More than 700 transit agencies around the U.S. have certified that they now have safety plans to help keep riders and employees safe on their transit systems.
The safety plans were required to be completed by July 20, 2021, following a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) rule issued in 2018.
The Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) Final Rule requires all agencies that receive FTA’s Urbanized Area Formula Grants to set safety performance targets in a safety plan that is reviewed and certified every year. Any agency that failed to file a compliant safety plan by the deadline would have been ineligible for further grants from FTA.
The plans must include Safety Management System principles and practices. These practices allow management and labor to come together, addressing risk, analyzing data, and providing a safer ride for passengers, while protecting workers and operators. The FTA says since no two transit systems are alike, no two plans are alike, resulting in more than 700 different plans across the country.
"Safety is our top priority, and we are pleased that transit agencies have met this important requirement to develop and implement safety plans to help ensure that public transportation systems are safe nationwide," FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said in a statement.
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SOURCE: Federal Transit Administration
