Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security FTA BUS SAFETY & SECURITY PROGRAM 18 th NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON RURAL PUBLIC AND INTERCITY BUS TRANSPORTATION Overview of TRANSIT BUS SAFETY, SECURITY, & EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Program BACKGROUND “How did the program evolve?”  History of Bus Program  NTSB Recommendations to US DOT  Initial Model Program Development  Difficulties with Initial Model Program  New Bus Program Initiative

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Specific NTSB Recommendations to US DOT  Develop & implement oversight program to assess & ensure safety of transit bus operations that receive Federal funding (H-98-43)  Collect accurate, timely, sufficient data so thorough assessments can be made relating to transit bus safety (H-89-44)  Evaluate collected data to identify underlying causes of transit bus accidents which lead to identification of safety deficiencies at transit agencies (H-98-45)  Develop, in cooperation w/ APTA, CTAA, & AASHTO, model comprehensive safety program(s) & provide to all transit agencies (H-98-46)

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Initial Model Program Development  Memorandum of Understanding for Model Program Development (H-98-46) was signed by FTA & APTA, CTAA, AASHTO  A Model Program was drafted which set forth “core” & “enhanced” program elements

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Difficulties with Initial Model Program  Single model developed for all transit agencies regardless of size or operating characteristics & “one size” did not fit all  Core & enhanced elements of Model were difficult for transit systems to interpret & apply to their individual operating realities  Coordination with & involvement of State DOTs in addressing Model Program implementation for small urban & rural transit agencies was limited  Model Program never moved out of draft stage

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security New Bus Program Initiative  FTA re-birthed & re-energized its Transit Bus Model Program in 2005  Established Working Group of MOU partners & industry stakeholders to assist in Program design/development  Renamed program “FTA Transit Bus Safety and Security Program” since no single ‘model’ will be offered

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security New Program Initiative cont’d  New Program tasked with providing voluntary guidelines for safety, security & emergency preparedness that are flexible & beneficial to all size transit agencies  New Program is dynamic, ongoing & designed to be responsive to changing needs in the transit safety & security environment  New Program is focused on needs of rural & small urban transit while still embracing larger bus agency mission New Bus Program Initiative

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Program FOUNDATION “What is the Program infrastructure?”  Scope of New Program  Program Building Blocks  Make up of Working Group  Responsibilities of Working Group  Program Guideline Elements  Technical Assistance Info Database

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Scope of New Bus Safety & Security Program  Establish Working Group of MOU partners & key stakeholders  Research bus transit industry safety, security & emergency preparedness needs  Develop guidelines for bus safety, security & emergency preparedness excellence  Identify safety/security gaps between guidelines & existing performance within small, medium, large transit operations

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Program Scope cont’d  Collect and/or develop technical assistance information/materials to fill identified safety/security gaps  Create mechanisms for agencies to access technical assistance information  Monitor Bus Transit Safety & Security Program outcomes on ongoing basis & re-engineer needs, guidelines & technical assistance information as necessary Scope of New Bus Safety & Security Program

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Bus Program Building Blocks  Utilize Working Group to assist in creation of general template for safety, security & emergency preparedness activities involving transit systems of varying sizes & operating characteristics  Create set of comprehensive & flexible guidelines for elements that individual transit agencies should address in their safety, security & emergency preparedness programs  Create questionnaire for identifying best practices & gaps during voluntary on-site reviews of individual transit agency safety, security & emergency preparedness activities Bus Program Building Blocks

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Building Blocks cont’d  Research existing transit operation materials including policies, procedures, protocols, forms, handbooks, lesson plans, other technical assistance materials to identify useful templates  Utilize Working Group to provide input on technical assistance material review & selection  Develop new technical assistance materials to fill gaps identified when researching existing industry materials  Construct information technology mechanism to house technical assistance materials & allow access to materials by transit providers Bus Program Building Blocks

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Bus Safety & Security Guidelines Elements of Bus Safety & Security Excellence  Management  Equipment, Systems Operation and Maintenance  Human Resources  Safety Activities  Security Activities  Emergency / All-hazards Management

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Program DELIVERY “How is the Program accessed”  Voluntary On-site Reviews  Self Assessment Tool  Web Site Resource Library  Workshops, Training & Outreach  State DOTs  Transit Associations

