Metro - File #: 2023-0433

• File #: 2023-0433
• Type: Program
• Status: Agenda Ready
• File created: 6/20/2023
• In control: Operations, Safety, and Customer Experience Committee
• On agenda: 10/19/2023
• Title: CONSIDER: A. RECEIVING AND FILING the Evaluation of the Pilot Transit Ambassador Program; and B. AUTHORIZING the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to establish a permanent Transit Ambassador Program and transition the program in-house over the next 12 months. SANDOVAL AND DUTRA AMENDMENT: C. REPORTING BACK at the April 2024 Board Meeting with a progress report on the transition of the Program, including (i) cost estimates of the in-house program as part of the Metro Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget, (ii) potential changes in program operations, and (iii) cost to provide an enhanced Ambassador program with coverage across the entire Metro transit system.
• Indexes: Assembly Bill 468, Board approved a Motion, Budget, Budgeting, Cleanliness (Graffiti Abatement), Customer Experience Plan, Customer service, De-escalation, Design build, Elevators, Escalators, Fernando Dutra, Homeless Outreach, Housing, Law enforcement, Los Angeles Union Station, Maintenance, Metro Rail A Line, Metro Rail B Line, Metro Rail D Line, Metro Rail K Line, Metro Transit Ambassadors, Motion / Motion Response, Pilot studies, Police, Prevention, Program, Public Safety Advisory Committee, Rail Ops Mgmt & Admin (Project), Regional Activities (Project), Ridership, Safety, Safety and security, Safety programs, Security, Service disruption, Strategic planning, Surveys, System safety, System Safety Program, Testing, Transit centers, Transit Homeless Action Plan, Transit safety, Transit System

Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 19, 2023

Subject
SUBJECT: METRO TRANSIT AMBASSADOR PILOT PROGRAM EVALUATION

Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS

Heading
RECOMMENDATIONS
Title
CONSIDER:

A. RECEIVING AND FILING the Evaluation of the Pilot Transit Ambassador Program; and

B. AUTHORIZING the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to establish a permanent Transit Ambassador Program and transition the program in-house over the next 12 months.

SANDOVAL AND DUTRA AMENDMENT:
C. REPORTING BACK at the April 2024 Board Meeting with a progress report on the
transition of the Program, including (i) cost estimates of the in-house program as part of the Metro Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget, (ii) potential changes in program operations, and (iii) cost to provide an enhanced Ambassador program with coverage across the entire Metro transit system.

Issue
ISSUE
In September 2022, Metro initiated a pilot Transit Ambassador Program that introduced a public safety element of uniformed, unarmed visible presence while providing care-based, in-person assistance to riders, with the primary objective of enhancing the overall customer experience. Throughout the initial year of the pilot, the Ambassadors have proven to be an integral part of Metro's broader public safety network, collaborating with Metro's system security, law enforcement, crisis response, and homeless outreach teams. This report provides a comprehensive overview of the program's impact, including highlights of the positive effects the Ambassadors have had on the transit rider community, as well as lessons learned for improvement. The program has proven its effectiveness in achieving its objectives, supporting the recommendation to transition the outsourced Pilot Transit Ambassador Program to a permanent, in-house program.

Background
BACKGROUND
After the George Floyd protests in 2020, a national conversation ignited regarding the state of public safety and law enforcement i...