A bill targeting street harassment on California public transit systems is awaiting Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature after passing out of both houses of the state legislature.
SB 434, introduced by California State Senator Dave Min, mandates that the top 10 transit operators in the state collect and disclose survey data on harassment incidents. The data can then be used to improve the safety of riders.
“The numbers don’t lie. A staggering 77% of women experience sexual harassment in public spaces, and almost a third of that harassment occurs on mass transit,” Senator Min said in a press release. “Additionally, the AAPI community has seen a surge in hate incidents in public spaces, many occurring on our public transit systems. This bill seeks to shed light on these issues, ensure our public transportation systems are safe for everyone, and provide riders with the dignity they deserve.”
According to Michael Pimentel, Executive Director of the California Transit Association research shows that women, people of color and members of the LGBTQIA+ community experience disproportionate levels of physical and verbal harassment on public transportation. Further research could improve new evidence-based solutions some operators have begun working on.
The bill hopes to improve the everyday lives of Californians.
“When your freedom to move from place to place is limited by the threat of street harassment, it shatters your sense of physical safety and emotional wellbeing and can even harm your livelihood,” Cynthia Choi, Co-Founder of Stop AAPI Hate and Co-Executive Director of Chinese for Affirmative Action, said in a press release.
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