With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Metro Is Sending Help For Riders In The Form Of 300 Ambassadors
The Metro K Line opens to the public in Los Angeles on Oct. 7, 2022.
(
Raquel Natalicchio
/
for LAist
)
Metro is launching a pilot program that's assigning roughly 300 new unarmed transit ambassadors to ride the agency's buses and trains to help riders navigate the system safely. They'll be there seven days a week, from early morning until 10 p.m., according to the agency.
Metro spokesperson Dave Sotero said the ambassadors can serve as extra eyes and ears around the system.
"They can report maintenance issues, cleanliness issues and even safety concerns directly to the appropriate Metro departments for expedited response," he said.
Safety concerns
There have been 21 deaths on Metro's trains and buses this year. Gina Osborn, Metro's chief safety officer, said most were due to overdoses. She also presented data showing a 99% increase in complaints from passengers possessing or using drugs on buses, trains and platforms on Feb. 23.
Sponsored message
Metro said its rail boardings are at 62% of pre-pandemic levels, and bus ridership is at 71%. On March 1, the Los Angeles City Council approved a $54 million extension for the Los Angeles Police Department to provide transit policing services on Metro, despite objections from activists. Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez said the extension covers just 236 officers for six months.
What's next
Sotero said the ambassadors will not be replacing existing security staff or law enforcement, but they will help riders get where they're going, help calm down disputes and maybe even convince Angelenos that public transit is easy and safe. He added that said the ambassador pilot program is one of the country's most extensive, if not the largest, ambassador programs. It's funded for up to five years.
Trending on LAist
-
In response to rising climate change-driven heat deaths, landlords will be required to maintain a maximum indoor temperature of 82°F in unincorporated parts of L.A. County. -
Federal funding cuts, fire-related costs and continuing liabilities from child sexual abuse cases at juvenile facilities are placing the county in a pinch. -
Residents in this North Tustin community want nice, friendly neighbors. -
The review site released its 100 top sandwich spots, with five in SoCal. But they weren’t the usual contenders. -
The high-ranking federal housing appointee said they'd would be recommending that President Donald Trump “defund” Los Angeles, according to a county official. The federal housing agency has declined to comment so far. -
Following uproar from homeowners and local elected leaders, a state law allowing denser housing in single-family areas will no longer apply to the Pacific Palisades.
Best of LAist
