TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Riders like Sage Hardin, who use the Sun Link at the University of Arizona, said it’s a convenient way to get around.
“Makes it faster to get to my classes across campus,” Hardin said.
Meanwhile, people like Suzanne Schafer, who uses the Sun Tran buses three times a week, said it’s a safe way to get around.
“It gets me around safely. A lot safer than driving a car,” Schafer said.
Sun Tran recently put out a survey asking riders what would enhance their safety. The survey, Sun Tran said, is in response to two separate hatchet attacks and a knife attack earlier this year. The Tucson Mayor and City Council, they said, asked them to collect data and feedback from riders to improve safety.
The survey asks people whether they feel safe while riding the bus, at bus stops, and even around other passengers. It also asks whether increased safety and police would make them feel safer.
“For the most part there’s always security and they make it safe,” Hardin expressed.
Sun Tran said all Sun Tran, Sun Link, and Sun Van vehicles and transit centers have video surveillance and the Tucson Police Department can review it. Sun Tran vehicles, they said, also have audio surveillance. They also said they have an American Guard security team.
“I want resources to go into transit, to making the rider experience better, to making the services better, and not so much to policing the environment,” Schafer said.
Schafer is a part of the Transit for All Coalition and is Ward Three’s chair for the Tucson Transit Advisory Committee in which she volunteers for the City.
The advisory committee recently put an item about transit safety on their agenda. Schafer is an advocate for free transit to stay and for safety aspects at not just bus stops, but also areas leading to them.
The survey also asks riders to rank how safe they feel from crime and harassment.
“The biggest I think we could is to provide a better communication system where we have access to a phone number or we can text or an app,” Schafer said.
Schafer, like many riders, feel lucky to have Sun Tran transportation services.
“We actually have a lot more bus service than a lot of, sort of, equivalent cities,” Schafer said.
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Andrew Christiansen is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before joining the team, Andrew reported in Corpus Christi, Texas for KRIS6 News, Action 10 News and guest reported in Spanish for Telemundo Corpus Christi. Share your story ideas with Andrew by emailing andrew.christiansen@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
