Two More States' Transit Safety Oversight Programs Certified
Thirty states still must meet the April 2019 deadline. If a state fails to meet the deadline, FTA is prohibited by law from awarding any new federal transit funds to transit agencies within the state until certification is achieved.
The Federal Transit Administration announced April 6 that Virginia and Colorado have obtained federal certification of their rail transit State Safety Oversight Programs. Federal law requires states with rail transit systems in the engineering or construction phase of development or in operation to obtain FTA certification of their SSO Programs by April 15, 2019, and FRA is reminding states yet to obtain certification about its importance.
Virginia's Department of Rail and Public Transportation is responsible for providing safety oversight of Hampton Roads Transit. In Colorado, the Public Utilities Commission is responsible for providing safety oversight of the Regional Transportation District in Denver.
"FTA has been assisting states in developing safety oversight programs that meet Federal certification requirements so transit agencies can continue to receive federal funding for the safe movement of millions of people every day," said FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams. "With SSO Program certification, Virginia and Colorado have strengthened oversight of passenger and worker safety for rail transit systems in their states."
Thirty 30 states still must obtain FTA certification of their programs by the deadline. Four states and Washington, D.C., already have it. The states are Ohio, Minnesota, Utah, Hawaii, and Massachusetts.
FRA announced that, separately from the SST announcement, Virginia, together with Maryland and the District of Columbia, are expected to jointly submit to the FTA an SSO Program certification application for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metrorail system, which will be overseen by the Metrorail Safety Commission.
If a state fails to meet the deadline, FTA is prohibited by law from awarding any new federal transit funds to transit agencies within the state until certification is achieved.