By suzanne downing 
Once promoted as a clean and cost-effective way to move through America’s cities, public transportation is increasingly being described in Washington as dangerous, even frightening.
The concern is not only emotional but statistical: The Congressional Research Service reports that homicides on public transit more than doubled in the five years since the pandemic compared to the five years before. Assaults have jumped 80 percent. Even major metro systems once seen as reliable are now dogged by stories of stabbings, assaults, theft, and disorder.
In Seattle, violent transit incidents have increased by approximately 30-50% from 2022 through 2024.
Leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Federal Transit Administration, and law enforcement officials met this week for a closed-door roundtable on what they say is a worsening crisis: crime on buses, subways, and light rail systems. The discussions were spurred in part by the recent stabbing death of 41-year-old Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s light rail, an attack that shocked the nation and reinforced perceptions that stepping onto a train or bus is no longer safe.
Rep. David Rouzer of North Carolina, who convened the meeting, called the murder “a stark reminder” that safety must come first. Transportation Committee Chairman Sam Graves of Missouri went further, warning that violent crime has “scared riders away” and that many may never return to transit systems. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain of Michigan echoed that sentiment, saying no parent should have to fear for their child’s safety while riding to school or work.
FTA Administrator Marcus Molinaro, speaking for the Trump administration, said safety is now the agency’s top priority and pledged to hold transit agencies accountable. “We’ve been given a mandate to clean up our buses and subways,” he said, vowing significant changes.
Transit executives, police officials, and union leaders joined lawmakers at the session, including American Public Transportation Association CEO Paul P. Skoutelas, Washington Metro CEO Randy Clarke, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves, and Transportation Trades Department President Greg Regan.
As Congress works toward its next surface transportation reauthorization bill, due in 2026, safety will be a central issue. Lawmakers warned that unless transit systems get crime under control, ridership will continue to collapse—threatening the very survival of public transportation in America’s cities.
For millions of mass-transit commuters, the question is no longer whether the bus will arrive on time. but whether they’ll feel safe getting on board at all.
Suzanne Downing
One common denominator in modern day crimes is the overuse of portable electric devices being used with headsets by most people in the environment which the crimes are committed. If one views the video of the Charlotte, NC. incident you will notice everyone on the train was in their own little world before during and after the murder. This is not an isolated case bad actors are well aware of this and take advantage of the modern trend of use portable devices with and without headsets to commit crime in broad daylight.
Surveillance cameras are no longer effective in deterring crimes; surveillance cameras are only useful in the courtroom and crime investigation in crimes which should have never occurred in the first place.
We live in a beautiful world it may be time we put down the cell phones take off the headsets meet some new people and enjoy the awesome world we live in, events such as this can be interrupted simply by looking around along with engaging with others in public. No need to be a hero if you see something say something even if is the person standing next you, the life you might save could be your own
What an odd editorial choice for a picture to accompany this article. Frankly, something I would expect a leftist to post. In the Great Noticing it was a black perp killing a white women in Charlotte. And this happens at a much higher frequency in this country then the reverse. What is the deal here Suzanne?
It’s a screen shot from NYPD video and I observed the same thing – entire video was that way but working with public domain assets while I rebuild with scarce resources. Thanks, Micah. – sd