On this page you will find information and resources to help you understand the Federal Transit Administration’s Safety Management System (SMS) and the required Public Transit Agency Safety Plan (PTASP). The USDOT offers both online and in-person training in these topics through the Transportation Safety Institute (TSI).

Safety Management System (SMS)

The Safety Management System is the formal, top-down, organization-wide approach to managing safety risk and assuring the effectiveness of a transit agency’s safety risk mitigation. SMS includes systematic procedures, practices, and policies for managing risks and hazards. 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. Additional information relating to the Safety Management System can be found at:

1. FTA SMS Resource Website
2. SMS GAP Analysis Template – The SMS GAP Analysis Template will assist transit agencies with identifying areas within the organization that may not be currently consistent with the safety management structure as outlined by the Federal Transit Administration. This template will guide agency personnel through the necessary steps that must be completed to develop a functional and scalable SMS at the transit agency.
3. SMS Implementation Exercise – The SMS Implementation Exercise provides an example of a methodology to use when approaching and understanding the requirements of the Safety Management System.
4. Non-punitive Employee Reporting Presentation

Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP)

The Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) is a safety plan required by the Federal Transit Administration for specific grant recipients under US Code 53 and is structured around the fundamentals of the Safety Management System (SMS). Additional information relating to the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan can be found at:

1. FTA PTASP Resource Website
2. PTASP-14-90 Guidance Document – This document provides a step by step process to use as a guide when developing a Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan. Additionally, this resource guide provides an outline to use as an example for a compliant PTASP.
3. PTASP and 14-90 presentation from FPTA Orlando – This presentation outlines the requirements of the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan and provides the State of Florida 14-90 rule elements to include in a PTASP.
4. Hazard Management vs Safety Risk Guide – This guide explains these differences and highlights how key hazard management elements support implementation of the new SRM process.
5. PTASP Hazards and Consequences Self Guided Learning Tool – FTA developed this tool to help individuals distinguish between hazards and consequences in Safety Risk Management under a Safety Management System.
6. Potential Sources of Hazard Information for Bus Transit Operations