Transit Worker Hours of Service and Fatigue Risk Management Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking & State Safety Oversight Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Comment Periods Extended
On December 21, 2023, FTA issued extensions to the comment periods for the Transit Worker Hours of Service and Fatigue Risk Management Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) and the State Safety Oversight (SSO) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM).
The ANPRM comment period will be open until Monday, January 29, 2024.
The SSO NPRM comment period will be open until Thursday, February 15, 2024.
FTA at Transit Industry Events
In late November, Associate Administrator Joe DeLorenzo attended the Federal Railroad Administration’s Rail Share Conference in Kansas City, MO. He provided an overview on rail transit safety data and FTA resources related to rail transit.
Recently, FTA attended the American Public Transportation Association’s Safety & Risk Management Seminar in Austin, TX. Associate Administrator Joe DeLorenzo spoke about the latest FTA safety updates and Senior Program Analyst Stewart Mader presented at the “Transit Worker Assaults: Data Collection, Crime Prevention and Mitigation Strategies” session. Senior Inspection Specialist Cyrell McLemore discussed the Risk-Based Inspection Program at the Rail Safety Committee and Office of System Safety Director Paulina Seider highlighted Safety Advisory 23-1: Bus-to-Person Collisions at the Bus Safety Committee.
See presentations from these events and other FTA conference presentations on the Office of Transit Safety and Oversight’s webpage.
Research has shown that the holidays can be a difficult time of year for those struggling with mental health challenges. FTA has compiled mental health resources for transit workers in support of transit workers who may be struggling with their mental health. In addition, transit agencies should review Safety Advisory 22-4: Suicide Prevention Signage on Public Transit. FTA issued the safety advisory to recommend that transit agencies apply best practices to their suicide prevention signage and messaging campaigns to reduce suicide attempts, and to advise transit agencies to assess suicide event data to monitor the impact of signage. Mental health affects everyone, and FTA acknowledges its impact on the transit community.
Notice of Proposed General Directive: Required Actions Regarding Assaults on Transit Worker Assessment
On Wednesday, December 20, 2023, FTA issued a request for public comment on a proposed General Directive on Required Actions Regarding Assaults on Transit Workers. The proposed General Directive would require transit agencies subject to the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) regulation (49 CFR part 673) to conduct a safety risk assessment related to assaults on transit workers on their public transportation system and provide to FTA information about how they are assessing, mitigating and monitoring the safety risk associated with assaults on transit workers. This represents a significant step in reducing assaults on our nation’s transit workforce using Safety Management System (SMS) principles and methods. The proposed General Directive is open for comment until Tuesday, February 20, 2024.
Safety training plays an important role in creating safer transit systems across America. The following list summarizes available safety training and resources offered through FTA and its partners:
|
