FTA finalizes regulation for transit safety, security

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has issued a final rule updating its Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans (PTASP) regulation, along with a newly revised National Public Transportation Safety Plan. 

The safety updates will make transit systems safer for transit workers and passengers nationwide, while providing workers more input in safety-making decisions through enhanced safety committees, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation news release.

"These improved safety measures will enhance the safety of public transportation by empowering transit agencies and workers to identify risks, find solutions to mitigate those risks, and ensure the solutions are properly carried out," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

In the first major update to the PTASP regulation, FTA is increasing front-line transit worker involvement in safety, strengthening communication between front-line transit workers and transit agency management, and requiring the industry to use data to identify and manage safety risk, the release said.

The changes apply to more than 700 transit agencies nationwide, including requirements for transit agencies serving areas with a population of 200,000 or more that largely coincide with the most significant increases in reported assaults on transit workers.

The new rule also requires safety performance targets to be set by agencies.

All applicable transit agencies are also required to incorporate de-escalation training for frontline transit workers and minimize exposure to infectious diseases, consistent with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or a state health authority.