Secretary Chao reminds APTA crowd about FTA safety oversight deadline
Federal law requires states with rail transit systems to establish an FTA-certified SSO Program by April 15, 2019 or risk having federal funds to public transportation agencies throughout that state withheld until certification is achieved.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced that Minnesota is the second of 30 states to receive Federal Transit Administration (FTA) certification for its State Safety Oversight (SSO) Program. Federal law requires states with rail transit systems to establish an FTA-certified SSO Program by April 15, 2019 or risk having federal funds to public transportation agencies throughout that state withheld until certification is achieved. Secretary Chao made the announcement during her remarks at the 2017 APTA Annual Meeting and EXPO in Atlanta on Wednesday.
"Safety is the top priority for the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration," said Secretary Chao. "Public transit will continue to play an important role in the future of our nation’s infrastructure. We are committed to keeping our nation’s transit systems safe, reliable, and accessible."
Ad Loading...
Chao also visited several booths on the APTA Expo show floor, including visiting with Buddy Coleman in the Clever Devices booth.
Minnesota is the second state to complete the process and have its SSO Program certified. In August, FTA announced that Ohio was the first state to be certified.
"FTA is working to partner with the remaining 28 states to help them establish their State Safety Oversight Program prior to the April 15, 2019 deadline," said FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams, in her remarks to APTA attendees on Monday. "I want to emphasize, that FTA will do all we can to help each of the states meet the deadline so that they can continue to receive federal transit funding that contribute to making rail and bus services possible."
States that fail to establish an FTA-certified SSO Program by the deadline are at risk of having all transit dollars withheld until certification is achieved. That includes funds for rail, bus, and other transit services in urbanized and non-urbanized areas. FTA is urging states to work quickly to enact any necessary legislation, particularly those states whose legislatures meet only part-time or biennially. Currently, five states (Illinois, Michigan, New York, Oklahoma, and Tennessee) and Puerto Rico still require state legislative or executive action prior to FTA certification. By federal law, the April 15, 2019 deadline cannot be waived or extended.
Following its 2024 acquisition, ENC is upgrading operations, expanding capacity, and aligning its approach to meet agency demand for reliability and on-time delivery. METRO spoke to John Obert, vice president of transit sales, to find out more.
Officials said the ridership gains recorded in February, March, and April signal renewed public confidence in transit and reinforce AC Transit’s vital role in connecting East Bay residents with jobs, schools, healthcare, shopping, and recreational destinations.
A new study found commuters in several major U.S. cities could save hundreds of dollars each month by taking public transit instead of driving, with Los Angeles ranking as the nation’s most expensive city for car commuters.
HDR’s transit program management lead discusses the challenges of overseeing large capital projects, adapting to cost and supply chain pressures, and the capabilities agencies need to build for the future.
Over the three days, PRT recorded 485,000 rides, reflecting the extraordinary number of trips taken as people traveled throughout the region for Draft events, work, and daily life.
Garo Hovnanian explores how agencies can better navigate competing priorities, strengthen decision-making, and prepare for a future shaped by electrification and emerging mobility.
The plan includes investments in cleaner vehicles and upgraded stations, NJT LiveView to provide real-time GPS tracking of train and light rail service, enhanced safety initiatives through a new Real Time Crime Center, and the debut of a redesigned NJ TRANSIT mobile app.
ABQ RIDE Forward is the first transit system overhaul in more than 25 years. This latest phase marks 15% completion of the 16-phase rollout, which will continue over the next several years.
During the meeting, the board approved a resolution invalidating a previously amended contract and authorized Board Chair Ann Duplessis to negotiate a separation agreement with CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
