Tackling the Transit Funding Crisis at the Grassroots Level

With the transit funding crisis affecting cities across the country, one group in California is already working to place a measure on the November ballot that would secure local funding for Santa Cruz METRO and retain the quality service that residents have come to know and expect in recent years. Read on to learn more about the measure and what’s at risk if the funds disappear.

FTA’s Bus Testing Program Misses the Real Crisis

Federal bus safety rules still ignore the biggest threat operators face: assaults. Our bus members deserve barriers, visibility standards, and accountability. Read on to see what’s at stake for every bus operator and why SMART-TD is speaking up and demanding real safeguards.

Honoring Our Transit Members

Transit workers keep communities moving while representing our union with professionalism, resilience, and pride. Read on to see how their leadership and advocacy continue shaping safer workplaces and a stronger future for all.

From Stuck in Traffic to Blazing the Trail: The Rise of AVP Markeisha Haynes

Alternate Vice President Markeisha Haynes has ascended the ranks of SMART-TD leadership while still working as a Bus Operator, ensuring that she stays connected to her members’ needs and fights for the changes that they want to see. As we continue to celebrate Women’s History Month, read on to learn more about her 20-year union journey, including what she considers her most significant accomplishment that came from simply trusting her gut.

LACMTA Operators Benefit from Year of Safety Wins

After leading groundbreaking Operator safety efforts in 2024, SMART-TD General Committee of Adjustment (GCA) 875 matched and exceed those achievements last year. This comes at a pivotal moment as assaults on transit Operators nationwide continue to increase. Read on to learn how GCA-875 is keeping safety at the forefront of its work.

Driverless Vehicles Raise Serious Concerns

The influx of recent headlines makes it clear: when it comes to autonomous vehicles, safety usually takes a back seat. This poses a danger to both our rail and bus members. Read on to learn how one incident in Texas reignited these concerns and why new technology must support safety and workers.

Members Who Work Federal Holidays Guaranteed Extra Pay Under New Bill

Working holidays is the norm in the transportation industry, but the vast majority of our rail and bus members do not receive any additional pay for doing so. A new bill introduced last week attempts to right that wrong on a federal level. Read on to learn what this change would mean for our members.

Safety Starts With Us

Rail Carriers and Transit Agencies have shifted injury and safety hazard reporting out of crew rooms and into less accessible digital systems. Read on to see how SMART-TD aims to restore real-time hazard awareness and empower members and local officers to protect one another on the job.

Transit Equity Day: Remembering Rosa Parks

Each year on Feb. 4, Rosa Parks’ birthday reminds us that public transit is also a platform for dignity, equality, and progress. Read on to see how some transit agencies are honoring the trailblazer’s legacy today and how this tribute connects civil rights history with the ongoing work of bus and passenger rail members.

RIDER Safety ACT Aims to Curb Transit Assaults Nationwide

Transit operators could gain critical support while on the job under a new bill that provides federal funds for “transit support specialists,” unarmed security responsible for detecting and defusing disputes and other risks before they become violent. Read on to learn about the impact they could have on transit systems across the country and in the lives of riders and operators.