On this page you will find information and resources to help you understand the various federal, state and local laws and regulations that govern activities related to safe operations at transit agencies. Industry standards that are continually being defined and updated are also added to this page as they are published.
Florida Regulations
Section 341.041(3), Florida Statutes provides the Florida Department of Transportation the responsibility to develop, publish, and administer state measures concerning system management, performance, productivity, cost distribution, and safety of governmentally owned public transit systems and privately owned or operated systems financed wholly or in part by state funding.
Section 341.061(1), Florida Statutes provides the Florida Department of Transportation the authority to establish by rule minimum safety standards for governmentally owned fixed-guideway transportation systems and privately owned or operated fixed-guideway transportation systems operating in this state which are financed wholly or partly by state funds. It further provides authority for the Department to adopt by rule minimum equipment and operational safety standards for all governmentally owned bus transit systems and privately owned or operated bus transit systems operating in this state that are financed wholly or partly by state funds, all bus transit systems created pursuant to Chapter 427, Florida Statutes, and all privately owned or operated bus transit systems under contract with any of these systems.
Rule Chapter 14-90, Florida Administrative Code, establishes equipment and operational safety standards for bus transit systems operating in Florida. Included are minimum requirements and standards in areas such as bus operations, medical examinations, operational and driving requirements (including bus operator hours and training), vehicle equipment standards, annual bus safety inspections, and provides for periodic safety and security inspections and reviews.
Federal Regulations
49 CFR Part 659 requires a state to oversee the safety and security of rail fixed guideway systems through a designated oversight agency.
49 CFR Part 674 – State Safety Oversight of Rail Transit Systems
Safety Management System (SMS) is a comprehensive, collaborative approach that brings management and labor together to build on the transit industry’s existing safety foundation to control risk better, detect and correct safety problems earlier, share and analyze safety data more effectively, and measure safety performance more carefully. SMS is about applying resources to risk and is based on ensuring that a transit agency has the organizational infrastructure to support decision-making at all levels regarding the assignment of resources.
The Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) Final Rule requires certain operators of public transportation systems that receive federal funds to develop safety plans that include the processes and procedures necessary for implementing SMS. Among other requirements, the rule calls on agencies to report their Safety Management Policy and processes for safety risk management, safety assurance and safety promotion.
Drug and Alcohol
49 CFR Part 40 are the USDOT regulations that pertain to the procedures for drug and alcohol testing in the transportation workplace. All USDOT modes are covered by these regulations, which specifically define how testing specimens are collected and analyzed and the result reporting process.
49 CFR Part 655 are the drug and alcohol testing regulations that are specific to the Federal Transit Administration. These regulations define which employees are subject to drug and alcohol testing and the circumstances under which the testing is required to be performed by an FTA covered employer.