8th Annual SSO Workshop

The Federal Transit Administration’s 8th State Safety Oversight Annual Workshop was held at the Holiday Inn Select in Boston, Massachusetts from September 19 to September 23, 2004, and by all accounts was a great success. The event was sponsored by FTA’s Office of Transit Safety and Security, and was jointly hosted by the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy (MDTE) and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).

Roundtable Discussion

This year’s workshop achieved the highest attendance to date, with 93 participants, including representatives from: 18 state safety oversight agencies; 23 rail transit agencies; 6 FTA Regional Offices, and FTA headquarters. Also in attendance were representatives from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the Transportation Research Board (TRB), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP), and consultants supporting FTA’s State Safety Oversight and Drug and Alcohol Programs. During the three-and-a-half day meeting, 32 members of the SSO community gave presentations and helped lead panel discussions. Workshop topics included FTA’s Drug and Alcohol Program, TRB’s Cooperative Research Program, rail grade crossing safety, efficiency and proficiency testing in public transportation, root cause analysis and accident investigation, hazard management programs, rail transit security, FTA’s SSO Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and the development of National Transit Database reports for State Oversight Agencies.

Jerry A. Fisher,  FTA SSO Program Manager

On the second full day of the workshop, participants boarded a bus to the MBTA Bus and Rail Control Centers for an overview of MBTA operations. Participants were also able to tour the Acela High Speed Train as well as the new Silver Line Transitway, where tunneling techniques, operations, and security measures were presented.

All workshop invitees will receive a follow-up package of workshop materials including presentations, meeting minutes, and attendee contact information.

New Starts Systems

Three new light rail systems and one new heavy rail system have increased the size of the State Safety Oversight community over the past year. The new systems are in Arkansas, Minnesota, Puerto Rico, and North Carolina. All four new starts systems required the establishment of a new State Oversight Agency (SOA), bringing the total number of SOAs to 26. The new agencies are the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, the Puerto Rico State Emergency and Disaster Management Agency and the North Carolina Department of Transportation. FTA expects seven additional new starts systems to initiate revenue service over the next 5 years. As a result of these additional systems, new SOAs have been designated in Nevada and Arizona to oversee rail transit safety. See table and map.

Central Arkansas Transit Authority, River Rail, Little Rock, AR – 11/1/04

The Central Arkansas Transit Authority (CATA) initiated revenue service on its new River Rail vintage trolley line on November 1, 2004, marking the first time in 57 years that electric trolley cars have traveled the streets of Little Rock. During the inaugural week of operation, rides were free on the 2.5 mile system. The new rail line uses the Main Street Bridge to unite the “River Cities” of Little Rock and North Little Rock. Riders board one of the three vintage trolleys in use at any of 11 stations along the system. The route links many popular destinations in the River Cities such as the Alltel Arena, the Statehouse Convention Center, the River Market, two city halls, the Historic Arkansas Museum, the Discovery Museum, the Robinson Auditorium Concert Hall and the Riverfront Amphitheater. The system operates from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to Midnight on Thursday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Round trip fares are 50 cents for adults, 25 cents for seniors and the disabled, and children under five ride for free. Day passes are available for $2.

Little Rock River Rail

Metropolitan Council, Hiawatha Light Rail, Minneapolis, MN – 6/26/04

On June 26, 2004, citizens of the Twin Cities took their first rides on the Metropolitan Council’s new Hiawatha light rail transit system. The Hiawatha system’s Bloomington/ Mall of America extension was opened on December 4, 2004, lengthening the system to 11.6 miles and 17 stations. The rail line unites downtown Minneapolis, the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, and the Mall of America in Bloomington, the nation’s largest retail and entertainment complex. The system consists of 24 cars, each capable of carrying 66 seated passengers, plus standing capacity for 180. Typically trains run every 10 minutes and, rush hour, every 7.5 minutes. Ridership on the Hiawatha line has been strong in its first year, surpassing early estimates. In the first week of operation the system had over 93,000 riders, and during the first two days following the opening of the Bloomington/Mall of America extension, over 140,000 passengers rode the system.

Hiawatha Light Rail

Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority, Tren Urbano, San Juan, PR –12/19/04

The inauguration of the Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority’s new Tren Urbano heavy rail line in San Juan, Puerto Rico was Friday, December 17, 2004. On the following Sunday, the line initiated operation providing fare-free service to the public.

The 10.7 mile, 16 station system runs between Bayamon Centro and the Sagrado Corazon area of Santurce in San Juan. The TrenUrbano line includes 74 heavy rail vehicles and is expected to carry 113,300 riders per day by 2010. The system will continue to offer fare-free service on Saturdays and Sundays through March 2005.

