Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security TRANSIT BUS SAFETY AND SECURITY PROGRAM Mike Flanigon Federal Transit Administration U.S./ France Workshop on the Role of Public Transport in Creating Livable and Sustainable Communities January 28, 2011 Safety in Public Transport in the U.S

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security FTA – Overview  FTA provides financial assistance to develop new transit systems and to improve, maintain, and operate existing systems. – FTA has about 500 employees nationwide, divided between a Headquarters Office and 10 Regional Offices. – FTA disburses more than $10 billion annually in federal funding. – FTA has very limited safety regulatory authority

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Public Transportation in U.S.  Over 10 billion passenger trips provided in 2008 by: – ~ 600 public transit in urban areas (over 50,000) – ~ 1,200 rural transit providers – ~ 3,700 specialized services organizations  Public transportation in the U.S. is a $45 billion industry – FTA grants provide approximately 20 percent of pubic transportation funds. – The majority of funding comes from State and Local governments (54 percent). – Fare revenues comprise roughly 26 percent of funds.

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Transit Safety in the U.S.  U.S. Transit has a safe record when compared to other modes of transportation Average Rate of Fatality per 100 Million Miles Traveled,

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security  Aging systems and equipment require more maintenance – Projected $50 billion required to restore our 7 largest rail transit systems to state of good repair, including $11 billion for WMATA in Washington D.C. Major Challenges Ahead…  Total backlog of almost $80 billion to bring transit assets into a state of good repair

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Safety Must Be A Major Focus  A series of major accidents in Washington, San Francisco, Boston and elsewhere have captured public and media attention  derailment and collision rates up  Rail transit agencies are under the magnifying glass  Transit cannot fulfill its mission if the public does not perceive it as safe  Transit employees cannot effectively maintain systems and equipment if they are not safe on the job

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Our Mission ? “Continuous improvement of safety and security in the public transportation industry” Achieved through: – Regulation and Oversight – Technical Assistance and Training – Policy development Office of Safety and Security

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Coordination and Collaboration  Federal Partners – FRA, NTSB, GAO, FHWA, FMCSA, NHTSA, DHS (including TSA and FEMA’s National Preparedness Directorate)  State Partners  Industry Associations – APTA, CTAA, and AASHTO  Training and Research Agencies – TSI, NTI, National RTAP Program, TRB, and University Transportation Centers

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Regulations  Federal versus State  FTA – State Safety Oversight (49 CFR Part 659) – Drug and Alcohol Testing  FRA – Commuter and private rail, freight rail  FMCSA – private bus  States can regulate public transportation – Some states regulate public bus safety (e.g., New York and Florida) – Federal law mandates that states regulate safety on public rail transit systems

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Regulatory Initiatives  Proposed Congressional legislation : – Mikulski/Edwards proposed legislation S1506/HR3338  Provides the U.S. DOT Secretary with the authority to address NTSB recommendations to FTA – Secretary LaHood submitted a legislative proposal to Congress  Obama Administration's Public Transportation Safety Program Act of – Now introduced in both House and Senate  Public Transportation Safety Program Act of 2010 (H.R and S. 3015)

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Technical Assistance  Guidelines for Regulatory Programs  APTA Transit Standards Program (  Bus Transit Safety and Security Program (bussafety.fta.dot.gov)  Safety and Security technical assistance (transit- safety.fta.dot.gov)  Safety-Security Roundtables (partner with DHS)  State Oversight and Drug Alcohol program meetings  Safety-Security Training –National Transit Institute (NTI) - –Transportation Safety Institute (TSI) -

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Transit Bus Safety and Security Program  Program based on objectives designed to improve safety and security for ~5,000 transit bus agencies nationwide –Emphasizes coordination and collaboration with stakeholders (APTA, CTAA, AASHTO) –Promotes an approach of incremental progress along a maturity grid –Strives for ongoing improvement through the advancement of technical assistance that is practical, effective and targeted –First phase targeted at small urban and rural agencies

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security Policy and Regulatory Development Transit Rail Advisory Committee for Safety (TRACS) – 21 members affiliated with:  Transit agencies  Unions  Industry Association  Research bodies – Current tasks:  Identify best safety planning model  Identify characteristics of optimum state oversight agency  Report back in April

Federal Transit Administration Office of Safety and Security QUESTIONS ? Merci Beaucoup!