After the worst crash in TriMet history, the April incident where a bus downtown killed two young people in a crosswalk, the public transit agency hired a consultant to do a head-to-toe safety analysis. We reported on the firm's initial findings over the summer, but the big final report came out this week with a list of recommendations about how to improve both TriMet's culture and practices. Here's five interesting recommendations:

1. Erase the word "accident" from TriMet's vocabulary. The report notes that "accident" makes collisions seem inevitable. Instead, TriMet should use words that describe the "predictable and preventable nature of most collisions." BikePortland.org and the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition have been linguistic activists about this issue for a while, so it's great to see TriMet might actually strike "accident" from crashes where someone is definitely at fault.

2. Hire a high-ranking safety chief. TriMet needs a new director of safety who can serve as an executive director within the organization—a position with real power that reports directly to the general manager.

3. Start bus drivers at full time. Right now, all operators are hired as only part-time employees who can snag more hours as they gain seniority. Hiring only people looking for part-time work "could limit the talent pool."

4. Review how the transit mall works. TriMet should systematically review "hot spots" where conflicts often occur, drawing suggestions from TriMet operators, regular drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. Based on employee feedback, the new transit mall is a "hot spot."

5. Install CCTVs in buses. Closed circuit TV cameras that watch the operator's compartment have "been used to enhance safety and customer service." The report doesn't recommend them in all cases, but says TriMet should evaluate installing them. More security cameras could be coming to a bus near you!

Thanks to Portland Afoot for originally putting the report online.