Tren Urbano

Charlotte Area Transit System, Charlotte Trolley, Charlotte, NC – 6/25/04

On June 25, 2004, for the first time in 65 years, a trolley car traveled the streets of Charlotte. Car # 85 has had an interesting history since its retirement from the streets of Charlotte and its final destination in Huntersville, North Carolina. After being “rescued” in 1989, Car #85 has been restored to its former glory and can now be seen traveling along Charlotte Area Transit System’s (CATS) 2.1 mile, 10 station Charlotte Trolley system. The Charlotte Trolley functioned under limited operation until October, when CATS introduced three new replica trolley cars to accompany Car #85. Fare for the trolley is $1. Children 12 and under accompanied by an adult and customers 62 and over can ride for 50 cents. Children 46 inches tall and below ride the trolley service for free. A portion of the Charlotte Trolley track will be shared with the upcoming CATS South Corridor LRT, scheduled to begin revenue operations in 2007.

Charlotte Trolley, Car #85

 

State Safety Oversight Community Map

Upcoming Additions to the SSO Community

Location	Rail Transit Project	Projected Date of Service	Projected Weekday Ridership	State Oversight Agency
Charlotte, NC	Charlotte Area Transit System South Corridor LRT	1/2007	21,100	North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT)
San Diego, CA	North County Transit District Sprinter 1	12/2007	16,000	California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
Phoenix, AZ	Regional Public Transportation Authority East Valley Corridor 1	12/2008	48,000	Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) 1
Las Vegas, NV	Las Vegas Resort Corridor Fixed Guideway (extension) 1, 2	5/2009	38,800	Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) 1
Seattle, WA	Sound Transit Central Link Light Rail 1	7/2009	42,500	Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)
San Diego, CA	Orange County Transportation Authority CenterLine LRT 1	12/2009	28,400	California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
Seattle, WA	Seattle Popular Monorail Authority Green Line 1	2009	69,000	Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)

1 new agency
2 The existing Las Vegas system will join the SSO community upon the initiation of service on the federally-funded extension.

 

Efficiency and Proficiency Testing Programs

Operating rules are put in place at rail transit agencies to promote safe, efficient, and timely transit operations. To meet these objectives, it is imperative that rail transit personnel follow established operating rules. Many rail transit agencies implement efficiency and proficiency testing programs to ensure that operating rules are followed. These programs are designed to verify, reinforce, and document a consistent understanding of critical rules and procedures.

Through supervision, efficiency and proficiency testing programs improve employee operating compliance. Typically, these programs assess compliance with operating rules and pro-cedures. Tests are conducted by the operations department, assisted by the safety department, to ensure that safety rules are not violated. Typical programs may include preliminary planning, staffing of the actual test, and post-test actions. Supervisor testing procedures may include the creation of a test report to be logged with all other test reports for inspection by applicable agencies. Efficiency and proficiency tests can assess a variety of operational performance areas (see below).

Tested Performance Areas

· Smooth operations
· Signal compliance
· Speed compliance
· Yard operation
· Schedule adherence
· Communications protocol
· Prescribed announcements
· Cab condition
· Safety requirements

The FRA requires efficiency and proficiency testing at railroads. Each railroad must implement a written program of periodic operational tests to determine the “extent of compliance with its code of operating rules” under various operating conditions (49 CFR 217.9). The FRA regulation requires that railroads maintain records of individual tests and make available an annual summary of these operational tests to FRA upon request.

APTA has produced several documents relating to efficiency and proficiency testing. APTA’s Recommended Practice for Rail Transit System Station Procedures, Standard for Rule Compliance, Standard for Train Operating Employees Reporting to Work, and Standard for RTS Train Operations Safety Program are valuable resources for developing efficiency and proficiency testing programs.

Another method of efficiency and proficiency testing is the implementation of event data recorders (EDRs). Similar to the devices known as “black boxes” on airplanes, EDRs decode and record information from critical systems of a rail transit vehicle, such as vehicle velocity, brake timing and pressure, and signal data. EDRs can provide supervisors with valuable data in evaluating operational rules and procedures compliance as well as providing accident investigators with crucial information for the determination of causal or contributing factors in an accident.

In response to rail transit accidents, the National Transit Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended both the development of efficiency and proficiency testing programs and the use of EDRs aboard rail transit vehicles. In R-02-22 NTSB recommends the development and implementation of “systematic procedures for performing and documenting frequent management checks to ensure all operating personnel are complying with [transit agency] operating rules, including speed restrictions and signal rules.” As a result of the same investigation, NTSB also recommended that rail transit vehicles “be equipped with event recorders” (R-02-19).

