RTA News

June 9, 2006

RTA launches Transit Watch,

a public awareness and outreach campaign

CLEVELAND � Today, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) launched Transit Watch, a public awareness and education campaign patterned after the successful Neighborhood Watch program initiated in communities across the country.

Promoting transit as a community partner and safe haven, Transit Watch targets transit employees, passengers and neighborhood residents with a call for active involvement in staying alert and working together to maintain a safe transit environment.

RTA�s Transit Watch program is part of a nationwide initiative developed by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

In structuring the program, the FTA worked with industry partners, including the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA), the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

�We are pleased to partner with transit agencies across the country by launching the Transit Watch campaign,� says Joe Calabrese, RTA CEO and General Manager. �The program�s success will depend upon the collaboration of transit employees, passengers, and the public at-large to ensure that our transit system is safe and secure. These people are most intimately familiar with the environments they observe, walk and ride each day. As the �eyes and ears� of our system, they can and will play a vital role in bolstering transit security by providing critical intelligence.�

�Educating the public about what to look for and how to respond in the event of a potential or actual emergency will go a long way toward making all the people who live and work in this area feel more secure,� Calabrese says.

Today, the public will start seeing signs in strategic locations throughout the public transit system, from buses and trains, to stations and kiosks. Brochures will also be available systemwide for free distribution to riders, as well as the general public.

The Transit Watch campaign encourages everyone who works for or uses the transit system to be aware of their surroundings and alert to activities, packages or situations that seem suspicious. If something out of the ordinary and potentially dangerous is observed, it should be reported immediately to the proper transit or law enforcement authorities.

The Transit Watch brochure includes:

How to identify a suspicious package, suspicious behavior or activities
What to do in the event of a transit emergency or evacuation
Personal emergency numbers and contacts for quick reference
Overall emergency preparedness tips for individuals and families

�The Transit Watch message is simple but effective: we all have a responsibility to look out for the safety and security of ourselves and our fellow citizens. If we make a commitment to get involved and watch out for each other, everyone will benefit,� says John P. Joyce, Transit Police Chief.

�On a daily basis, we have more than 2,600 transit workers on duty throughout our system, which carries approximately 200,000 bus and train passengers daily. If each and every one of these individuals becomes a self-appointed security watchdog, the resources we�ll have working for us systemwide will provide our department with an army of deputies serving as our eyes and ears in the trenches,� Joyce says.

For more information�

about Transit Watch and free literature to distribute to groups, call 216-575-3955.
about the national Transit Watch program, click here.

FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES ONLY:

Jerry Masek, 216-566-5211