DOT Insignia

NATIONAL TRANSIT DATABASE
SAFETY AND SECURITY NEWSLETTER
 
SNAPSHOT
National Transit Database (NTD) data between January and November 2006 indicate much greater monthly fluctuations in incident levels for the motor bus (MB) mode compared with the heavy-rail (HR) and light-rail (LR) modes. The lowest number of major incidents (70) for MB was posted in May, while the highest (120) occurred in September. LR saw a decrease in the total number of major incidents and a narrower range of monthly variability than in previous years. A high of 18 incidents was recorded in both March and May, while a low of four incidents was posted in November. HR maintained its trends of previous years, with a low of three major incidents in both January and August and a high of 14 in July. December data were omitted as they have not yet been finalized.

Snapshot - Major Incidents by Mode 2006 

Inside This Issue
NTD Helps Industry to Address Track-Worker Safety 2
New Consolidated NTD Web Site 3
Focus: Using Description Fields to Best Advantage 7
SSO Rail Transit Action Plan 10
    FALL 2007      VOLUME 4  ISSUE 1

Train at a station 

Fourth Anniversary of New NTD Electronic Data Format

We are approaching the fourth anniversary of the newly revised NTD data system. At that time, NTD transitioned from the old Form 405 to a web-based online reporting system that is filled in immediately for major incidents and quarterly for non-major incidents.

The online system was enhanced to allow entry of causal data for both types of incidents. Thresholds were adjusted to correspond to other data repositories and regulatory frameworks. The online reporting system provides better information for problem identification, research, and technical assistance priorities and metrics to ensure that FTA and the industry are meeting performance goals and objectives. It also helps to bring the NTD Safety and Security Module to full maturity, in line with FTA’s focus on post-9/11 security efforts.

Each year, the reporting forms are enhanced and streamlined as stakeholders and FTA gain more experience and respond to grantees. The transition to electronic NTD reporting has led to more accurate, timely reporting; identification of causal factors; and, with several years of data now available, the nascent ability to detect trends.

Key components of NTD’s value are grantee reporting and attention to quality. Additional fields (with pulldown

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