TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Salvador Llamas, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: National Transit Database (NTD) Operator Assault Report
BRIEFING ITEM
AGENDA PLANNING REQUEST: ☐
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider receiving the National Transit Database (NTD) Operator Assault Report assessing AC Transit’s operator assaults with all U.S. transit agencies providing ground transportation.
Staff Contact:
Salvador Llamas, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Safe and Secure Operations
The National Transit Database (NTD) Report provides AC Transit’s required Federal Transit Administration (FTA) assault data reporting, which allows for a comparison to other ground transit agencies nationwide, and to evaluate Safety & Security’s alignment with the District’s Strategic Plan and Initiatives of Safe and Secure Operations.
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
There are no budgetary or fiscal impacts related to this report.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
After data reporting was required by Congress in 1974, the FTA's National Transit Database (NTD) was set up to be the repository of data about the financial, operating, and asset conditions of American transit systems. The NTD records the financial, operating, and asset condition of transit systems, helping to keep track of the industry and provide public information and statistics. The NTD is designed to support local, state, and regional planning efforts and help governments and other decision-makers make multi-year comparisons and perform trend analyses. It contains a wealth of information such as agency funding sources, inventories of vehicles and maintenance facilities, safety event reports, measures of transit service provided and consumed, and data on transit employee numbers.
The District is required to report all assaults into the NTD within seven days of an incident. The Department of Safety and Security record, track and analyze this data to align with the FTA’s Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) regulations. This data is presented on a bi-annual basis to the board during the Annual Safety and Annual Security Staff Reports.
In February 2023, the FTA updated the reporting requirements for assaults on operators to be reported in two Safety and Security categories: Major Assaults (S&S 40’s) and Non-Major Assaults (S&S 50’s).
S&S 40's - Major Assaults
Major assaults are violent personal attacks reported under S&S-40: Major Safety and Security Events. These are typically intentional acts resulting in serious injury or requiring immediate medical attention. They meet the FTA's major event reporting thresholds, that include:
• The assault leads to a fatality or serious injury.
• The injury requires transportation to a medical facility.
• The incident results in significant property damage (e.g., over $25,000).
• The event causes major service disruption or evacuation.
Examples:
• A transit operator being punched and needing hospitalization.
• Any assault involving a weapon that causes serious harm.
S&S 50's - Non-Major Assaults
Non-major assaults are recorded under S&S-50: Non-Major Safety and Security Events. These are less severe intentional personal attacks that do not meet the S&S-40 major event thresholds. They may still involve harm or aggression but typically result in minor or no injuries and do not require emergency medical transport.
Examples:
• A rider pushing a transit worker without causing injury.
• Verbal threats of violence that do not escalate physically.
• Slapping or spitting without requiring medical care.
NTD Operator Assault Data (See Attachment #1 - Slides #5-#6 - AC Transit Major Events)
The District reviewed NTD-reported assault data from February 2023 to April 2025, aligning with the updated FTA NTD reporting requirements and improving data consistency across transit agencies. During this period, AC Transit recorded 5 Major Assaults, ranking it 24th nationally in reported Major Assaults (Slide #5). Additionally, AC Transit reported 68 Non-Major Physical Assaults during the same timeframe (Slide #6).
Operator Assaults per 100M Revenue Miles (See Attachment #1 - Slides #7 - AC Transit Non-Major Events)
When comparing AC Transit assault data to urban agencies that are similar in service, size, and environment, the FTA’s ‘Assaults per 100M Revenue Miles” criteria is used to more accurately compare transit agencies. Agencies were selected from across the nation, as well as those located in and around the Bay Area. Total physical assaults, including both Major and Non-Major Events, were used for the comparison. Of the 22 agencies selected, AC Transit experienced lower assault rates than most other agencies, with a measurement of 136 assaults per 100M revenue miles. This trend was also observed when compared to other Bay Area agencies. Selected agencies ranged from 80 to 404 assaults per 100M revenue miles.
