Assaults on transit workers tripled nationwide; income and distrust may be why

Serious assaults on bus and rail operators have tripled in the past 15 years, causing operators to fear violence on the job, seek transfers off the frontlines or just quit — adding to operator shortages, according to a new report examining incidents at transit agencies across the country.

A study by the Urban Institute released earlier this month found major assaults rose from 168 in 2008 to 492 in 2022. The data was culled from the Federal Transit Administration’s National Transit Database. It’s important to note that the FTA data only included major assaults in which an operator died or was taken to the hospital for treatment.