TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – A new city survey shows more than 93% of Sun Tran bus drivers believe bus stops lack adequate lighting, the strongest negative response to safety-related questions in the study.
The survey, conducted by th,e city of Tucson’s Department of Transportation and Mobility, was conducted for the city council discussion on Sun Tran’s safety and security, following 10 attacks at or near bus stops since April. A breakdown of those incidents can be read below.
SUN TRAN VIOLENT INCIDENTS SINCE APRIL
- On April 5, 25-year-old Daniel Michael Jr. allegedly attacked a man and woman with a hatchet at a Sun Link streetcar stop in downtown Tucson. Jacob Couch died from his injuries from the attack, and Michael was charged with murder.
- On May 12, 42-year-old Frank Rick Lopez allegedly attacked two people with a hatchet at a Sun Tran bus stop near Sabino Canyon and Tanque Verde Roads.
- On July 9, a 15-year-old woman was arrested after a 19-year-old woman was injured during a knife fight on a bus at the Ronstadt Center in Tucson.
- On July 25, a woman was arrested for allegedly stabbing a man on a bus at the Laos Transit Center in Tucson.
- On Aug. 11, a man was injured in a stabbing at the Ronstadt Center in downtown Tucson.
- On Aug. 12, a man was injured in a fight and stabbing at the Loas Transit Center in Tucson.
- On Aug. 19, a man was injured in a fight and stabbing at the Tohono Tadai Transit Center near the Tucson Mall.
- On Sept. 9, a Sun Tran driver was injured in an assault at Udall Park in Tucson.
- On Oct. 6, an elderly man was injured in an assault at a Sun Tran bus stop near Pantano and Stella in Tucson.
- On Oct. 14, a suspect was arrested following a shooting on a Sun Tran bus near Irvington and 13th Avenue.
Sun Tran bus driver Hector Macias said unlit stops make his job more difficult and dangerous.
“It’s always been a safety issue, but now, it’s more of a dangerous issue with all the illicit activity going on,” Macias said…