Question: Our agency contracts our bus and paratransit service operations and maintenance to a contractor, and that contractor has an existing System Safety Program Plan (SSPP). Since our agency is the recipient of the FTA funds (not the contractor), can the contractor keep their existing SSPP, and can our new ASP cite/reference sections of the contractor's SSPP?

Welcome and thank you for accessing the FTA’s PTASP Technical Assistance Forum!

To get the discussion started, FTA would like to know if there are any additional resources that would help your agency in developing its Agency Safety Plan? Please post your comments below!

Question - Does the number of vehicles that a contractor uses to provide service affect the number of vehicles in service during peak hours and determine whether you are considered a small or large provider? Should the contractor vehicles be counted with the vehicles that your agency directly operates?

If fixed route and paratransit is provided by a contracted entity, does ASP also need to address sub-contracted companies such as security, janitorial, visiting personnel, etc. If so, do they need a separate section in the ASP?

Should NTD terms be used to describe the Modes of Service in the following sections: Safety Performance Targets ; Transit Agency Information? Or is Paratransit and Fixed Bus acceptable like in the sample plan? Might be simple to many but I need clarification, help?

I am working on the portion where it asks to describe the coordination with the State and MPO the selection of the safety performance targets. We are a large bus transit agency. Who would the MPO be? We report data to the NTD. Would they be our MPO?

What method(s) does your agency use for employee safety reporting?

It is my understanding that a vanpool operation that receives 5307 capital funding from the large urban provider is required to have a PTASP or participate in the large urban PTASP. What does that look like? Seems like it's overly burdensome to require a 3 staff agency with volunteer drivers to have something this extensive in place. Are there sample policies out there that are more simplified are more specific to a VP operation?

Can you please clarify the difference between PTASP, ASP, and SMS?

What are other agencies doing for the Safety Assurance portion of the PTASP? This is the area that is the most unclear as to the requirements after reading the resources posted online. Thanks

How does FTA anticipate the ASP working together with the System Security and Emergency Preparedness Program Plan (SSEPP)? Can we integrate the SSEPP into the ASP, essentially eliminating it as a document? Alternatively, can we separate safety from security functions and keep two distinct documents?

Will your agency require SMS training for contractors? If so, what will that training address?

Does your agency have milestones for the development of your Agency Safety Plans (ASP) by the July 20, 2020 compliance deadline? If so, what ASP milestones has your transit agency established?

What kind of safety training courses are you requiring for personnel (including contractors) considered directly responsible for safety?