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The Federal Transit Administration’s Transit Safety Oversight Spotlight is a quarterly newsletter that delivers updates and insights on the world of transit safety. This newsletter also now serves as the home for FTA’s Drug & Alcohol Program, previously found in the FTA Drug & Alcohol Regulation Updates newsletter. Covering everything from safety requirements, processes, and training, the TSO Spotlight is the go-to resource for key topics that affect the public transportation industry.
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Transit worker fatigue is a significant safety concern in the transit industry. Long shifts, irregular schedules, and demanding work can leave transit workers tired and less alert, increasing the risk of mistakes and accidents. To address this issue, on April 10, FTA published a Safety Bulletin on Transit Worker Fatigue. In the Safety Bulletin, FTA recommends that transit agencies subject to the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans (PTASP) regulation (49 CFR Part 673) consider assessing transit worker fatigue-related risks using their established Safety Management Systems principles and Safety Risk Management procedures.
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Based on National Transit Database data, transit injuries and fatalities are both down relative to the last fiscal year (FY). The overall transit fatality rate dropped to the lowest level since FY 2020, and the greatest drop in rail transit injury and fatality rates occurred between FY 2024 and FY 2025. These measures are a strong indicator that focused safety efforts are making an impact.
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We’re pleased to announce the addition of the Rail Transit/Multimodal Safety mailing list to our GovDelivery services. This new mailing list is designed to keep subscribers informed with the latest updates, resources, and information related to rail transit safety. Sign up here and select the Rail Transit/Multimodal Safety list under the Safety and Oversight category.
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When hiring new staff, one key requirement under the Drug and Alcohol Program is to follow information requests and consent procedures. Gaining employers covered by FTA drug and alcohol regulations must request DOT drug and alcohol testing information for the prior two years from employees' previous DOT-regulated employers, per 49 CFR Part 40.25. Previous employers cannot release this information without the specific written consent of the employee. Employees are not permitted to perform safety-sensitive functions if they refuse to provide consent.
Identifying an employee’s status to be safety-sensitive requires careful consideration. A covered employee is any individual who performs or will perform a safety-sensitive function for any entity subject to Part 655. Safety-sensitive functions are explicitly defined in 49 CFR 655.4. Company officials, managers, supervisors, and administrative personnel are deemed safety-sensitive if they perform, or will perform, one of these functions as part of their job duties.
Accurate documentation is central to DOT alcohol testing, and a clear understanding of required forms and handling procedures helps ensure consistent compliance. All DOT alcohol tests must be recorded on a DOT Alcohol Testing Form (ATF), per 49 CFR Part 40.225(a). The DOT ATF is a three-part carbonless manifold form that includes critical details related to the test and is a formal record of the test results. At the completion of a test, the alcohol testing technician transmits Copy 1 of the ATF to the employer.
Under 49 CFR Part 40.265, if an employee does not provide sufficient breath to permit a valid breath test, the Breath Alcohol Technician (BAT) must contact the Designated Employer Representative (DER). The DER must direct the employee to obtain, within five days, an evaluation from a licensed physician who is acceptable to the DER and who has expertise in the medical issues raised by the employee's failure to provide a sufficient breath specimen.
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