Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced Friday, Feb. 20, 2015 a proposed rule "to increase oversight responsibilities of State Safety Oversight Agencies (SSOAs) by replacing the existing outdated regulatory framework with one designed to better evaluate the effectiveness of a rail transit agency's system safety program."
Foxx made the announcement at Washington, D.C.'s Union Station, the last stop on his four-day, five state Grow America Express bus tour intended to emphasize the importance of investing in America's infrastructure, and to encourage Congress to act on a long-term transportation bill.
Reflecting new statutory safety authority established by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), the proposed rule issued by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) would give states more resources to increase oversight over rail transit systems. The proposed rule would require adoption and enforcement of federal and state safety laws, and require SSOAs to be financially and legally independent of the rail transit systems they oversee, according to DOT.
FTA also would enhance its authority to review and approve each State Safety Oversight (SSO) program, including triennial audits, review of annual status reports, and certification of SSOAs. If states are not meeting the statutory criteria, FTA may withhold federal funds until an SSO program is certified. Public comments on the proposed rule will be accepted for sixty days after its publication in the Federal Register.
"We must improve, modernize, and transform rail transit safety oversight to provide the increased level of safety expected by the millions of passengers who use rail transit every day," said Foxx. "Rail transit is a safe travel option, but we have an obligation and opportunity to make it even safer."