FTA unveils new state of good repair guidelines

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) yesterday issued a proposed rule that would require public transportation agencies to monitor and manage their capital assets to achieve and maintain a state of good repair.

Under the rule, agencies would need to develop a transit asset management (TAM) plan that determines the conditions of capital assets, including equipment, rolling stock, infrastructure and facilities, FTA officials said in a news release.

MAP-21 surface transportation legislation required the FTA to create a TAM system to help transit agencies achieve a better and more informed balance between system preservation and expansion projects, with a focus on safety improvements.

The TAM system is intended to provide agencies with a comprehensive understanding of how the condition of capital assets may impact the system safety, FTA officials said.

"Transit ridership is rising, public transportation equipment and infrastructure are aging, and there is a growing backlog of transit-related capital maintenance needs with limited funding available,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Better and more efficient management of transit assets is a smart way to get more from our investments while ensuring we maintain the safe, reliable and accessible transit service the American public deserves"

Additionally, the proposed rule would explicitly define the term "state of good repair" and establish performance measures to that end. Transit agencies also would be required to set performance targets based on those state-of-good-repair performance measures and report new information to the National Transit Database.

Identifying and prioritizing maintenance and repair needs of transit vehicles and infrastructure could make way for a host of benefits, including increased reliability and performance, reduced travel delays for passengers and system safety improvements, FTA officials said.