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Metro Transit forms internal and interagency working groups; barriers and training proposed after six operator assaults in 2025
Summary
Metro Transit reported that internal and interagency groups reviewed six operator assaults this year and recommended mitigations including operator barriers, retrofits budgeted in 2026, and expanded de-escalation training; unions and police participated in the review.
Brian Mulrooney, Metro Transit chief of operations, updated the Transportation Commission on June 25 about actions Metro is taking after a series of assaults on operators earlier in 2025.
Mulrooney said Metro formed two working groups: an internal group (three Metro staff and three Teamsters Local 120 representatives) that reviewed six physical assaults that occurred in 2025 and an interagency group including Metro, Teamsters, police and a mayor’s office representative to coordinate follow-up.
The internal review used a structured evaluation and a “risk mitigation register” to rate each incident before and after proposed mitigations. Mulrooney said the mitigation measures reduced the assessed risk in every case. The most common recommended mitigations were operator barriers and mandatory de-escalation training. Specific steps Mulrooney described:
- Operator barriers: Metro plans to include retrofit barrier work in the 2026 capital/bus-replacement budget and is developing an RFP to evaluate retrofit options. New 60-foot battery-electric buses in Metro’s fleet already include operator barriers; Mulrooney said those 62 battery-electric buses amount to roughly one-third of the fleet. Retrofitting older buses is expected but requires a procurement process and design evaluation. - Training: Metro has implemented a train-the-trainer de-escalation program and plans refresher training for frontline operators. Mulrooney noted that the Federal Transit Administration requires at least one hour of de-escalation training per year and that Metro will exceed that this year as it rolls out enhanced training. - Reporting and coordination: The interagency group recommended refinements to reporting and information-sharing with police to speed investigations and follow-up.
Union representatives participated in the internal reviews and the report described the sessions as productive. Mulrooney said Metro will continue the internal and interagency reviews, extend them to older assaults from 2023–24, and expand reviews to nonphysical assaults and verbal threats.
Commissioners asked about longevity of training and whether the barriers will be retrofitted across the whole fleet; Mulrooney said staff are moving rapidly on budget and procurement steps for retrofits and on rolling out ongoing training.
Metro also said it had printed notices about penalties for assaults and planned to post them on buses; installation of those stickers was pending at the time of the meeting.
