A Safe Journey? Exploring Users’ Perceptions of Safety on British Columbia’s SkyTrain Through the Use of Student-Administered Surveys

• In Event: Fear of Crime in an International Context II

Abstract

Each day commuters throughout the Greater Vancouver Regional District use the SkyTrain to travel between cities for work, school, leisure, and pleasure. In an area striving to become “greener”, the SkyTrain is both a convenient and environmentally friendly mode of travel; however, its safety has long been debated. In 2013, the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service (“Transit Police”) authorized a study examining SkyTrain users’ perceived levels of safety. The chief method of data collection was a digital safety survey that was administered to transit users by student researchers. Within a two-month period, eight student researchers rode each of the three main SkyTrain lines (Expo, Millenium, and Canada Line) and spoke to passengers about their travel patterns, their perceptions of safety in the SkyTrain environment, and their thoughts of the Transit Police. The project offered a unique insight into the minds of SkyTrain passengers while also providing researchers with the opportunity to directly observe and experience the SkyTrain environment and the changing rhythms that occur throughout the system. However, the project also presented a number of challenges including learning and utilizing an innovative survey instrument, attracting participants, and managing and coordinating a diverse group of student researchers.

Authors

• Joshua Murphy, Simon Fraser University

• Curt T. Griffiths, Simon Fraser University

• Nahanni Pollard, Douglas College