installing reflective tape and graphics on the back of buses to enhance visibility, and hiring more bus operators to facilitate shorter operator assignments, thus reducing potential for operator fatigue.

The Metro Board also adopted the Street Safety, Data Sharing and Collaboration Policy in June 2022 to help improve safety for people using streets. Metro plans to partner more closely with individual cities to improve roadways and street safety.

For information, visit metro.net.