280: Number of Responses to CASS’s Transit Safety Survey
From your 280 survey responses, we found that 67% of you almost never feel safe taking public transit late at night.
Your input was invaluable in helping us make the case for bringing RightRides to DC.
As a reminder, here’s what else you said in our May 2013 survey about personal safety and public transportation in DC:
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- 72 percent of respondents use public transit late at night (12am or later) at least once a month, with nearly half (47 percent) using public transit late at night at least once a week.
- The majority of respondents indicated that they feel safe only “some of the time” (43 percent), “hardly ever” (17 percent), or “never” (7 percent) while taking public transit alone, while with less than one-third indicating that they felt safe either “always” or “most of the time.”
- Nearly 30 percent indicated they use taxis late at night at least once a week, and 50 percent indicate that they feel safe taking taxis late at night by themselves.
- However, cost is often a barrier and over 40 percent responded that they “sometimes” or “often” walk or bike late at night because they cannot afford to take a taxi.
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And, though sadly this may not come as a surprise to the many of us who frequently experience street harassment, survey respondents shared that they had experienced the following forms of sexual harassment and assault while walking, biking, riding public transportation, or taking taxis or car services late at night:
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- 90 percent experienced at least one form of harassment or assault
- 83 percent experienced verbal harassment
- 71 percent experienced leering
- 39 percent experienced following/stalking behaviors
- 20 percent were rubbed up against
- 8 percent experienced groping, public exposure/flashing and public masturbation
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RightRidesDC would provide free and safe rides home for women and LGBTQ-identifying individuals in DC. Because getting home safely shouldn’t be a luxury.
We’re still looking for sponsors for this important program. We can’t bring it to our city without your help! Click below to donate to our end of the year campaign, then check out what else we’ve been up to during the 12 Days of CASS!
RightRidesDC In the News
- Survey: 17 Percent of Respondents ‘Hardly Ever’ Feel Safe Using Public Transportation Alone, DCist, 6/11/13
- Free Car Service For DC Area Women Late At Night, WUSA9, 6/11/13
- D.C. taxis struggle with passenger, driver safety, WTOP, 6/11/13
- D.C. taxi regulators lack safety statistics, The Examiner, 6/5/13
- Taxi drivers, passengers agree more safety measures are needed, Washington Times, 6/5/13
- D.C. Council addresses taxicab safety, WJLA ABC 7, 6/5/13
- Woman Raped by Uber Cabdriver: From New Delhi to DC, We Need Solutions to End #VAW, Fem2pt0, 1/25/13
This post is part of 12 Days of CASS, our end-of-year series to highlight the work we’ve done in 2013 to prevent public sexual harassment and assault in DC.
