Metro stands by its workforce with on-time completion of new barriers to protect bus operators

Rosaelba Ramírez-Gonzales enjoys her job as a Metro bus operator. “I love driving, and being behind the wheel of a 40-foot-long bus makes me feel empowered,” she said.  

However, the mother of a seven-year-old boy admits that when she started at Metro a year ago, she felt uneasy after hearing about assaults on bus operators. That worry has since faded. “Since the bus barrier was installed on my bus, I feel protected and safe,” Ramírez-Gonzales said.  

Her relief is shared by many of our other bus operators as we proudly announce that all 2,000-plus buses currently in service have been retrofitted with new barriers that fully enclose and protect bus operators. Delivered as the agency promised by the end of 2024, this milestone makes Metro the first transit agency in the U.S. to equip its entire bus fleet with these type of barriers. 

The initiative was launched earlier this year in response to an increase in attacks on our bus operators. This is unfortunately part of a national trend; the number of major assaults on transit workers tripled between 2008 and 2021, according to the Federal Transit Administration.  

Although Metro has had partial barriers in place on our buses, earlier this year it became clear that more needed to be done as serious societal issues spilled onto our system from surrounding streets. In April, the Metro Board of Directors approved an emergency procurement action to install full bus barriers on all of our in service buses reducing the project’s time to completion from possibly three years to a few months.  

Why the urgency? Our local economy and quality-of-life depends on Metro operators helping our riders reach their jobs, schools, health-care services, events and many other key destinations. By the numbers: our bus system is one of the busiest in the United States and has provided more than 222 million rides so far in 2024 across a 1,447-square-mile service area that includes more than 12,000 bus stops. 

“Personally, I’ve never been attacked, but months ago my family were hearing stories on the news and started asking about my safety,” said Tracey Davis, a Metro bus operator for three years. “So, when Metro announced the bus barriers, I was excited… It felt like better protection for us.” 

Like many of his colleagues, Tracey participated in conversations with Metro leadership at our bus divisions across the county — so employees could see prototypes of the barriers and learn about the project timeline.  

“I saw how the barrier would look on the bus and provided feedback in an online survey,” Tracey said. “Being included in the process made me feel comfortable with the new barriers and showed me that Metro was listening to us.” 

The barriers provide an extra layer of security for operators, protecting them from physical attacks — i.e. punching, grabbing or throwing objects — and from behaviors such as spitting (which sadly does happen). Beyond physical safety, Tracey believes the barriers also minimize distractions for operators and deter bad behavior from the relatively few riders looking to make trouble.   

The barriers are constructed of steel and laminated, low-reflectivity shatter-resistant glass. To retrofit the entire fleet, Metro used about 55,000 square feet of this glass — enough to cover an entire football field. 

The barrier design, prototyping and much of the fabrication were completed in-house at Metro’s Central Maintenance Facility (CMF) in downtown Los Angeles, and the barriers were installed by Metro staff at CMF and our operating divisions. Some of the materials — including the tempered glass — were produced by contractors. 

The $5.8-million project was funded by two of the sales tax measures that L.A. County voters have approved for Metro (1990’s Prop C and 2016’s Measure M), as well as money from the state’s Transportation Development Act. 

The bus barriers are already showing positive results. From this past April to September, operators were 58 percent less likely to be assaulted on buses with fully enclosed barriers. We’ve also seen a significant decline in spitting incidents. 

For operators like Antonio Acuña, a father of three who has worked with Metro for 12 years, the barriers provide peace of mind. “The barriers and other safety initiatives make me feel that Metro cares about us,” said Antonio.  

He added that passengers have also voiced their approval of the new barriers.  “Many riders say ‘This is great; you deserve this,’” said Antonio. “It’s comforting to know they care about our well-being, too.” 

In addition to the new barriers, Metro has implemented several other measures over the years to enhance operator safety, including: 

•Onboard cameras, DVR systems and emergency buttons that operators can use to summon help. 

•De-escalation training to help operators manage challenging situations. 

•A “See Something, Say Something” marketing campaign to encourage riders to report issues and stay vigilant. 

•Signage reminding passengers that assaults on operators are punishable by up to three years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both under California law. 

•Dedicated bus riding security teams patrolling select lines. 

These efforts underscore Metro’s commitment to protecting our workforce and the passengers we serve. For operators like Rosaelba, Tracey and Antonio, these initiatives represent more than investments — they validate Metro’s promise to protect its workforce and the passengers they serve each and every day.  

“We wanted protection ASAP and we got the barriers,” said Rosaelba. “I feel completely safe with the barriers and my colleagues are happy about them, too.”