FTA certifies all safety oversight programs for required transit-rail systems

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has certified all 31 State Safety Oversight (SSO) programs almost one month in advance of the federal deadline. 

The SSO program called for each state with a federally funded transit-rail system — such as heavy and light rail, monorail and streetcars — to be certified for compliance by April 15.

To achieve FTA certification, an SSO Program had to meet several federal statutory requirements, including:

• establishing an SSO agency that is financially and legally independent from the rail transit agencies it oversees;
• ensuring adoption and enforcement of federal and state safety laws;
• having investigatory authority;
• having appropriate financial and human resources for the number, size and complexity of the rail transit system; and 
• training of SSO agency personnel responsible for performing safety oversight activities.

FTA provided federal funds for the state’s to develop and carry out the program. Since 2013, the administration has provided approximately $136 million to eligible states.