Section 5106 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act requires the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (Secretary) to establish a Working Group to analyze requirements and factors for the establishment of a new allocation formula for the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) within 180 days of passage of the Act. The Secretary officially established the Working Group in March of 2016, with the initial meeting being held on April 1, 2016 in St. Louis, MO. The Working Group has 1 year from its date of establishment to provide the Secretary with a recommendation regarding a new allocation formula for MCSAP.
The Working Group consists of representatives of FMCSA, the lead State commercial motor vehicle safety agencies responsible for administering MCSAP and organizations representing State agencies responsible for enforcing a program for inspection of commercial motor vehicles. Selection to the working group was made following a public solicitation for applications. FMCSA received 24 applications from the states, one application from an organization representing states, and three applications from other persons. FMCSA empaneled a group of five staff from various offices within the agency to review and rate all submitted application materials for consideration to the formula working group. The panel considered several criteria in their review including commitment to transportation safety, record of collaboration with stakeholders and MCSAP program leadership among others.
The members of the Working Group as appointed by the Secretary are listed below:
Public Members
- Lt. Donald C. Bridge, Jr., Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, MCSAP Coordinator, Commercial Vehicle Safety Division
- Lt. Thomas Fitzgerald, Massachusetts State Patrol, Commanding Officer, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section
- Ms. Michelle N. Lopez, Colorado State Patrol, MCSAP Grants Administrator
- Mr. Alan R. Martin, Ohio Public Utilities Commission, Deputy Director
- Lt. Stephen Brent Moore, Georgia Department of Public Safety, Special Operations Coordinator, Motor Carrier Compliance Division
- Captain Brian Preston, Arizona Department of Public Safety
- Mr. John E. Smoot, Kentucky State Police, MCSAP/Federal Training Coordinator
- Colonel Leroy Taylor, South Carolina Department of Public Safety, Deputy Director
- Ms. Adrienne Gildea, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, Deputy Executive Director
- Mr. Stephen C. Owings, Road Safe America, President and Co-Founder
FMCSA Representatives
- Ms. Nancy Baugher, FMCSA, Grants Management Officer
- Ms. Caitlin Cullitan, FMCSA, Attorney-Advisor
- Mr. Thomas Liberatore, FMCSA, Chief, State Programs Division
- Ms. Courtney Stevenson, FMCSA, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Field Operations
- Mr. Dan Meyer, FMCSA, Division Administrator, Illinois Division
This page will be used to provide regular updates on the activities of the Working Group, copies of notes taken during the various Working Group sessions, and an advance calendar of meetings once the Working Group has confirmed the time and location. We encourage our stakeholders and partners to please check this page regularly for update and information.
The next meeting of the Working Group will be held October 19th and 20th at the Drury Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. Please contact thomas.liberatore@dot.gov for more information.