San Diego MTS receives 3rd perfect Triennial Review in a row
The FTA examined various aspects to MTS including documented policies and procedures, effective implementation of grant funds, sufficient resources to implement programs, understanding of FTA requirements and ability to conduct effective oversight.
After a comprehensive review of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) found no deficiencies in any of the 17 areas of MTS operations. This is the third consecutive time the FTA has given a perfect score to MTS during its Triennial Review of operations.
“To receive a perfect score three audits in a row is almost unprecedented. With 17 major categories and dozens of subcategories, it is rare that the FTA finds no deficiencies,” said MTS CEO Paul Jablonski. “This review is very important to our ability to secure competitive grants from the federal government. As it stands now, FTA hasn’t found any deficiencies at MTS in the last nine years of operations. This is a testament to great work being done top to bottom in the MTS organization.”
Ad Loading...
The purpose of the FTA’s Triennial Review is to ensure compliance with regulations and also provide a forward-looking assessment of each agency’s risk in the management and implementation of FTA grant programs. The FTA examined various aspects to MTS including documented policies and procedures, effective implementation of grant funds, sufficient resources to implement programs, understanding of FTA requirements and ability to conduct effective oversight.
Key categories for the review included financial management, maintenance, ADA compliance, Title VI, procurement, disadvantaged business enterprise, legal, public participation requirements, safety and security, and equal employment opportunities.
MTS has received $313 million in FTA funding over the past five years. This includes more than $45 million in funding to purchase 216 new buses, which helped MTS reach the goal of decreasing the bus fleet average age from 10 years to six years. FTA funding has also been used for improvement projects, such as Trolley Renewal, a $600 million project to rebuild the Orange and Blue Lines, rebuilding the bus operations and maintenance facilities in East County and South Bay, fare collection functions and upgrading transit stations.
Transit agencies have moved past pilot projects, but scaling electrification is exposing a harder truth: the real challenge isn’t vehicles, it’s everything around them.
The only new subway opening in the US this year, the D Line Extension represents one of Metro’s top transit priorities and a historic milestone for Los Angeles, with Sections 2 and 3 set to open in 2027.
In Part 2 of a two-part conversation, AC Transit’s director of maintenance joins co-hosts Alex Roman and Mark Hollenbeck to discuss his maintenance team’s work with various types of vehicle, training, augmented reality, and more.
The transit agency cites labor disruptions, demographic shifts, and evolving rider needs as it advances safety initiatives, paratransit changes, and major infrastructure projects across its network.
John Hatman, COO of Master’s Transportation, breaks down the priorities, warning signs and common mistakes fleet managers should address now to stay ahead of summer demand.
See how the TTC is testing a new wayfinding system at major subway stations while planning to introduce fare capping to make transit easier to navigate and more affordable for riders.
The new center serves as the central hub for monitoring and managing PATCO train operations, communications, customer service coordination, incident response, and overall operational oversight across the transit system.
Despite these pressures, VIA Rail is reporting that total revenues increased to $514.8 million as more travelers took advantage of the wide range of options available through the corporation’s new reservation system.
Created in partnership with Walsh-VINCI Transit Community Partners, the contractor for CTA’s historic $5.7 billion RLE project, the new $250,000 scholarship program will provide three students a year from 2026 to 2030 with $3,000 scholarships.
