HomeMy WebLinkAboutAB 394 (Wilson) Public Transit Operator and Rider Safety - City of SLO - Letter of SUPPORTCity of San Luis Obispo, Office of the City Council, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401-3249, 805.781.7114, slocity.org
July 1, 2025
The Honorable Jesse Arreguín
Chair, Senate Public Safety Committee
1021 O Street, Room 6710
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: AB 394 (Wilson) Public Transit Operator and Rider Safety
Dear Chair Arreguín,
On behalf of the City of San Luis Obispo (City) I write in SUPPORT of AB 394 (Wilson). AB 394
aims to enhance the safety and security of California’s public transportation systems by
strengthening protections for transit operators and employees.
The City of San Luis Obispo serves nearly 50,000 residents and operates a regional transit
hub supporting both local and intercity service. While we contract for the operation of our
local transit services, we remain deeply invested in ensuring the safety and well-being of the
operators, staff, and passengers who keep our transit system running. Across California,
transit employees are experiencing a troubling rise in verbal threats and physical assaults.
These incidents jeopardize frontline workers, disrupt service delivery, and contribute to both
workforce shortages and declining ridership.
AB 394 promotes safer transit environments for both riders and workers in two key ways.
First, the bill expands existing law to protect all transit employees against assaults. Second,
AB 394 clarifies that a transit agency may seek a temporary restraining order against a
perpetrator for a violation of Penal Code Section 243.3, and that the restraining order may
apply across the entirety of the transit system where the offense occurred. This is a common-
sense change that will keep employees and passengers safe, and make public transit more
accessible and attractive for all.
Public transit systems are integral to healthy communities and are vital to our efforts to fight
climate change. Both workers and passengers deserve to be treated with respect and be safe
from harm. For these reasons, we strongly support AB 394. Thank you for considering our
support for this important legislation.
Respectfully,
Erica A Stewart
Mayor
City of San Luis Obispo
Cc: Assemblymember Wilson
Assemblymember Addis
Senator John Laird
California Transit Association, matt@caltransit.org
Dave Mullinax, League of California Cities
League of California Cities, cityletters@cacities.org