Overview of Moving Ahead for Progress in the

21st Century (MAP-21) Safety Requirements

National WebinarFebruary 28, 2013

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History: How We Got Here

• Accidents in Summer 2009 and prior: a new wake-up call

• Knew we had to take action• FTA could no longer accept status

quo• 14 million + use rail transit every

weekday– 8X more than commuter railroads and

Amtrak– 6X times more than the airlines

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History: How We Got Here

• Testified on this priority in Dec. 2009, May 2011

• Dec. 2009: President Obama submitted to Congress the first-ever transit safety proposal

• Secy. LaHood stood up TRACS

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Huge Safety Milestone

• July 2012: President Obama signs MAP-21 into law

• New safety authority for FTA is the culmination of Administration’s efforts

• Closing a loophole in how transit safety oversight is regulated and enforced

• For first time, FTA will be able to establish common-sense safety standards

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New Office of Safety and Oversight

• We are determined to create a safer transit experience—not a new bureaucracy

• New FTA Office of Transit Safety and Oversight

• Vince Valdes, Acting Associate Administrator

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FTA Approach: Safety Management Systems (SMS) Framework

Requires new thinking about

• Safety policy• Safety risk

management• Safety assurance• Safety promotion

Safety Management Systems (SMS) Framework – A Simple Concept

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SMS is a management system used to allocate resources against risk.

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Safety Management Systems (SMS) Framework – Simple Questions

What will likely be the cause of your next accident or incident• Are you doing hazard and risk assessments?

How do you know that?• Do you have data to prove that you are worried about the right things?

What are you doing about it?• Do you have a viable strategy in place to control the hazard?

Is it working?• Do you measures in place that will tell you if your strategy is working?

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Not One-Size-Fits-All

• Our implementation approach: agency-specific

• Safety vulnerabilities are not going to be the same from one transit agency to the next.

• Will not recreate the FRA rulebook –this is an opportunity for a fresh approach.

• Focus: To bring about a very strong safety culture in all transit agencies.

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National Public Transportation Safety Plan (National Safety Plan)

• Safety performance criteria for all modes of public transportation (rail, bus, streetcar, etc.).

• Minimum safety performance standards for vehicles not regulated by other Federal agencies.

• Definition of “State of Good Repair”

Major MAP-21 Safety Program Elements

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Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans (Agency Safety Plans)

• Performance targets based on the safety performance criteria and State of Good Repair standards established in the National Safety Plan

• Strategies for identifying risks and minimizing exposure to hazards

Major MAP-21 Safety Program Elements

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Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans (Agency Safety Plans)

• An adequately trained safety officer to report directly to the general manager or equivalent

• Staff training program for operations personnel and personnel directly responsible for safety

Major MAP-21 Safety Program Elements

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• Safety Certification Training Program– Federal and State employees, or other

designated personnel, who conduct safety audits and examinations of systems and employees of public transportation agencies directly responsible for safety oversight

• Up to 0.5% of Section 5307/5311 funds may be used for up to 80% of the costs to train employees in this Program

Major MAP-21 Safety Program Elements

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The approved SSO program must:• Assume responsibility for oversight

and enforcing Federal law of rail fixed guideway public transportation safety and

• Adopt and enforce Federal and State safety laws

State Safety Oversight (SSO) Program

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The approved SSO program must:• Establish a State Safety Oversight

Agency (SSOA)• Determine staffing levels• Require training and certification

for personnel• Prohibit transit agencies from

funding SSOA

State Safety Oversight (SSO) Program

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FTA’s Responsibilities

• Continually evaluate the implementation of State Safety Oversight programs

• Submit annual reports to Congress(Senate Banking and House Transportation & Infrastructure committees)

• Provide oversight of the SSOAs• Audit the SSOAs at least triennially• Issue regulations

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• Prescribe Oversight & Enforcement• Ensure robust safety oversight

programs• Inspect and audit all public

transportation systems• Make reports and issue directives

with respect to the safety of public transportation systems

• Issue subpoenas and take depositions

FTA’s Tool Kit

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• Prescribe record-keeping and reporting requirements

• Investigate public transportation accidents and incidents

• Inspect equipment, rolling stock, operations and relevant records

FTA’s Tool Kit

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Moving Ahead

• We still need full-year FY2013 funding from Congress.

• Meanwhile. . .Sept. 2012: First TRACS meeting.

• Feb. 7, 2013 Dear Colleague Letter: Reaching out to states to clarify the actions they must take to establish and finance their SSOA.

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Next Steps

• State Safety Oversight Agencies – Drafting rulemaking document.

• National/Agency Plans and Training – Drafting separate rulemaking.– Currently developing interim training

certification provisions.• Notice of Availability

– Developing formula for Notice of Availability to make available 0.5 percent of 5307 funds authorized by MAP-21.

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Resources

• FTA MAP-21 Website– http://www.fta.dot.gov/map21/index.html

• FTA Office Of Safety and Oversight Website– http://www.fta.dot.gov/tso.html

• Transit Rail Advisory Committee for Safety Working Groups (TRACS)– http://www.fta.dot.gov/12419_12497.html

• Rulemakings through Public Notice and Comment