This time, the youth get a chance to speak out about Metro and their challenges using transit in the region.
A youth summit is scheduled to be held Monday afternoon, sponsored jointly by the Metro Riders’ Advisory Council, or RAC, and the D.C. Mayor’s Youth Leadership Institute.
Teens on Metro have a bad reputation. They have been blamed for big brawls, smartphone thefts and even attacks on bystanders.
| Want to go? |
| When: 1 to 3 p.m. Monday |
| Where: Howard University’s Armour J. Blackburn University Center, 2397 Sixth St. NW |
| Who: Sponsored by the D.C. Mayor’s Youth Leadership Institute and the Metro Riders’ Advisory Council |
| Why: “To offer the opportunity for youth to self-identify issues of concern with transit service in the region, as well as to discuss possible solutions and ways that youth can advocate for those solutions to be implemented,” according to Metro’s Riders’ Advisory Council. |
They were cited as fueling the spike in crime on the system in 2010, when 507 juveniles were arrested. That amounted to one out of four arrests, a 9 percent increase over the previous year.
They also have been victims, with a number stabbed on Metrobuses, sexually assaulted or beaten up.
Metro has tried various ways to cope with the issue. During the school year, Metro police have been stationed at hot spots when classes let out.
Last year, board members also considered limiting the hours of the District’s subsidized student transit passes to help curb the violence on nights and weekends.
But young people are often among the most transit-dependent riders, as they lack access to vehicles or the driver’s licenses needed to use them. Buses and trains help them get to school and jobs and connect them to their broader communities.
Still, they have not often been asked to speak out on how they feel about those transit options and how problems can be solved.
“The council is excited for this opportunity to listen to the concerns and ideas of this important group of Metro riders,” wrote RAC head Kelsi Bracmort in a recent letter to Metro’s board.