At FTA’s 8th State Safety Oversight Annual Workshop, three SSO community members were invited to present the benefits of effi-ciency and proficiency testing. FTA recognizes the clear benefits of these programs and will continue to support the sharing of efficiency and proficiency testing materials, guidelines and best practices among transit agency officials across the nation, and encourages transit agencies to continue to implement programs to ensure the safety of the riding public.

FTA Safety and Security Website

http://transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov

 

State Safety Oversight Community Contacts

FTA Headquarters

Jerry A. Fisher
Program Manager
Office of Safety & Security
400 7th St. SW, TSS-1
Washington DC 20590
Phone: (202) 366-1651
Fax: (202) 366-7951
jerry.fisher@fta.dot.gov

Roy Field
Transit Safety & Security Specialist
Office of Safety & Security
400 7th St. SW, TSS-1
Washington DC 20590
Phone: (202) 366-0197
Fax: (202) 366-7951
roy.field@fta.dot.gov

FTA Regional Administrators

FTA Region 1
Richard Doyle
Kendall Square, 55 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: (617) 494-2055
Fax: (617) 494-2865
richard.doyle@fta.dot.gov

FTA Region 2
Letitia Thompson
One Bowling Green, Room 429
New York, NY 10004-1415
Phone: (212) 668-2170
Fax: (212) 668-2136
letitia.thompson@fta.dot.gov

FTA Region 3
Susan Borinsky
1760 Market Street, Suite 500
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 656-7100
Fax: (215) 656-7260
herman.shipman@fta.dot.gov

FTA Region 4
Hiram Walker
Atlanta Federal Center,
Suite 17150
61 Forsyth Street, SW
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 562-3500
Fax: (404) 562-3505
hiram.walker@fta.dot.gov

FTA Region 5
Joel Ettinger
200 West Adams,
Suite 320
Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 353-2789
Fax: (312) 886-0351
joel.ettinger@fta.dot.gov

FTA Region 6
Robert Patrick
819 Taylor Street,
Room 8A36
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Phone: (817) 978-0550
Fax: (817) 978-0575
robert.patrick@fta.dot.gov

FTA Region 7
Mokhtee Ahmad
901 Locust Street,
Suite 404
Kansas City, MO 64106
Phone: (816) 329-3920
Fax: (816) 329-3921
mokhtee.ahmad@fta.dot.gov

FTA Region 8
Lee Waddleton
Columbine Place
216 16th Street,
Suite 650
Denver, CO 80202-5120
Phone: (303) 844-6775
Fax: (303) 844-4217
lee.waddleton@fta.dot.gov

FTA Region 9
Leslie Rogers
201 Mission Street,
Room 2210
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: (415) 744-3133
Fax: (415) 744-2726
leslie.rogers@fta.dot.gov

FTA Region 10
Richard F. Krochalis
Jackson Federal Building
915 Second Ave, Suite 3142
Seattle, WA 98174-1002
Phone: (206) 220-7957
Fax: (206) 220-7959
rick.krochalis@fta.dot.gov

Oversight Agencies

Arizona Department of Transportation
Scott Friedson
206 South 17th Ave
Maildrop 310B
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: (602) 712-6095
sfriedson@dot.state.az.us

Arkansas State Highway & Transportation Department
David Lumbert
10324 Interstate 30
Little Rock, AR 72203
Phone: (501) 569-2559
Fax: (501) 569-2476
david.lumbert@ahtd.state.ar.us

California Public Utilities Commission
Robert Strauss
505 Van Ness Avenue,
2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: (415) 703-3206
Fax: (415) 703-1910
rls@cpuc.ca.gov

Colorado Public Utilities Commission
Ray Jantzen
1580 Logan Street, OL 3
Denver, CO 80203
Phone: (303) 894-2849
Fax: (303) 894-2532
ray.jantzen@dora.state.co.us

Florida Department of Transportation
Mike Johnson
605 Suwannee Street, MS-26
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Phone: (850) 414-4525
Fax: (850) 922-4942
jamesmike.johnson@dot.state.fl.us

Georgia Department of Transportation
Steven Kish
276 Memorial Drive, SW
Atlanta, GA 30303-3743
Phone: (404) 651-9210
Fax: (404) 657-4221
steve.kish@dot.state.ga.us

Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development
Carol Cranshaw
P. O. Box 94245
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9245
Phone: (225) 274-4361
Fax: (225) 274-4314
carolcranshaw@dotd.lousiana.gov

