FTA Announces Certification of the State Safety Oversight Programs for Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Wisconsin Ahead of Important Deadline
July 25, 2018
Related To: Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration has announced that Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Wisconsin have obtained federal certification of their rail transit State Safety Oversight (SSO) Programs, in advance of an important safety deadline.
Federal law requires states with rail transit systems to obtain FTA certification of their SSO Programs by April 15, 2019. By federal law, the deadline cannot be waived or extended.
“FTA is pleased that Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Wisconsin have developed safety oversight programs that meet federal certification requirements and will strengthen rail transit safety,” said FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams. “With certification, transit agencies in these states can continue to receive federal funding.”
The Arkansas Department of Transportation is responsible for providing safety oversight of the Rock Region Metro streetcar system.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation is responsible for providing safety oversight of the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority streetcar system.
The Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for providing safety oversight of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit and Houston Metro light rail systems, the city of Dallas and city of El Paso streetcar systems, and the city of Galveston and McKinney Avenue Transit Authority trolley systems.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is responsible for providing safety oversight of the city of Milwaukee and Kenosha Area Transit streetcar systems.
By April 15, 2019, 30 states must obtain certification of 31 SSO Programs. With today’s announcement, 21 states have now achieved SSO Program certification.
If a state fails to meet the deadline, FTA is prohibited by law from awarding any new federal transit funds to transit agencies within the state until certification is achieved. A certification status table by state is available online.
