Skip to main content

Foxx proposes new rule to increase safety of rail transit systems

At the end of his four-day Grow America tour, US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced a proposed rule to increase oversight responsibilities of State Safety Oversight Agencies (SSOAs) by replacing the existing outdated regulatory framework with one designed to better evaluate the effectiveness of a rail transit agency’s system safety program. The proposed rule, issued by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), would give states more resources to increase oversight over rail transit systems. It
February 24, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
At the end of his four-day Grow America tour, US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced a proposed rule to increase oversight responsibilities of State Safety Oversight Agencies (SSOAs) by replacing the existing outdated regulatory framework with one designed to better evaluate the effectiveness of a rail transit agency’s system safety program.  

The proposed rule, issued by the 2023 Federal Transit Administration (FTA), would give states more resources to increase oversight over rail transit systems. It would require adoption and enforcement of federal and state safety laws and require SSOAs to be financially and legally independent of the rail transit systems they oversee.

“We must improve, modernise and transform rail transit safety oversight to provide the increased level of safety expected by the millions of passengers who use rail transit every day,” said Foxx. “Rail transit is a safe travel option, but we have an obligation and opportunity to make it even safer.”

 “FTA appreciates the continued cooperation and engagement of our state and rail transit industry partners as we take this major step forward toward a new safety regulatory framework,” said FTA acting administrator Therese McMillan. “We drafted the proposed rule to ensure it allows for the flexibility and scalability needed to provide effective safety benefits for passengers and employees of transit agencies of all sizes and operating environments.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Robust enforcement strategy needed for free flow toll roads
    January 10, 2012
    Timidity has no place in effective enforcement operations on free-flow toll roads, says the NRA's Cathal Masteron. What's needed is a robust strategy which starts big and reduces in size over time, rather than starts small and gains a reputation for being easy to avoid
  • IRF takes politicians to task on road safety
    January 7, 2013
    The International Road Federation has issued a wake up call to government ministers, in the form of its Vienna Manifesto on ITS. Four years on from coming to a key decision on ITS, the International Road Federation (IRF) now faces a further question – how can it ensure its Vienna Manifesto on ITS achieves maximum impact? This is a challenge the organisation is not taking lightly. Issues the manifesto has been drawn up to address have become more acute in the time taken to publish it and are forecast to wors
  • Can drivers be responsible for AV offences?
    January 28, 2022
    Report in UK from two Law Commissions recommends a new Automated Vehicles Act
  • Columbus wins US Smart City Challenge
    June 24, 2016
    Columbus, Ohio has been selected as the winner of the US Department of Transportation's (US DOT) Smart City Challenge. As winner of the Challenge, Columbus will receive up to US$40 million from US DOT and up to US$10 million from Vulcan to supplement the US$90 million that the city has already raised from other private partners to carry out its plan. The Smart City Challenge generated a significant amount of excitement and interest amongst cities. US DOT received seventy-eight applications in total – on