Supporting FTA to develop its SSMP Circular
Continuous Improvement
As the transit community continued to grow in the early 2000s and more projects were receiving FFGAs though the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), safety challenges and concerns within the pre-revenue phase began to emerge and gain attention. FTA had published its existing Circular 5200.1A on December 5, 2002 that established guidelines for developing Full Funding Grant Agreements (FFGAs) and administering funds for major capital investment (“new starts”) projects. FTA relied on BCG to help develop Safety and Security Management Plan (SSMP) guidance for the transit community.
Address the Issues
As FTA’s State Safety Oversight (SSO) Program advanced through revisions to 49 CFR Part 659, gaps between the safety and security requirements for ore-revenue and operations phases became broader. As a result, the industry observed systems moving into revenue operations without ensuring the adequate integration of safety throughout design, construction and testing phases. In addition to putting rail systems behind the eight ball regarding Part 659 requirements in affect at operations, the existing guidance failed to protect safety and security interests early on in the life of a transit system; when they are needed most.
BCG Solution
To bridge this gap, BCG helped FTA to develop the current Circular 5800.1, which replaces elements of the older circular and identifies specific safety and security activities that a recipient must perform and document in the SSMP. The Circular clarifies SSMP update requirements, defines required safety and security management activities by project phase, and establishes FTA evaluation criteria.