AC Transit Operator Assault Trend (See Attachment #1 - Slides #7 - AC Transit Operator Assault Trend)
Reviewing internal AC Transit total assault data shows that the District recorded an average of 57.75 assaults per year from fiscal years 2021 to 2024. This includes a low of 51 in 2023 and a high of 65 in 2024. FY’2025 recorded the first significant decrease in the last 5 years, with 43 reported assaults. FY’2025 also reported the lowest quarterly assaults, with quarters 2 and 4 both recording nine assaults.
Note: AC Transit assault data includes both physical and non-physical assaults.
Proactive Measures to Mitigate Assaults
The analysis of the NTD data illustrates that operator assaults are not exclusive to AC Transit and remain a concern for all transit agencies. The District has and continues to implement proactive measures to help mitigate both the number of assaults and the severity of assaults.
In 2022, staff partnered with ATU Local 192 to implement “Assault Awareness and De-escalation Training” in compliance with the Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA). The interactive program is co-taught by both Safety and ATU members, and entails learning scenarios to increase awareness, skills and strategies to prevent assaults, and when and how to report incidents and seek assistance. To date, over 1,700 ATU employees, including front-line employees and supervisors, have participated. As part of the new CBA, staff is currently partnering with ATU local 192 to evaluate and enhance the current de-escalation and customer service training.
The Progress in Action committee’s (PIA) Operator Coaching Mentorship Program was successfully negotiated into the CBA in 2016 and implemented in 2020 as an official United States Department of Labor bus operator apprenticeship program. The sole purpose of the program is to provide new Bus Operators with continued support, coaching, and mentorship from veteran Bus Operators with the goal of developing a professional workforce with excellent safety and customer service skills, improved retention, and reduced work-related stress, illness, and injury.
In addition to mitigation programs developed through partnerships with ATU local 192 leadership, the District has implemented and is currently on the following mitigation steps.
• Equipping the coaches with Driver Protective Barriers.
o Retrofitted COVID Shields to Drivers Protective Barrier on 281 out of 282 buses. A total of 533 buses are available for service with Driver Protective Barriers.
• Conducting incident reviews following Operator Assault events to identify triggers that lead to escalation and provide coaching opportunities for operators.
• Establishment of safety committees to collaborate with staff, ATU, surrounding cities, and partnering transit agencies.
• Fare enforcement collection improvement by developing a public awareness campaign focused on encouraging riders to pay their fares while promoting the various discount fares available and reminding riders that fares help keep our service running.
• Placing CA Penal Code 241.3 Signage on all buses to publicize fines and imprisonment punishments for an assault on a transit worker.
o CA PC 241.3 states that “when an assault is committed against any person on the property of, or on a motor vehicle of, a public transportation provider, the offense shall be punished by a fine not to exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by both the fine and imprisonment.”
• Exploring the establishment of a District Rider Code of Conduct to outline principles, standards, and expectations for behavior and usage on AC Transit’s transit system.
• Active participation in the California State Assembly committee and monitoring of California Assembly Bill 394, which aims to enhance safety protections for public transportation workers and passengers by expanding legal penalties for assaults and improving enforcement measures.
• Coordinating with the Sheriff’s Offices and General Counsel to pursue charges and restraining orders.
• Utilizing heat maps that identify high crime and incident areas to effectively focus and deploy resources.
• Continued focus on Sheriff Deputy’s presence for crime deterrence through boardings and riding the bus. Boardings include contacting the operator and inspecting the bus. In 2025, deputies are averaging 1,770 boardings and 96 rides per month.
• Active participation in APTA and regional transit safety and security committees and round tables for best practices.
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
This report does not recommend a course of action with notable advantages or disadvantages.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS:
This report does not recommend an alternative analysis.
PRIOR RELEVANT BOARD ACTION/POLICIES:
Board Policy No. 218 - Zero Tolerance for Workplace Violence
ATTACHMENTS:
1. National Assault Data Report - September 2025 - PowerPoint
Prepared by:
Ronald Erb, Manager of Public Safety & Security
In Collaboration with:
Mandeep Singh, Administrative Assistant
Scott Arjun, Project Manager
Approved/Reviewed by:
Aaron Vogel, Chief Operating Officer
Cecil Blandon, Director of Maintenance
Dwain Crawley, Director of Transportation