Federal Transit Administration Bus Safety and Security Program

1
Federal Transit Administration Bus Safety and
Security Program

• MTAP Annual Meeting

2
New Program Direction

• Background
• MOU Partnership
• New Strategies
• Current Activities

3
Background

• NTSB recommendations (SIR-98/03)
• Improve bus transit safety through the
  development of bus safety programs with effective
  oversight
• Model Transit Bus Safety and Security Program
• Identify core and enhanced program elements
• Memorandum of Understanding
• Between FTA, AASHTO, APTA and CTAA
• Promote Model Program
• Identify mechanism to assess implementation of
  Model Program
• Previously developed Draft Implementation
  Guidelines
• Were not well received
• Did not adequately address needs of smaller
  agencies
• FTA has not been well represented in recent years

4
FTA Response

• New Program Manager, New Contractor
• Increase focus on small urban and rural bus
  transit agencies
• Increase collaboration and FTA participation
• Increase involvement from State DOTs
• Improve technical assistance materials
• Additional focus on security issues
• Improve information sharing
• Move from theoretical to practical assistance
• Provide assessment mechanism
• FTA recommitted to MOU Partners
• Recognize the considerable PROGRESS made by our
  partners and industry

5
MOU Partner Kick-off Meeting

• July 18, 2006 at FTA headquarters
• FTA, AASHTO, APTA, and CTAA met to discuss future
  program direction
• Critical for FTA to reestablish connection with
  MOU Partners and industry
• Opportunity for new FTA program leadership to
  listen to program status, achievements, needs and
  proposed solutions

6
MOU Partner Messages

• Maintain ongoing discussion with MOU Partners and
  industry
• Improve use of existing resources and best
  practices
• Provide direction - identify short through
  long-term goals
• Move assistance from theoretical to the real and
  practical
• Reemphasize voluntary nature of program through
  recommended guidelines and support
• Information overload - help evaluate current
  assistance materials and compile most effective
  practices
• Identify assessment mechanism
• Identify funding stream

7
New Strategies

• Establish Working Group and build contacts
  w/industry
• Facilitate ongoing communication through Working
  Group (quarterly and as needed)
• Create resource CD-ROM
• Perform critical gap analysis
• Provide web-based assistance
• Emphasize operational safety concerns
• Address security and emergency preparedness
• Perform voluntary assessments of program
  implementation

8
Working Group

• Identify potential members through MOU Partners
• Working group membership will include 15-20
  members from
• FTA
• DHS/TSA
• MOU Partners
• State DOTs
• National RTAP representative
• Sample agencies
• Improve proactive coordination and timely
  feedback
• Review technical assistance materials
• Support outreach efforts with goal of always
  acting to maximize coordinated nature of project
• Hold quarterly teleconferences (or as needed) to
  move program forward

9
Coordination with DHS/TSA

• Critical member of Working Group
• Collaboration on grant making activities
• MOU Annex Coordination
• Establishes Executive Steering Committee
• Establish protocols for development of assistance
  materials
• Establishes programs to address critical security
  and emergency preparedness initiatives, including
  training and technical assistance

10
DHS/TSA and FTA MOU Annex Project Coordination
Project Management Team Assessments and TA
Project Management Team Standards/Research
Project Management Team Transit
Watch/ Connecting Communities
Project Management Team Safety and Security
Roundtables
Project Management Team Training
Project Management Team Annual Plan/RTSS/Grants
Project Management Team Emergency
Drills/Exercises
11
Resource CD-ROM

• Evaluate industry safety and security materials
• FTA recognizes and appreciates many efforts taken
  to develop technical assistance materials
• Beginning point is identifying best practices
• Compile best practices resources CD-ROM
• Identify contacts
• FTA will build contact database to support
  outreach
• Development of CD-ROM will be reviewed and
  demonstrated by Working Group Members, FIRST
• Distribute to State DOTs and throughout transit
  industry

12
Practical Assistance

• Reach out to National/State Transportation
  Associations, Government Entities, State DOTs,
  Transit Agencies
• Target operational safety and security concerns
• Address urban, small urban, rural, and community
  transit characteristics and environments
• Identify/create user friendly forms, checklists,
  templates
• Identify availability of existing training
  packages
• Coordinate w/ NTI, TSI, National RTAP, and other
  training providers
• Collaborate/coordinate w/all Key Stakeholders
• Conduct on-site technical assistance assessments

13
Critical Gap Analysis and Technical Assistance
Material Development

• Identify needs for additional assistance
  materials
• MOU Partner direction
• Survey sample of bus transit agencies
• Consultant team expertise
• Develop technical assistance materials
  based on in-depth analysis
• Must be practical and user friendly
• Must focus on safety and security operational
  elements
• Must be easy to use forms, checklists and
  templates
• Must create a Model of Transit Excellence for the
  Industry
• Ongoing evaluation of materials
• Ensure practices are current and effective

14
Web-based Information Sharing

• Content Management System
• Share existing practices
• Share developed practices
• Easy to navigate
• Calendar of events
• Contacts and peer agencies
• Message boards

15
Voluntary Assessments

• Solicit 10 voluntary transit agencies to
  participate
• Conduct on-site evaluation of program
  implementation
• Conduct on-site safety and security needs
  assessment
• Conduct on-site safety and security technical
  assistance based on needs assessment
• Report-out anonymously lessons learned that have
  universal application to industry through MOU
  Partners and website

16
Where are We in the Process?

• Presently working with MOU Partners to
• Distribute Dear Colleague Letter
• Identifying compendium of current safety and
  security practices for Resource CD-ROM
• Developing industry contacts database
• Drafting functional breakdown of operational
  resources
• Establishing the Working Group
• Planning for the establishment of resources web
  site
• Planning for the project technical assistance
  phase

17
Dear Colleague Letter

• Under joint signatures of MOU Partners
• Lays out new strategies
• Promotes ongoing coordination and communication

18
Working Group

• 20-25 Volunteers
• Support initiatives and provide feedback on
  program materials prior to large-scale
  distribution
• Letter will go out within the next two weeks

19
Working Group Volunteers to Date

• Representatives from
• FTA, AASHTO, APTA and CTAA
• FHWA
• Department of Homeland Security
• Small and rural bus agencies
• Tribal DOTs
• National Rural Transit Assistance Program

20
Whats Next?

• A major outreach effort to increase input,
  enhance coordination, and improve operational
  safety and security technical assistance efforts
• We need everyones support to succeed - please
  share your thoughts, ideas, and best practices
  with us !!!

21
MOU Partner Contacts

• FTA Office of Safety and Security
• Carole Ferguson
• [phone]
• carole.ferguson_at_dot.gov
• AASHTO
• Rachel Beyerle
• [phone]
• rbeyerle_at_aashto.org
• APTA
• Greg Hull
• [phone]
• ghull_at_apta.com
• CTAA
• Chris Zeilinger
• [phone]
• zeilinger_at_ctaa.org