Attacks on transit workers in Massachusetts now carry the same weight as hitting a judge

A new law kicks in today

A new Massachusetts law takes effect today, giving transit workers stronger legal shields against assault.

Gov. Maura Healey signed H.4645 back on Dec. 3, 2025, after the bill sailed through both chambers without a single opposing vote.

The law adds transit workers to an existing state statute that already carries stiffer penalties for assaulting public employees like teachers and court staff.

That means bus drivers and train operators now stand on equal legal footing with other government workers.

Penalties got a lot steeper

Until now, assaulting a transit worker on the job carried the same penalties as assaulting anyone else. That changes today.

Anyone who attacks a transit worker on duty now faces a minimum of 90 days in a house of correction or at least a $500 fine. The maximum jumps to two and a half years behind bars, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.

The law also covers assaults involving bodily fluids like spit, urine, or blood, and officers can now arrest someone on the spot without a warrant.

Private contractors get covered too

The law protects every transit worker on duty, whether they work for a public agency or a private company.

That includes MBTA employees, regional transit authority staff, and workers at companies like Keolis, which runs the state’s commuter rail.

Bus drivers, train operators, conductors, engineers, and onboard crews all fall under the new protections.

The inclusion of private contractor employees matters because those workers previously had fewer legal protections than their public-sector counterparts.

Hundreds of attacks pushed lawmakers to act

The numbers tell the story. Transit workers across the MBTA system reported more than 600 assaults in 2024.

Of those, 33 involved weapons, 72 were physical attacks, and 38 involved bodily fluids like spit or urine. Lawmakers and union leaders said the old penalties simply were not strong enough to discourage violence.

The bill had come up in earlier legislative sessions but never made it to the governor’s desk until 2025.

Workers face knives, spit, and worse

Transit workers describe a job where threats have become routine. They report being threatened with knives, spat on, punched, and verbally abused while on the clock.

Bus drivers face the highest risk because they deal directly with riders and cannot leave their seats during a confrontation.

The MBTA sees roughly four physical assaults on employees every month, according to MBTA Transit Police. Union leaders say the danger has made it harder to hire and keep workers.

Assaults tripled nationwide since 2008

This is not just a Massachusetts problem. Major assaults on transit workers across the country nearly tripled between 2008 and 2022, climbing from about 168 to 492 per year, according to an Urban Institute analysis of federal data.

The Federal Transit Administration tracked an average of about 241 reportable assault events per year on transit workers from 2008 to 2021.

The problem got worse after the pandemic, with more hostility directed at frontline workers in more cities.

Federal agencies issued new safety rules

The federal government took its own steps. In September 2024, the Federal Transit Administration issued General Directive 24-1, the first general directive in the agency’s history.

The order told more than 700 transit agencies nationwide to assess how at risk their workers were. More than two-thirds of those agencies found they needed safety improvements.

A 2021 infrastructure law also expanded reporting rules so that all assaults on transit workers, not just serious ones, must go into the National Transit Database.

Other states tightened their laws too

Massachusetts is part of a bigger wave. Several states have passed laws that treat assaults on transit workers as a special category with tougher penalties.

Virginia, Oregon, and others have moved in recent years to boost protections.

Labor unions, especially the Amalgamated Transit Union, have pushed hard for stronger laws at every level. Union leaders in Massachusetts say they hope this law becomes a model for the rest of the country.

MBTA rolls out new safety measures

The law is just one piece of the puzzle. The MBTA has launched de-escalation training to help workers handle tense situations before they turn violent.

The agency is also expanding camera coverage across its system and updating subway cars so train operators sit in fully enclosed compartments.

A new police control center going up in Quincy will help transit police respond faster. The MBTA also started a public awareness campaign asking riders to report incidents through its See Say app.

Unions and lawmakers pushed the bill together

Rep. Joseph McGonagle and Sen. Nick Collins introduced the bill. It moved through the Joint Committee on the Judiciary under Rep. Michael Day’s leadership.

Several labor unions backed the effort, including Boston Carmen’s Union Local 589, SMART-TD, ATU Locals 1547 and 1548, and IAM Local 264.

House Speaker Ronald Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka both made the bill a priority, helping it reach the governor’s desk.

Riders may notice changes too

Transit workers can now go to work knowing that attacking them carries real legal consequences. Riders should expect to see more cameras, enclosed operator areas, and faster police response across the system.

The law sends a clear signal that violence on public transit will face tougher punishment.

Whether stiffer penalties alone will bring the numbers down remains an open question, since advocates say enforcement and broader social factors also play a role.

Safety push extends beyond this law

Since taking office, Gov. Healey has made transit safety and reliability a top focus.

MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng has overseen the removal of all subway speed restrictions for the first time in more than 20 years.

The state has put record funding into the MBTA, regional transit authorities, and road and bridge work.

Overall crime on the MBTA dropped about 14% in 2025 compared to the year before, though aggravated assaults ticked up slightly.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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