On April 7, 2016, FTA issued Safety Advisory 16-1 to collect information on the frequency of stop signal overruns in the rail transit industry and the actions being taken to address these occurrences. FTA is aware of stop signal overrun incidents, but lacks an industry-wide database on the issue. Some State Safety Oversight Agencies (SSOAs) require rail transit agencies under their jurisdiction to report stop signal overruns while others do not, and definitions, reporting thresholds and data analysis are inconsistent across the industry.

Specifically, FTA Safety Advisory 16-1 is requesting that each SSOA provide FTA with the total number of stop signal overruns that occurred during calendar year 2015 at each rail transit agency within the SSOA’s oversight, including the definitions of a stop signal overrun and of a stop signal/stop aspect (e.g., hand signal, stop sign, cab signal). In addition, FTA is asking for a description of the process each rail transit agency uses to internally detect stop signal overruns and the process it uses to report stop signal overruns to its SSOA. FTA requires that SSOAs submit the requested information within 90 days.