Transit Agency Practices in Interacting with People Who Are Homeless (2016) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 62-92
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61 7. What is the best way to obtain these policies and procedures?
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62 BARRIERS, OBSTACLES, AND CHALLENGES 10. Please characterize the following elements as major challenges, minor challenges, or not an issue in agency interactions with persons who are homeless.
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63 We are limited in what we can do for the long-term homeless problems. The primary challenge for our agency in relation to interactions with persons who are homeless is inclement weather.
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64 Time-consuming, costly, and often requires police involvement Body odor and hygiene issues while riding the buses (public transit)
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65 Convincing the homeless person to leave a bus shelter due to cold weather is a huge challenge. Other than having a local group such as the Homeless Action Committee convince the person to go to a homeless shelter or a boarding house to get food and stay warm, or having the police arrest the homeless person, it is extremely hard to get them out of the bus shelter.
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66 maintenance of way crews. Information sharing with local governments, including local Law Enforcement, regarding challenges with homeless.
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67 The major concern is the safety of our passengers from those who, through their behavior, seem to pose a threat to others' well-being. In these circumstances we work closely with our security personnel and the local police to address the issue.
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68 14. Please describe the one major challenge in customer reactions to persons who are homeless.
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69 Passengers do not want to wait at bus stops with a homeless person who has hygiene issues. Other than some apprehension during the later hours of transit service our population is reasonably tolerant of homeless people.
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70 app to report safety concerns while on our system. You can take pictures and send anonymous reports and based on the situation the appropriate staff are dispatched to handle the situation.
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71 Don't have any. In some extreme instances, persons can be removed from the bus or not allowed to board the bus.
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72 We've had success with law enforcement and the introduction of fares. We will never solve the problem of homelessness in our city, and as long as there are homeless, there will be homeless individuals in our system.
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73 We provide free fares at this time and have a good relationship with non-profit agencies. We are trying to raise the capital funds to reconstruct a more secure and safe transfer facility, while at the same time there is a strong antidevelopment push that also targets transit (as if transit investments are the Trojan Horse for wealthy developers to ruin the quality of life)
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74 Better understanding that the cities/county are responsible for homeless encampments/issues at bus stops. Operator and customer satisfaction with our efforts to address the concerns.
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75 passage on the bus or train, so they repeat the behaviors. Also when our staff choose to not engage but rather defer to the customer, the customer may choose to act the same way or even escalate their behavior in the future.
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76 Unknown. It is simply the expenditure of time.
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77 shelters. I think the homeless who participate in this program recognize the value the transit agency plays in keeping them safe.
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78 The way they are addressed. Again, the majority of our customers who are homeless are peaceful.
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79 Overcoming passenger discomfort of the homeless. Greater understanding of transit needs.
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80 Positive interactions garner greater results than just enforcement. Enforcement is a short-term and temporary solution at best.
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81 ACTIONS 24. What types of actions has your agency taken with regard to people who are homeless?
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82 26. Who are your partners in these collaborative efforts?
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83 City Police, a social service agency with a contract through the City, but they only work 8–4. Catholic Charities.
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84 We have a strong outreach team that promotes our Reduced Fare Programs and our paratransit programs. In 2008 we set out to identify the non-profits, government programs, self-supporting groups, hospital therapy groups and professionals, case managers serving local and federal governments, employment and training programs, high schools, and other types of professional and volunteer groups/individuals that serve people with disabilities.
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85 31. Who is responsible for implementing agency policies and procedures regarding people who are homeless?
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86 34. Has your agency defined budget impacts related to interacting with homeless persons?
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87 We do this both as the lead and a participating agency. Sometimes by making announcements over public address systems encouraging people to make donations to organizations that help the homeless, but not to give directly to the homeless; also, information about the fact that we are conducting outreach, and how they can contact us with concerns about a homeless individual on our property.
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88 N/A -- you covered it well on the other questions.
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Abbreviations and acronyms used without definitions in TRB publications: A4A Airlines for America AAAE American Association of Airport Executives AASHO American Association of State Highway Officials AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials ACI–NA Airports Council International–North America ACRP Airport Cooperative Research Program ADA Americans with Disabilities Act APTA American Public Transportation Association ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials ATA American Trucking Associations CTAA Community Transportation Association of America CTBSSP Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program DHS Department of Homeland Security DOE Department of Energy EPA Environmental Protection Agency FAA Federal Aviation Administration FHWA Federal Highway Administration FMCSA Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration FRA Federal Railroad Administration FTA Federal Transit Administration HMCRP Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ISTEA Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 ITE Institute of Transportation Engineers MAP-21 Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (2012) NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASAO National Association of State Aviation Officials NCFRP National Cooperative Freight Research Program NCHRP National Cooperative Highway Research Program NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NTSB National Transportation Safety Board PHMSA Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration RITA Research and Innovative Technology Administration SAE Society of Automotive Engineers SAFETEA-LU Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (2005)
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TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 500 F ifth S treet, N .W . W ashing to n, D .C .
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