'It's not really safe': LRT safety concerns remain with daily users

For many Edmontonians, taking transit is not a choice, but a requirement to get around. Yet, some feel less secure as they use the service.

Rheanna Richard, 20, is a college student who doesn't have a car and relies on the LRT.

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"It's safe during the daytime," she told CTV News Edmonton. "But at night, it's not really safe."

Richard said she's seen people doing drugs while on the train.

"I'm not blaming them for the situation," she said, "but people they come up to me and I don't know how to react. There's also people that have pushed me around and I'm a girl. There's not much I can do.

"I just don't know what to do, it's hard, especially in these times," she added.

Newly released data from the Edmonton Police Service show those are not just isolated incidents.

From Feb. 1 to March 31, there were 21 assaults and six weapons complaints at LRT stations.

According to the city, calls for medical aid have increased more than 800 per cent since 2017, with transit peace officers attending almost 1,500 calls last year.

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"Our union members, our workers, our riders, people in the system do not feel safe down there (in LRT stations)," said Steve Bradshaw, transit union president.

"That there are assaults is a problem for everybody," he added. "It's important to rebuild our ridership back to the pre-COVID levels, and we're not going to do that until we can give the population a safe and clean system to ride."

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi says he's deeply concerned that some Edmontonians don't feel safe while riding transit, but hopes the recently approved transit safety plan will help.

That plan includes hiring more peace officers and social workers to help redirect vulnerable populations away from transit and towards supports.

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"I am hoping that it will absolutely make a huge difference in improving safety and security," Sohi said.

In the meantime, Richard says she will continue to ride transit. She hopes more peace officers and social workers are visible in the system at all times of the day.

"If I see someone being aggressive and a peace officer, I'll feel more comfortable because I know there's someone there that can help," she said.