Trimet Survey: 50% Of Riders Feel Unsafe Mainly Because Of Behavior Of Other Riders

Trimet released the results of their annual survey on Monday and it shows that almost half the riders on TriMet’s buses are worried about their safety and even fewer riders feel secure on MAX trains.

The number 1 reason for feeling unsafe was the behavior of other riders. The results are similar to last year’s survey but are significantly worse than a decade ago.

Trimet Riders Feel More Unsafe Than 10 Years Ago

Trimet ridership remains far below pre-pandemic numbers. In 2020- pre-COVID-19, Trimet logged around 1.9 million boardings per week whereas only around 1.3 million per week are being logged in 2024.

In their survey of about 4,000 respondents, the Trimet survey– 2024 Attitude & Awareness, suggests the agency is still struggling to climb out of the post-pandemic slump. Respondents were both riders and non-riders for this year’s survey which was conducted online and by phone from late April through May.

Overall, 73% of respondents gave it a positive rating- 5% up from last year but still 7% down from 2016. 82% of respondents reported that the number 1 reason for concern over well-being was other passenger’s behavior.  In 2018, 34% of survey respondents said they worried about this.

TriMet spokesperson Roberta Altstadt said many of the results are a reflection of greater societal struggles such as the major homeless crisis and illicit drug issues in the region. Many perpetrators of crimes on bus lines, trains, or transit stations are struggling with these issues and mental illness.

The results were worse on MAX trains: A decade ago, 76% of respondents said they felt safe on buses and 79% on MAX trains but this dropped to 48% by 2022an declined further to 42% in 2024.

The full results of TriMet’s survey are available here.

Reasons Why Trimet Passengers Feel Unsafe

Trimet announced a crackdown on riders who smoke, play loud music, and evade paying fares this summer. Their most recent fare-evasion study shows that 27% of riders didn’t have proof of fare- triple the number from ten years prior. The 2024 attitudes survey reflected quotes from users that included:

• Drug use in the trains.
• More than once I have seen other passengers targeted.
• Need to have a ticket.
• Lack of security.
• An uncomfortable interaction where I talked someone down from using a Shiv
• About half the time I am aware of the proximity of an individual whose mental health causes erratic behaviors.

The good news is that 10% to 14% of respondents said they don’t feel unsafe at all despite stabbings, shootings, or deaths that happened less frequently before the pandemic.

Another Trimet spokesperson, Tia York, said the agency has doubled safety and security personnel to more than 460 people since 2021.

This includes personnel wearing green vests who can call for help if needed, unarmed security guards, and safety response teams who could be summoned to intercept a bus or train within a few stops of a rider calling 503-238-RIDE.

York said safety and security are a huge emphasis for TriMet.  “And we’ll continue to invest in that.”