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Document Title:

Implementation Guidelines for 49 CFR Part 659

Number Of Pages:

103

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Keywords:

State Safety Oversight, CFR 49 Part 659, revised regulation, rail, safety, security, compliance

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:

To address the changing needs of the growing State Safety and Security Oversight (SSO) community, as well as to reflect experience from almost a decade of implementing the Rule, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently amended 49 CFR Part 659, Rail Fixed Guideway Systems; State Safety Oversight. FTA's revised Rule was published in the Federal Register on April 29, 2005.

These Implementation Guidelines for 49 CFR Part 659 have been prepared to assist states and rail transit agencies in developing compliant programs based on the revised FTA Rule. To ensure program consistency, these guidelines build on previous guidance provided to the affected SSO community in FTA's 49 CFR Part 659 Reference Guide, released on June 22, 2005. These guidelines also incorporate practices and recommendations from the complement of technical assistance tools previously developed for the SSO program, including templates, reports, training workshops, seminars, web-based resources, and previously published documents.

As specified in § 659.39(a), each state oversight agency with a rail fixed guideway system that is in passenger operations as of April 29, 2005, or that will begin passenger operations by May 1, 2006, must make its Initial Submission to FTA by May 1, 2006. § 659.39(b) explains that 'an initial submission must include the following: (1) oversight agency program standard and referenced procedures; and (2) certification that the System Safety Program Plan and the System Security Plan have been developed, reviewed, and approved.'

To support the activities of states, oversight agencies and rail transit agencies in preparing these submissions by May 1, 2006, these guidelines provide a comprehensive, up-to-date summary of FTA's regulatory requirements, incorporating into one publication all of the guidance FTA has issued over the past several years. These guidelines explain the various elements of a compliant program and reference examples of documents, checklists, forms, and procedures that may be used by states and rail transit agencies in formulating their programs.