LA Metro introduced a new ambassador pilot program on Monday, with the goal of improving issues around safety, cleanliness and accessibility for passengers.
300 ambassadors will be trained to track and report issues related to service issues, such as maintenance and passenger safety, with the aim of improving the public transport experience for users. They can be recognized by their bright green shirts.
Metro said it would deploy ambassadors on bus routes and busiest rail lines, based on feedback from customers and employees.
Ambassadors began appearing on subway rides in October, when Line K opened.
Metro noted that the ambassador program is part of a three- to five-year pilot program that began last September.
Metro’s board voted to “begin a process of reinventing public safety” for riders in 2020, according to its website. A year later, Metro began moving forward with planning for the project.
“With input from the Advisory Committee on Public and Community Safety, the board approved a new approach to safety in December 2021 that focused on building trust with our communities and adopting a layered approach to security,” according to Subway’s website.
Metro also noted that the ambassadors are not intended to replace existing security or law enforcement personnel.
“They’re part of our customer experience department, and they’re also part of our multi-tiered plan to reinvent public safety with traffic officers, law enforcement, improved cameras and lighting, a more frequent cleaning, as well as homeless assistance and crisis response teams,” according to Metro’s website.
Those interested in applying can get more information here.
This story first appeared on Telemundo 52’s sister station NBCLA. Click here to read this story in Spanish