Depot Design: The Criminogenic Elements of Train Stations

• In Event: Role of the Built Environment in Crime Prevention

Abstract

The perception of personal safety is one of the factors that most influence the ridership and overall quality of urban transit systems. One of the elements that contribute to the perception of safety is how well stations and trains are lit and maintained, and whether there are visible signs of graffiti, vandalism, or surveillance. These same characteristics have also been shown to be associated with the level of crime at, and around, this type of facilities. Using a modified version of the recently published “Scale to Measure Station Design Quality for Personal Safety” (Rahaman et al., 2016), this study examines the correlation between five different dimensions of station design and maintenance, and crime around stations of Southern California’s commuter rail system, Metrolink.

Authors

• Nerea Marteache, California State University San Bernardino

• Gisela Bichler, California State University, San Bernardino

• Shuryo Fujita, California State University San Bernardino