Maryland Department of Transportation
John Contestabile
7201 Corporate Center Drive
P.O. Box 548
Hanover, MD 21076
Phone: (410) 865-1120
Fax: (410) 865-1388
jcontestabile@mdot.state.md.us

Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications & Energy
Brian Cristy
One South Station, 2nd Floor
Boston, MA 02110
Phone: (617) 305-3770
Fax: (647) 478-2598
brian.cristy@state.ma.us

Michigan Department of Transportation
Tim Hoeffner
Van Wagoner Building
425 West Ottawa
Lansing, MI 48909
Phone: (517) 335-1931
Fax: (517) 335-7997
hoeffnert@michigan.gov

Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Major Kent O'Grady
444 Cedar St., Suite 130
St Paul, MN 55101-5130
Phone: (651) 282-6403
Fax: (651) 296-5937
kent.ogrady@state.mn.us

Missouri Department of Transportation
Robert Kraus
2217 St. Mary's Blvd.
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: (573) 751-7124
Fax: (575) 526-2170
Robert.Kraus@modot.mo.us

Nevada Department of Transportation
James Mallery
1263 South Stewart Street
Carson City, NV 89712
Phone: (775) 888-7464
Fax: (775) 888-7207
jmallery@dot.state.nv.us

New Jersey Department of Transportation
Bob Sedlock
225 E. State Street,
4E, Box 177
Trenton, NJ 08666-0177
Phone: (609) 292-6893
Fax: (609) 633-9367
bob.sedlock@dot.state.nj.us

New York Public Transportation Safety Board
Jerry Shook
1220 Washington Avenue
Bldg 7A,
Room 630
Albany, NY 12232
Phone: (518) 457-6500
Fax: (518) 457-4637
jshook@gw.dot.state.ny.us

North Carolina Department of Transportation
George Young
1556 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1556
Phone: (919) 715-8742
Fax: (919) 715-8704
gyoung@dot.state.nc.us

Ohio Department of Transportation
Lynn Rathke
1980 West Broad Street
Office of Transit,
2nd Floor
Columbus, OH 43223
Phone: (614) 644-7362
Fax: (614) 466-0822
lynn.rathke@dot.state.oh.us

Oregon Department of Transportation
Kofi Kyei
123 NW Flanders
Portland, OR 97209
Phone: (503) 731-4835
Fax: (503) 731-8531
kofi.o.kyei@odot.state.or.us

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
David Barber
Bureau of Public Transportation,
400 North St., 6th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17105-3151
Phone: (717) 787-1207
Fax: (717) 772-2985
dabarber@state.pa.us

Puerto Rico State Emergency and Disaster Management Agency
Johnny Garcia
398 Jesús T. Piñero Avenue
Hato Rey, PR 00918
Phone: (787) 765-0927 x1250
Fax: (787) 765-3885
jgarcia@trenurbano.dtop.gov.pr

Regional Transit Authority
Duana Love
175 West Jackson St., Suite 1550
Chicago, IL 60604
Phone: (312) 913-3248
Fax: (312) 913-3206
loved@rtachicago.org

St. Clair County Transit District
Bill Grogan
1004 South Lincoln Ave, Suite 1
O'Fallon, IL 62269
Phone: (618) 628-8090
Fax: (618) 628-7820
bgrogan@scctd.org

Tennessee Department of Transportation
Jim Ladieu
J.K. Polk Building
505 Deaderick Street, Suite 1800
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: (615) 253-1042
Fax: (615) 253-1482
jim.ladieu@state.tn.us

Texas Department of Transportation
Susan Hausmann
Public Transportation Division
125 East 11th Street
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 416-2833
Fax: (512) 416-2830
shausman@dot.state.tx.us

Tri-State Oversight Committee
Tanya Husick
3900 Jermantown Rd., Suite 300
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: (202) 671-0539
Fax: (202) 671-0650
natalie.jones@dc.gov

Utah Department of Transportation
Eric Cheng
4501 South 2700 West
Box 143200
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-3200
Phone: (801) 965-4284
Fax: (801) 965-4736
echeng@utah.gov

Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
Karen Rae
1313 East Main St., Suite 300
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: (804) 786-1051
Fax: (804) 225-3664
krae@drpt.state.va.us

Washington State Department of Transportation
Jeff Schultz
Public Transportation & Rail Div.
Transportation Building
PO Box 47387
Olympia, WA 98504-7387
Phone: (360) 705-7981
Fax: (360) 705-6821
schultj@wsdot.wa.gov

Wisconsin Department of Transportation
David Vickman
PO Box 7913
4802 Sheboygan Ave.
Madison, WI 53707-7913
Phone: (608) 266-9637
Fax: (608) 266-0658
david.vickman@dot.state.wi.us