Want more people to use public transit? Make it safer

If a City is going to operate a multimodal transportation system, then it helps to understand the motivations of people who continue to choose personal cars for their short trips.

Bicycle advocates often talk about this in terms of “bike trips not taken” because of a lack of quality infrastructure. Survey after survey shows that many people opt out of cycling because of gaps in the bike lane network, busy intersections to cross, or other real or perceived pain points. And case study after case study shows that when cities create comfortable and convenient bike infrastructure, more people choose to ride bikes.

There’s a similar issue with public transportation that urbanists seem afraid to talk about: If people feel unsafe using the subway or local bus, they’ll find another way to reach their destination.

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The feeling might come from witnessing violence on the subway, from knowing their city has decriminalized shoplifting, or from trying to explain to their kids why a person on the bus is yelling at strangers. If people don’t feel safe and secure on public transit, they’re going to do what they can to opt out.

Safe systems

There’s no easy answer to this issue, but it doesn’t help anyone to pretend like perceived safety is exaggerated. Or worse, to act like these fears are just part of some kind of suburban conspiracy against city living.

A safe systems approach to transportation involves enforcement, and that makes some urbanists and city planners uncomfortable post-2020. I get it—you don’t want the boys in blue dragging someone into a squad car for not paying a $2 fare. But the average American is aware of stories much more disturbing than a teenager hopping a subway turnstile.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, transit system homicides increased 50% from 2020–2024 compared with the previous five-year period (2015–2019), along with an 80% rise in assaults. In August 2025, Iryna Zarutska was murdered while riding the light rail in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ridership on the light rail and the local bus has been down since.

The thing is, a multimodal transportation system is much safer than one that prioritizes automobile trips at the expense of other modes. But most people don’t know that because the news doesn’t broadcast the 100+ people who lose their lives in preventable traffic crashes every single day.

Case study

In New York City, 2025 marked a turning point for subway safety. Governor Kathy Hochul announced that subway crime was on track to reach its lowest levels in 16 years (excluding the pandemic era). Accounting for surging ridership, the rate of major crimes per million riders fell to 30% lower than in 2021 and comparable to pre-pandemic lows. Felony assaults dropped sharply in the second half of the year (down 16% from 2024 overall).

MTA rider surveys showed perceived safety climbing dramatically—from 57% of customers feeling safe in January 2025 to a record-high 71% by November 2025. This improved sense of security helped drive post-pandemic ridership records, with subway usage up nearly 8% for the year.

Safer than cars

Public transit remains far safer than the alternative most people default to: driving personal cars. Transit trips are about 10 times safer per passenger-mile than car trips, with far lower rates of traffic fatalities and injuries. Transit-oriented communities also see about one-fifth the per-capita crash risk overall, thanks to reduced vehicle miles traveled and safer speeds.

The sooner we talk openly about the real and perceived issues surrounding public transit, the better. The worst thing to do is downplay the topic out of fear that people might start sharing stories about perceived safety and crime.

Do you want more people to take the bus? Use the subway? Share rides with strangers? Then ask people who drive everywhere about “transit trips not taken” and take lots of notes.

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