PREREQUISITE TO THE REASSURANCE OF SAFETY TO THE RIDING PUBLIC IS THE ACTUAL REDUCTION OF CRIME. TO THIS END, THREE BASIC STRATEGIES ARE APPLICABLE; TO INCREASE POLICE MANPOWER, TO UTILIZE ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN CONJUNCTION WITH POLICE PATROL, AND TO ELIMINATE STOPS IN THOSE AREAS OF THE CITY WHERE STREET CRIME IS HIGH. EACH ALTERNATIVE HAS ITS PROBLEMS - THE FIRST IS TOO COSTLY, THE SECOND MAY FAIL TO REASSURE THE PUBLIC, AND THE THIRD, ALTHOUGH POTENTIALLY EFFECTIVE, IS UNCONSCIONABLE. IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND BETTER THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MASS TRANSIT SECURITY PRIORITIES AND ALTERNATIVES, THIS REPORT PLACES THE PHENOMENON OF TRANSIT CRIME IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE. IT COMPARES THE RISKS ON TRANSIT SYSTEMS WITH THOSE ENCOUNTERED ON CITY STREETS, AND IT EXAMINES WHAT IS CURRENTLY KNOWN ABOUT THE ROLE TRANSIT CRIME PLAYS IN FASHIONING PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARDS TRANSIT SYSTEMS. THE REPORT ALSO COVERS PAST, PRESENT, AND PROPOSED MEASURES FOR COUNTERING CRIME AND INCREASING PUBLIC CONFIDENCE, AND IT DISCUSSES POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS OF THE NEW GENERATION OF AUTOMATED SMALL VEHICLE FIXED GUIDEWAY SYSTEMS. (SNI ABSTRACT)