Philbrick: Transit employees make your vacation trips possible

Lights twinkle in the windows, the scent of peppermint fills the air and Christmas carols jingle.

In downtown San Jose, hundreds of thousands of people gather each winter to enjoy Christmas in the Park, contributing to one of the busiest travel times of the year – often a stressful time as we plan gatherings, buy gifts and travel.

Last year, about 34% of Americans traveled 50 miles or more during the winter holidays. We expect this trend to continue, and while we enjoy the celebrations, it’s important to remember that transportation is at the heart of it all. It allows us to reach the homes and hearths of our loved ones, it provides the supply chain for our gifts and meals, and it enables us to live full, meaningful lives.

During this time of giving, let us remember our frontline transportation workers – such as bus operators, train attendants, station staff and flight attendants – who all enable safe and efficient travel for millions of people every day, including on holiday. This means that many of these workers are giving up time with their own families to help us get to our family.

Across the country, transportation workers are already facing an increase in harassment and assault. In 2023, the number of serious assaults against public transport workers nationwide reached the highest level in 15 years. From 2011 to 2023, the attack rate more than quadrupled. This problem is so widespread that many transit agencies in the Bay Area expect to experience some form of harassment on the job – including spitting, threats, beatings and sexual harassment.

These incidents impact employee morale, well-being and retention in an industry already facing labor shortages. All of this, in turn, impacts public transport riders and can reduce service efficiency and quality, especially during peak travel periods such as the winter holidays.

A little extra patience and small acts of kindness can have a significant impact on transport workers, passengers and everyone’s overall wellbeing. A nationwide survey found that almost all travelers – 97% – believe that being kind to others and being kind to others can improve overall well-being. Just the sight of acts of kindness can increase levels of the “love hormone” oxytocin in our brains.

Expressing gratitude, holding the door, and offering someone a seat can go a long way in improving everyone’s mood. We should all be gently reminded to treat each other with respect, even if travel plans don’t go as expected. Remember that we can also stand up for each other when we witness inappropriate or unsafe behavior. BART and VTA offer multiple ways to report harassment and crimes, including the free BART Watch app and the VTA Alerts app. Using public transportation to get downtown will help you avoid traffic, and you can even add to the holiday spirit by taking a tram ride through Willow Glen.

This season and every season, let us strive to be grateful for those who tirelessly dedicate themselves to the greater good, especially frontline workers such as store clerks, waiters and transit operators. Together, we can ensure that the time of giving benefits everyone, including the transportation workers who keep us moving.

San Jose Spotlight columnist Karen E. Philbrick is executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute, a research institute focused on multimodal surface transportation policy and management issues.