The line of crime: Dismantling fears and concerns of crime along Vancouver SkyTrain's Canada Line

Abstract

The expansion of mass public transportation systems has often been resisted due to fears and concerns over an increased level of crime. Public settings such as transit stations tend to attract and generate crime due to their ability to gather larger crowds of people traveling to various parts of a city along a limited number of pathways. The current research explores whether such concerns should be merited or disregarded in the study of crime and transportation. The study offers a preliminary evaluation of the impact on crime at seven stations of the Canada Line, a recent addition of Vancouver's SkyTrain system. Time-series regression techniques are utilized to analyze crime data from the Richmond Royal Canadian Mounted Police from January 2006 to August 2011. Results demonstrate that the number of reported crimes has decreased since the Canada Line became operational. The study illustrates the importance for planners to consider the relationship between crime and transit systems.