The Federal Transit Administration said Monday it would not enforce provisions of the State Safety Oversight final rule for rail transit systems which went into effect Jan. 1, 2025. The FTA published the announcement in the Federal Register.
The state safety oversight program, created by Congress in 2012, applies to eligible states with rail transit systems in their jurisdiction. It required certain entities to establish a state safety oversight program for systems that are not regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration and applies to public transit systems in urbanized areas with a population of 200,000 or more. Safety oversight agencies exist in 29 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
The rule was updated by the FTA to meet requirements set forth by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and finalized Oct. 18, 2024. The revised rules add more reporting requirements and inspections and give state oversight agencies the authority to review and approve individuals responsible for safety supervision at each transit agency it oversees.
The FTA notice said it is following President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 memorandum ordering all department and agency leaders to consider postponing any rules that had not yet come into effect. Although the SSO rules are not subject to the memorandum, the FTA said it “will exercise its enforcement discretion and not enforce the provisions” of the final rule until March 20, 2025.
