MAP-21

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has a critical obligation to provide public transit systems with the tools and resources needed to ensure the safe operation of those systems, while at the same time ensuring the safety of transit customers, transit employees, and others. The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) has provided FTA with significant new authority to strengthen the safety of public transit systems throughout the United States through transit safety regulation and expanded oversight. MAP-21 grants FTA the authority to establish and enforce a new comprehensive framework – “Safety Management Systems” (SMS) – to direct public transit safety-related programs and activities.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) strategic safety goal is “to improve public health and safety by reducing transportation-related fatalities and injuries.” In addition to implementing the new authorities for safety oversight established under MAP-21, FTA intends to work toward this strategic safety goal by advancing research to reduce transit fatalities and the number and severity of transit-related injuries.

The National Transit Safety Research and Assistance Center has gathered and continues to draw resources for this site related to the implementation of MAP-21 and actionable transit safety research that may be used to further transit safety goals, both from the national and local perspective. In addition to what has been posted to this site, the following resource sites and associated documents are available to further define the requirements established by MAP-21 and guide public transit systems in the implementation of safety management systems.

MAP-21 Website Resources

FTA’s MAP-21

FTA Transit Bus Safety

FTA’s Safety Management Systems Framework

FTA’s SMS Brochure

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