Title
A resolution approving the Transit Services Division’s Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) and establishing safety performance targets for public transportation operations.
Presenter:
Craig Blewitt, Transit Services Division Manager
Wendy Patterson, Transit Operations Administrator
Body
Summary:
As a recipient of Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding, the City of Colorado Springs, doing business as Mountain Metropolitan Transit (MMT), is required to have a locally approved Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) that meets FTA requirements by December 31, 2020. The Safety Plan documents the processes and activities related to safety management system implementation and includes performance targets based on federally established safety performance measures.
Background:
On July 19, 2018, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) published the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) Final Rule, which requires 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. Transit operators must certify that they have a safety plan in place meeting the requirements of the rule by December 31, 2020. The plan must be updated and certified by the transit agency annually.
Mountain Metropolitan Transit’s proposed Safety Plan meets these federal requirements for the Transit Services Division’s administrative staff and contracted services for fixed-route bus, ADA paratransit and maintenance operations.
There are five areas of emphasis in the Plan:
• Develop safety performance targets
• Develop a safety management policy
• Develop a safety risk management process
• Develop a safety assurance process
• Develop a safety promotion program
Safety performance targets are established for the number and rate of fatalities, injuries and safety events per year. The Safety management policy is: “Safety is a core value of MMT, and managing safety is a core business function. MMT will develop, implement, coordinate, maintain, and continuously improve processes to ensure the safety of our customers, employees, and the public.”
The safety risk management process addresses the identification of safety hazards, and assessing and mitigation of safety risks. The safety assurance process describes how safety performance is monitored and measured, and defines the role of the MMT Chief Safety Officer and Safety Committee. For safety promotion, it is noted that MMT requires a comprehensive safety training program and identifies how that training program and safety performance expectations are communicated throughout our agency.
The FTA Technical Assistance Center has reviewed the proposed MMT Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan and commented on September 15, 2020 that the plan meets or exceeds all areas of the plan requirements.
Previous Council Action:
N/A
Financial Implications:
N/A
City Council Appointed Board/Commission/Committee Recommendation:
The proposed MMT Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan will be presented to the Citizens Transportation Advisory Board (CTAB) for recommendation at its October 6, 2020 meeting.
Stakeholder Process:
N/A
Alternatives:
City Council may approve with conditions or deny the Resolution regarding the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan.
Recommended Action
Proposed Motion:
Move to approve the Resolution, thereby approving the Mountain Metropolitan Transit Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan.
Summary of Ordinance Language
N/A