Portland State University (PSU) has been awarded a new contract by the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) for $300,000 to research “Measures of Transit Ambassador and Outreach Program Effectiveness.” TCRP is a program of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and supports research analyzing the public transportation industry to provide innovative solutions to current issues, particularly for policy and decision makers. The project team includes the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Luskin School of Public Affairs & Institute of Transportation Studies, and the KFH Group.
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated several issues that have become increasingly visible on public transit systems. The convergence of rising housing costs, wages increasing slower than the cost of living, and reduced social services combined with inadequate mental health support and a devastating drug epidemic, has led to greater numbers of unsheltered unhoused people utilizing public transit systems for temporary shelter. Transit agencies have responded to this national crisis by implementing transit ambassadors, mental health outreach, and/or crisis response programs.
Although many transit agency approaches or programs are supported by the public and experience many qualitative successes, the short-term and long-term viability of the programs depends on their ability to demonstrate effectiveness at reducing the impact of disorder and social problems on their system. By supporting this research, the TCRP aims to provide practical guidelines and resources to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs, thus supporting their adoption and sustainability.
The PSU team previously led the development of the TCRP Report 242 (Homelessness: A Guide for Public Transportation), which presents transit agency experiences and lessons learned as they have built on, newly implemented, or are considering programmatic activities that respond to homelessness.
The final deliverables are expected in Fall 2027.
For more information, please contact the principal investigator, John MacArthur at TREC: macarthur@pdx.edu.
Portland State University's Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) is a multidisciplinary hub for all things transportation. We are home to the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI), the data programs PORTAL and BikePed Portal, the Better Block PSU program, and PSU's membership in PacTrans, the Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium. Our continuing goal is to produce impactful research and tools for transportation decision makers, expand the diversity and capacity of the workforce, and engage students and professionals through education, seminars, and participation in research. To get updates about what's happening at TREC, sign up for our monthly newsletter or follow us on social media.
