Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Coree Cuff Lonergan
Department: Transportation
Information
Requested Action
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MOTION TO ADOPT Resolution of the Board of County Commissioners of Broward County, Florida, approving the Fiscal Year 2024 Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP).
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Why Action is Necessary
Broward County is a recipient of financial assistance under the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Urbanized Area Formula Grants Program (49 U.S.C. § Section 5307) and in accordance with FTA regulations, the Board, as the governing body for Broward County and for the Transportation Department (BCT), who is the operator of public transit service, is required to approve BCT’s Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) annually.
What Action Accomplishes
Approves the Fiscal Year 2024 Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) for BCT which has been updated with new FTA requirements.
Goal Related Icon(s)
☐County Commission
☐Go Green
☐MAP Broward
Previous Action Taken
September 10, 2020, Item No. 7
December 6, 2023, Item No. 12
Summary Explanation/Background
THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.
On July 19, 2018, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) published the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) Final Rule to ensure that public transportation systems are safe nationwide. The rule which became effective July 19, 2019, requires operators of public transportation systems that receive federal funds under FTA's Urbanized Area Formula Grant Program to develop safety plans that include the processes and procedures to implement Safety Management Systems (SMS). SMS is a comprehensive, collaborative, and coordinated system to identify, assess and control safety hazards. The goal is to create a proactive and cooperative safety culture in the organization which includes a joint Labor/Management Safety Committee, employee participation, safety data collection and analysis, the development and implementation of risk management strategies, and organization-wide safety communication. BCT is responsible for maintaining a coordinated safety system in order to identify and prevent unsafe behaviors and conditions that present a potential danger or threat to public safety. As the public transportation provider and recipient of FTA funds, BCT’s PTASP must be reviewed, updated, and approved by the transit agency’s governing body annually.
As background, on September 10, 2020, Item No. 7, the Board approved the Transportation Department’s (BCT) initial PTASP. BCT has reviewed and updated its PTASP (Exhibit 2) for Fiscal Year 2024 as required. The Fiscal Year 2024 PTASP incorporates BCT’s existing System Safety Program Plan and complies with the established safety requirements and standards set forth in the 49 CFR Part 673, 49 USC 5329, as well as the Florida Administrative Code, Chapter 14-90. It continues the implementation of a SMS to manage risk, which will help maintain and improve safety performance on a continuous basis; documents all policies, functions, and responsibilities necessary to achieve a high degree of system safety in all areas of the public transit system and has been updated to include organization changes.
The Fiscal Year 2024 PTASP also includes new FTA requirements resulting from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These new requirements include a requirement that the Safety Committee (SC) be composed of equal membership (50/50) of frontline employee representatives and management representatives and the SC’s approval of any updates to the PTASP; ensuring that the agency’s comprehensive safety training program includes maintenance personnel as well as de-escalation training for maintenance, operations, and safety staff; and using SMS to protect transit workers from assaults and mitigate their exposure to infectious diseases. It also provides for updated safety and risk reduction performance targets.
The BCT Safety Committee, which includes members of both the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) and Government Supervisor’s Association (GSA), reviewed and approved the plan on November 3, 2023.
Source of Additional Information
Coree Cuff Lonergan, Director, Transportation Department (954) 357-8361
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
None