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Document Title:

Recommended Best Practices for States Conducting Three-Year Safety Reviews

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Keywords:

Main Category:

Safety

Organization:

Federal Transit Administration
Office of Safety and Security
Washington, DC 20590

Sponsor Agency:

Federal Transit Administration
Office of Safety and Security
Washington, DC 20590

Description:

On April 29, 2005, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) published its revised 49 CFR Part 659, Rail Fixed Guideway Systems; State Safety Oversight final rule in the Federal Register. The revised rule, which went into effect on May 1, 2006, contains provisions that direct each State Safety Oversight (SSO) agency to conduct an on-site review, at least once every three (3) years, at each rail transit agency (RTA) in its jurisdiction. The purpose of this review is to assess the RTA's implementation of its System Safety Program Plan (SSPP) and to determine whether it is effective and whether it should be updated.

FTA developed this recommended best practice to help SSO agencies perform more thorough reviews of the RTAs in their jurisdictions. This resource provides verification activities to assess the RTA's effective implementation of each required SSPP element. This document also offers recommendations for making findings and requiring corrective action.

In using this document, SSO agencies select the activities that will be most beneficial to effective implementation of their programs, and are encouraged to look beyond the typical document review and interview formats that have historically been employed to conduct Three-Year Safety Reviews. FTA believes that through the verification activities and processes provided in this document, SSO agencies can greatly strengthen the effectiveness of their oversight programs.

This document also serves to demonstrate FTA's ongoing commitment to providing SSO agencies and RTAs with the technical assistance and resources required to fully implement and administer effective SSO programs and the requirements of Part 659.