GUIDELINES & REQUIREMENTS

Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan

The Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) Final Rule, published by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in 2018, requires certain 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. The PTASP requirements were subsequently modified with the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to include new requirements based on the size of an urbanized area where an agency operates.

DRPT sponsored the development of the first PTASPs for Tier II Small Public Transportation Providers in the Commonwealth.

The Statewide Tier II PTASP plan includes safety performance targets and describes safety management systems in place at the 15 agencies who participated in the Statewide Plan. The Tier II PTASP was completed in July 2020. Transit agencies are responsible for implementing the plan and reviewing PTASP documents by July 20 of each year. Resources to assist transit agencies with PTASP include a checklist and webinar slides.

Who is this for?

The following transit agencies are covered by the Statewide PTASP:

Blacksburg Transit
Blue Ridge Intercity Transit Express
City of Bristol Virginia Transit
Charlottesville Area Transit
Fredericksburg Regional Transit
Greater Lynchburg Transit Company
Greater Roanoke Transit Company
City of Harrisonburg Department of Public Transportation
Jaunt, Inc.
District Three/Mountain Lynx Transit
Petersburg Area Transit
Radford Transit
Suffolk Transit
Williamsburg Area Transit Authority
Winchester Transit

Requirements

The PTASP rule provides two tiers of compliance with differing requirements:

Tier I agencies are defined as large transit agencies operating rail fixed guideway transit and having greater than 101 transit vehicles in peak revenue service. Tier I agencies include:

Hampton Roads Transit
Greater Richmond Transit Company
Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission

Tier II agencies are defined as small transit agencies not operating fixed rail guideways and running 100 or fewer vehicles in total during peak revenue service. Under the PTASP rule, State Departments of Transportation are tasked with developing the PTASP for all eligible Tier II agencies unless the agency chooses to opt out.

The rule does not apply to agencies that are subject to the safety jurisdiction of another federal agency, including passenger ferry operators regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard and rail operators regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration.

Resources

Statewide Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan

PTASP IIJA BIL Technical Support Webinar (Part I)

PTASP IIJA BIL Technical Support Presentation

PTASP IIJA BIL Changes Webinar (Part II)

PTASP IIJA BIL Changes Presentation

PTASP Annual Review Checklist