Overview
On July 19, 2018, FTA published the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) Final Rule, which requires certain operators of public transportation systems that receive federal funds under FTA’s Urbanized Area Formula Grants to develop safety plans that include the processes and procedures to implement Safety Management Systems (SMS).
- The PTASP rule became effective on July 19, 2019.
- FTA published a Dear Colleague letter on July 19, 2019, to alert the transit industry of the July 20, 2020 safety compliance deadline.
The plan must include safety performance targets. Find additional guidance on planning and target setting on FTA’s Performance-Based Planning pages. Transit operators also must certify they have a safety plan in place meeting the requirements of the rule by July 20, 2020. The plan must be updated and certified by the transit agency annually.
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). However, FTA is deferring applicability of this requirement for operators that only receive funds through FTA’s Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Formula Program (Section 5310) and/or Rural Area Formula Program (Section 5311).
The rule does not apply to agencies that are subject to the safety jurisdiction of another federal agency, including passenger ferry operators regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard and rail operators regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration.
Questions?
Please direct all PTASP and SMS questions to FTA’s PTASP-TAC e-mail address.
To receive PTASP-related emails, enter your email address and select Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP).