FTA Administrator Peter ­M. Rogoff held an informal session May 6 during APTA’s Bus & Paratransit Conference on the safety initiatives included in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and what they mean to public transit systems. Under MAP-21, FTA has the authority to establish and enforce a new framework to oversee and ensure the safety of public transportation throughout the U.S.

Rogoff told the audience that he knows there is some concern among operators, particularly bus operators, about what FTA “was doing and what it was not doing.”

He said FTA wants to add value without adding a lot of cost or bureaucracy. “There’s a good deal of activity going on at FTA,” he said, although he admitted that sequestration has had a “real hit on FTA” and consequently travel budgets for staff were affected.

However, Rogoff assured the audience that FTA is committed to maximum outreach through many channels, citing social media, video conferencing, brochures, and FAQs on its website as just some of the methods being used.

Rogoff said travel on public transit is 40 to 70 percent safer than getting into a car. Noting that this is an extraordinary record, he admitted that public transit systems will nevertheless face challenges such as aging infrastructure, the growing retirement numbers among skilled professionals, financial stresses, and rising operating costs.

“We want to take a safe industry and keep it safer,” Rogoff said.

FTA will develop a national safety plan that captures “all the good work everyone is already doing,” he noted. Rogoff said FTA realizes that there is no “one size fits all” solution: “For instance, different light rail systems may have ­different safety challenges.”

Rogoff reminded members that FTA is required to post regulations in the Federal Register and invited the public to comment. He urged the audience to take notice, saying, “We need you to help us.”