Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans

Welcome to the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) Technical Assistance Center (TAC). We are here to help you meet PTASP regulation requirements.

In light of the extraordinary challenges presented by the COVID-19 public health emergency, on December 11, 2020 FTA issued a second Notice of Enforcement Discretion for the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) regulation (49 CFR Part 673). FTA will refrain from taking enforcement action until July 21, 2021 for recipients and subrecipients unable to certify compliance with the PTASP regulation. Please visit FTA’s COVID-19 FAQs page for more information about the Notice. The PTASP TAC remains available to help you meet PTASP regulation requirements.

Overview

On July 19, 2018, FTA published the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) Final Rule, which requires certain operators of public transportation systems that receive federal funds under FTA's Urbanized Area Formula Grants to develop safety plans that include the processes and procedures to implement Safety Management Systems (SMS).  

• The PTASP rule became effective on July 19, 2019.
• FTA published a Notice of Enforcement Discretion on April 22, 2020 effectively extending the PTASP compliance deadline from July 20, 2020 to December 31, 2020.

The plan must include safety performance targets. Find additional guidance on planning and target setting on FTA's Performance-Based Planning pages. Transit operators also must certify they have a safety plan in place meeting the requirements of the rule by December 31, 2020. The plan must be updated and certified by the transit agency annually.

The rule applies to all operators of public transportation systems that are recipients and sub-recipients of federal financial assistance under the Urbanized Area Formula Program (49 U.S.C. § 5307). However, FTA is deferring applicability of this requirement for operators that only receive funds through FTA’s Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Formula Program (Section 5310) and/or Rural Area Formula Program (Section 5311).

The rule does not apply to agencies that are subject to the safety jurisdiction of another federal agency, including passenger ferry operators regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard and rail operators regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration.