Transit Safety Planning & Risk Management Resources

Indiana MPO Conference – 10/16/03 – Muncie, Indiana

Two areas where MPO’s can be most helpful in helping transit systems address safety issues are coordinating with their community emergency preparedness network and developing (or assessing current) internal system security program plans.

Community Safety Plans

1.  FTA Connecting Communities:  Emergency Prep & Security is a seminar that communities can host to help enhance community safety plans that include a transit perspective.  www.transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov

-         Transit’s role in emergency response planning & implementation

-         Coordination with emergency management/fire life safety/relief & recovery providers

-         Incorporate transit into community plan & community plan into transit system policies/procedures.

-         NIRPC plans to host this course for systems/responders in their area this Spring.

2.  Transit Watch – new program announced at APTA’s annual meeting & linked thru their website www.apta.com

-  Like neighborhood watch – there is also a version for intercity/truckers thru their associations.

-  Increase awareness of drivers, riders & general public

-  Enhance transit’s role as safe haven

-  Universal symbol (like yellow house) – logo can be made into bus decal

-  FREE packet available from APTA/FTA  Contact:  Gail Taylor at FTA’s Office of Safety & Security gail.taylor@fta.dot.gov

3.  IndyGo “blue cards”

-         bus drivers & passengers have access to blue index cards that can be used to report unsafe conditions at the bus stop, bad intersections, bus deficiencies, etc.  These are especially designed to assist with improving customer service to people with disabilities but are applicable to all issues.  Partnership with MPO & Dept. of Public Works to give identified issues priority for repair & retrofit.

Transit System Safety Plans

FTA has established 5 core elements for their Bus Safety Program requirements.

-Driver Selection

-Driver/employee training

-Vehicle Maintenance

-Drug & Alcohol Program

-Safety Data Acquisition & Analysis

Security Program Plans addressing all 5 of these elements are required for UZA’s over 200,000 and “recommended” for smaller systems.

Planning process review:  what you have – what you need - gap  - address deficiencies. 

Safety Audit – What do you have?  Review policies/procedures currently in place to see where you are.  NIRPC has recently contracted with Battelle consulting company to review systems in their area.  Based upon FTA’s criteria, consultant reviewed systems and presented a report on what was lacking.

Audit templates are available from NIRPC (Battelle’s model), APTA has a bus safety audit process, CTAA has a professional review they can do called Transit Safety Plus (they are in the process of developing a peer review process using this model as well), an oldie but goodie is the Transit Risk Manager program available from TCRP,  a new resource is Transit Safety & Security Plan templates developed for Colorado by RAE consulting, FTA provides guidance on their requirements and insurance companies often also provide reviews.  Contact me for more information & copies of these assessment tools.

Need – It is difficult to predict need.  Hard enough when you are trying to assess how many trips/day folks may need on public transit or what the demand may be for road space during rush hour traffic…but how do you estimate the need for safety?  Customer surveys indicate safety is the highest priority for riders. We say safety is job #1 but what does that mean?  How much is enough?  Is there a difference between perceived & actual safety?

Safety measures:

  1. Do what is required by FTA, your insurance company, laws, OSHA, union contracts, etc.
  2. Do what is “standard practice”  - review what is being done by systems in your peer group and at least do what an average system your size is doing.
  3. Do what is “sensible” – you know your resource limitations, what will give you the most bang for your buck?  There may be things that don’t cost much but add a sense of security – like instituting the Transit Watch program.

Gap – once you identify the current status of your safety program and where you want to be in terms of meeting the need for safety measures you have identified the gap.

 Address deficiencies – develop a timeline to phase in safety enhancements that will bring your “safety plan” up to snuff.  We have some resources that will help you with these upgrades.  I will cover them in terms of FTA’s 5 priority areas:

Upgrade your plan document – you may first need to develop a security program plan so you can enhance it!  While FTA doesn’t “require” these plans for smaller systems, it is certainly “recommended”.  Most systems have some of the components in place just may need to compile the information in a more consistent/detailed format.  Use the templates from FTA (see Volpe website above),  NIRPC’s consultant  (contact Glenda Harrison at NIRPC for more info), or the Colorado templates to develop your plan (can cut & paste).  This is where MPO’s could be most helpful!

Upgrade employee/driver selection & training

-         Attend Transit Trainer Roundtable, November 21st here in Muncie at MITS to discuss how we can improve in this area

-         National Transit Institute has great CD based training & free workshops on  system safety & driver training.  Website www.ntionline.com

-         FTA’s Transportation Safety Institute has bus safety & train the trainer classes

www.tsi.dot.gov.  

-    FTA’s Volpe website also has some good resource materials on this subject. 

-         UTAP/RTAP training courses.  See handout or go to website.  Master Driver patch for folks who take 5 classes.  www.indiana.edu/~rtap.

Upgrade Vehicle Maintenance

-         UTAP Maintenance Roundtable has focused on wheelchair lift maintenance, new engines, alternative fuels, basic electrical systems training, etc.  Future meetings will cover air conditioning, brakes, inventory control, etc.

-         NTI has bus pocket guide specifically for mechanics in conjunction with their Transit Workplace Safety & Secuirty course.

Upgrade Drug & Alcohol program

-         Vicky Warner at our office is specialist and can provide you with templates for D&A program policies, drug free workplace, employee & supervisor training, etc.

-         FTA’s Volpe Center offers training on drug & alcohol program compliance (see Volpe website).

Safety Data & Analysis

-         National Transit Database now requires quarterly D&A reports and annual data collection.  CD rom & info on FTA website available to assist with this process.

-         UTAP Finanacial manager’s roundtable just discussed this issue and probably will again before the 2003 reports are due.

See the front table for handouts or give me a call and I’ll send you whatever you need.  If you’d like to get e-mail updates from me on UTAP roundtables (finance, marketing, ADA compliance, training, maintenance, etc.) give me your e-mail address and I’ll add you to the appropriate list.

Have a safe Communities in Motion Day!

Betsy Kachmar

mkachmar@indiana.edu

(800)334-3554