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Voluntary On-Site Reviews  Solicit volunteer transit agencies of varying sizes, operating characteristics & locations to participate in on-site reviews  Conduct on-site review of volunteer agency safety, security & emergency preparedness activities using assessment questionnaire as catalyst for discussion  Develop post-site review report identifying agency best practices & gaps. Include recommendations for improvement.  Provide technical assistance materials to agency from Program resource library as may be appropriate / helpful Voluntary On-site Reviews

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Self Assessment Tool  Consistent with on-site review findings, define categories of transit agency activity in safety, security & emergency preparedness that lead to performance excellence  Create on-line assessment instrument, based on defined categories, for individual transit agencies to identify their safety, security & emergency preparedness best practices, gaps, needs.

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Self Assessment Tool  Link post-self assessment identification of gaps/ needs to appropriate web site resource library materials to assist agency in filling those gaps / needs.  Encourage transit agencies, in lieu of on-site review, to utilize this tool as mechanism for achievement of safety, security & emergency preparedness excellence.

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Web Site Resource Library  Create web site for electronic access of technical assistance information of transit safety, security & emergency preparedness best practices.  Construct “log on” methodology to capture individual transit system operational characteristic baseline information.  Assign password for ongoing agency access to web site resource library.

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Web Site Library cont’d  Direct transit agencies to web site Self Assessment Tool to complete a safety, security & emergency preparedness self assessment.  Link post-assessment results to technical assistance materials to assist filling gaps/needs identified during self assessment process.  As best practices/needs in transit industry evolve, continuously add to, update, develop Web Site Resource Library technical assistance materials, including policies, procedures, protocols, forms, handbooks, lesson plans, other appropriate / helpful information. Web Site Resource Library

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Workshops, Training and Outreach  Held State DOT Invitational Workshop. Other attendees - FTA headquarters/regional staff, Working Group members, other key industry stakeholders.  State regional workshops co-hosted by FTA & state DOTs to orient all state transit agencies on FTA Program.  Develop / deliver regional specialized training workshops for appropriate transit agency staff on high priority safety, security & emergency preparedness topics.  Aggressively pursue opportunities for outreach to transit industry on bus transit safety, security, emergency preparedness concerns

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Beneficiaries of FTA Bus Program  Individual transit agencies Program provides mechanism to evaluate current safety, security & emergency preparedness activities; identify gaps/needs; access technical assistance to meet gaps/needs to improve mission accomplishment  Transit employees Program provides resources to assist in enhancement of individual technical skill sets & safety, security & emergency preparedness professionalism  Transit passengers Program assists in decreasing operational safety risks to passengers while enhancing their security when using transit  Communities transit serves Program emphasizes importance of transportation readiness to respond to community emergencies; provides tools for carrying out that response

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Beneficiaries of FTA Bus Program  FTA and US Dept. of Transportation Program meets NTSB recommendations & encourages achievement of safety, security & emergency preparedness excellence within framework of nationally standardized guidelines  Department of Homeland Security (DHS) & other Federal agencies Program provides mechanism for FTA to partner with other federal agencies  State DOTs Program provides guidance/support to state DOTs to assist in elevating level of safety, security & emergency preparedness of bus transit agencies in their state  Transit associations Program provides template for associations n designing safety, security & emergency preparedness conference /workshop presentations & technical assistance activities

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security STEPS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF FTA BUS SAFETY & SECURITY PROGRAM EXCELLENCE ELEMENTS

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Steps for Implementation  Using self-assessment instrument, evaluate agency safety, security & emergency preparedness: – Strengths – Gaps and needs  Prioritize gaps & needs to establish practical & flexible action plan based on: – Criticality of identified gaps / needs – Impact of gaps/needs on employees, passengers, community – Reality of hazards, risks, threats within operating environment – Limitations of budget, staffing, resources  Utilize FTA Program website to download resources that assist filling gaps & needs

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security  Build action plan utilizing web resources that fill prioritized gaps & needs to create: – New plans, policies and procedures – New operating and maintenance protocols – New documentation templates – New employee training programs – New human resource management practices – New relationships with external stakeholders  Carry out action plan, monitor progress, reengineer approach, as may be necessary Steps for Implementation

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK