2020 Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan Performance Measure Targets
Crystal Odum, MPO Staff
On July 19, 2018, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) published the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) Final Rule, which requires certain operators of public transportation systems that receive federal funds under the FTA's Urbanized Area Formula Grants to develop safety plans that include the processes and procedures to implement Safety Management Systems (SMS). The rule applies to all operators of public transportation systems that are recipients and sub-recipients of federal financial assistance under the Urbanized Area Formula Program (49 U.S.C. § 5307) and all rail transit operator recipients. Agencies were originally required to have a certified Agency Safety Plan that met statutory requirements no later than July 20, 2020.
In recognition of the extraordinary operational challenges that the COVID-19 public health emergency presents for transit agencies, FTA has twice published Notices of Enforcement Discretion on April 22, 2020 and December 11, 2020 delaying enforcement of the final rule. Transit providers subject to the PTASP final rule are now required to have their certified agency safety plans in place by July 20, 2021 rather than July 20, 2020 or December 31, 2020, which includes safety performance targets, and sharing targets with their MPO and State. For small public transportation providers, the State must certify compliance unless the provider opts to draft and certify its own agency safety plan.
Regional transit agencies GoTriangle, GoRaleigh/City of Raleigh, GoCary/Town of Cary and GoWakeAccess/Wake County have each prepared Safety Plans and drafted performance targets in advance of the second enforcement extension. (July 20, 2021) In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 5303(h)(2)(B) and 5304(d)(2)(B), each State and transit agency must make its safety performance targets available to States and Metropolitan Planning Organizations to aid in the planning process. 49 C.F.R. § 673.15(b) requires, to the maximum extent practicable, a State or transit agency to coordinate with States and Metropolitan Planning Organizations in the selection of State and MPO safety performance targets.
Per 23 C.F.R. § 450.306, the MPO is required to set regional performance targets for each performance
measure no more than 180 days after the transit agency establishes their performance targets (originally required by January 20, 2021 extended to July 20, 2021). As such CAMPO staff met with transit providers and DCHC MPO staff on December 9, 2020, discussed their individual agency safety plans, initial performance measures and targets, reviewed the regional partner’s data sharing agreement and then met with the State (NC DOT IMD). Partner GoTriangle was the first agency to finalize and submit its PTASP to CAMPO and the FTA (December 16, 2020) and per the regulations and consultation with the FTA, FHWA, NC DOT IMD and the partner agencies, CAMPO staff developed the initial safety target measures for the region. Agencies are certifying their ASPs before the July 20, 2021 federal deadline before enforcement. The transit partners also met on April 15, 2021 to discuss progress on their agency plans and program updates and will continue to meet on a regular basis. Staff recommends to TCC to recommend the Executive Board to adopt the initial safety transit agency performance targets, per Attachment A, as the basis for continued partner discussions and collaboration. As federally required, staff will present updated, collaborative safety measures and targets for inclusion into the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP)/TIP after July 2021 for recommended adoption.
Requested Action: Action Recommend the Executive Board adopt the initial transit performance targets
Attachment A and sign the resolution.