APTA honors nine agencies with 2023 Rail Safety, Security and Emergency Management Awards

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) recognized nine transit agencies with 2023 Rail Safety, Security and Emergency Management Awards that were presented at the association’s Rail Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa.

The awards recognize transit organizations for their efforts to develop and put into practice proactive safety and security programs. In 2023, the association included a new category, Emergency Management, for agencies that “excel in the management of emergencies though partnerships, planning, exercises and drills.”

APTA explains the nominations were evaluated on four criteria: Effectiveness, benefit level, innovation and transferability. The top honor is the Gold Award, which is presented to organizations with the best example of a safety, security or emergency management program. A Certificate of Merit is given to organizations in recognition of exceptional achievement in safety, security or emergency management.

Seven agencies were honored with Gold Rail Safety and Security, which is the top honor, while four agencies were recognized with Certificates of Merit, which recognize exceptional achievement. The agencies earning a Certificate of Merit include:

• Southern California Regional Rail Authority, Los Angeles, Calif.; Rail Safety Certificate of Merit in the Commuter/Intercity Rail category.
• Sacramento Regional Transit District, Sacramento, Calif.; Certificate of Merit in the Light Rail/Streetcar category.
• Niagara Frontier Transit Authority, Buffalo, N.Y.; Rail Security Certificate of Merit in the Light Rail/Streetcar category.
• New Orleans Regional Transit Authority , New Orleans, La.; Rail Emergency Management Certificate of Merit in the Light Rail/Streetcar category.

“These awards highlight the dedication and hard work of individuals and organizations that strive to ensure the safety and well-being of passengers, employees and the communities they serve,” said APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas. “I want to congratulate the public transit agencies being honored today for their exceptional achievements in safety, security and emergency management, and for being an inspiration to others in the industry.”

The Gold Award agencies and projects

APTA selected nine projects among seven transit agencies with Gold Awards. TriMet in Portland, Ore., and Metropolitan Transportation Authority Metro-North Railroad each earned Gold Awards in both rail safety and rail security categories.

Metro-North earned the Gold Award in Rail Safety for the Commuter/Intercity Rail category for its Comet III train outfitted with lasers to remove contaminants from the rail surface left by crushed leaves that can create “slip-slide” conditions. If left untreated, this condition can result in unsafe braking, flat spots on wheels, high repair costs and equipment downtime.

A previous version of the technology could only be used at 25 mph, but with new high-speed lasers from Laser Precision Solutions, coupled with GIS data, the technology’s operating speeds increased to 60 mph, which allows Metro-North to treat areas with high incidents up to twice per day.

Metro-North was also honored with a Gold Award in Rail Emergency Management for the Commuter/Intercity Rail category for the creation of a dual level high-water alarm system to mitigate flooding and reduce impacts to rail service. Metro-North says the system enhances safety, protects equipment, reduces long-term expenses and allots more time to reroute trains.

TriMet was recognized with a Gold Award in Rail Security for the Light Rail/Streetcar category for the development and implementation of its “Reimagining Public Safety & Security on Transit” plan. TriMet describes the plan as a “community engagement first” approach to transit security that maximized security presence on the system and avoided unnecessary escalation. Additionally, the agency’s camera network allows for real-time monitoring of the system and verification of incidents for the deployment of appropriate resources.

TriMet also earned a Gold Award for Rail Safety in the Light Rail/Streetcar category for its work with the Federal Transit Administration on a Safety Research Demonstration utilizing video analytic system data at grade crossings to catalog pedestrian, motorized and non-motorized vehicle traffic counts, direction of travel and heat map data. While the demonstration is ongoing, the data collected is aiding the development of TriMet’s Risk Ranking Tool that will prioritize locations for safety enhancements.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) was honored with a Gold Award in Rail Safety in the Heavy Rail category for its fire life safety (FLS) program, which addresses the areas of inspections, training and exercises and fire prevention support. The program has resulted in improvements in emergency response compliance, equipment operability and fewer station inspections deficiencies. Every BART facility is assessed each year to identify hazards and formulate appropriate mitigations. Additionally, the program has improved the relationships between BART, law enforcement and firefighters.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) was recognized with a Gold Award in Rail Security in the Heavy Rail category for a collaboration between MARTA Police Department and Atlanta Police Department to create a Joint Bike Patrol Team (JBPT) to improve the safety and security of MARTA employees and passengers. The JBPT combines resources, expertise and the robust delivery of law enforcement services that has delivered improved response times to calls for service, a decrease in crime and enhanced relationships between law enforcement and the public.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit earned a Gold Award in Rail Emergency Management in the Light Rail/Streetcar category for its utilization of Microsoft Teams^® (Teams) for Emergency Operations Center (EOC) events in lieu of in-person meetings to adhere to COVID protocols. This hybrid emergency operations center allows the EOC to be activated at any time. Personnel with emergency management duties who happen to be off-duty or away from the office can gain access to the EOC via a cell phone or an at home computer. The hybrid EOC allows operational personnel to be at critical locations to gather and share information, as if they are sitting in the EOC. Meetings using Teams include the use of CCTV feeds, light rail tracking and a live feed chat room that provides critical information for response and recovery.