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Drivers report safety concerns; committee seeks options and creates follow-up plan
Summary
A driver safety survey and recent security incidents prompted the MAP Coordinating Committee to seek options including increased hub security hours, live-monitored cameras, mobile security units and enclosed driver barriers; staff will interview drivers, propose costed options and consider a security subcommittee.
MAP staff presented results of a driver safety survey and a summary of recent onboard incidents, prompting committee members to prioritize driver safety and request follow-up work.
Cole told the committee the survey returned 37 responses (about a 50% response rate) and that, while drivers generally view the system positively, many reported route‑specific safety concerns, inconsistent enforcement and frustration that reported incidents sometimes produce no visible consequences for passengers. Staff also summarized two recent incidents that required police response, including a passenger who threw scissors at a moving bus and a possible stabbing in which suspects boarded MAP vehicles and were removed by Fargo police.
Committee members and staff discussed possible responses: longer hub security coverage, mobile security units that could respond along routes, live‑monitored cameras, and installing enclosed driver barriers — an approach encouraged by the Federal Transit Administration. Several members suggested exploring whether state criminal penalties for assaults on transit workers could be pursued and discussed grant opportunities to offset costs.
Staff agreed to dig deeper: interview drivers (some left contact information on the anonymous survey), present a set of budgeted options with multiple price tiers (additional hub hours, mobile unit, ride‑along security), and convene a security/safety subcommittee or listening sessions so the committee can decide what to fund in upcoming budgets. The committee asked that staff return with recommendations at the next meeting to inform the budget cycle.
