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Highway Trust Fund

Financial Report for Fiscal Year 2004

— Management's Discussion and Analysis —

Table of Contents | Management's Discussion and Analysis | Financial Section | Appendices

 

Transit Safety

Public transit provides a flexible alternative to automobile and highway travel, while offering a higher degree of safety. Currently, transit is one of the safest modes of travel per passenger miles traveled. According to the National Safety Council, riding the bus is 47 times safer than traveling by car, and riding the train is 23 times safer. The challenge is to further reduce the rate of fatalities and injuries even as the total number of people using transit increases.

The following table depicts the performance measures and goals related to Transit Safety.

TRANSIT SAFETY – DEPARTMENTAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND GOALS
Performance Measures Modal Administration FY 2001
Actual		 FY 2002
Actual		 FY 2003
Actual		 FY 2004
Target		 FY 2004
Actual		 FY 2004
Results
Transit fatalities/100 million
passenger-miles traveled		  FTA  .482
(Target .497)		  .473
(Target .492)		 .461 Read Table 1 Footnote rr
(Target .492)		  .487 .359 Read Table 1 Footnote 11  Met

Notes:

(r) Revised (Back to text)

(1) Preliminary estimate; the 2004 target for transit fatalities was adjusted from .492 to reflect the downward trend in the actual fatalities data for 2001, 2002, and 2003. The preliminary estimates for the 2004 transit fatalities per 100 million miles traveled was calculated using the transit fatalities data from the National Transit Database (NTD) for the first half of 2004, and from the first quarter data from FRA Rail Accident Reporting System (RAIRS). (Back to text)

FY 2004 Results: FTA met the performance target.

The following table depicts FTA supplemental performance measures and goals related to Transit Safety.

TRANSIT SAFETY – FTA SUPPLEMENTAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND GOALS
Performance Measures FY 2001
Actual		 FY 2002
Actual		 FY 2003
Actual		 FY 2004
Target		 FY 2004
Actual		 FY 2004
Results
Transit injuries/100 million passenger-miles traveled  107.3
(Target 120.7)		 36.68 Read Table 2 Footnote 11
(Target 109.4)		 30.8 Read Table 2 Footnote 11
(Target 36.3)		  36.0 35.2Read Table 2 Footnote 11, Read Table 2 Footnote 22  Met

Notes:

(1) The 2002 and 2003 actual numbers are not comparable to prior year numbers because of the revised definition of transit injuries that was applied to the data collection beginning in 2002. The target for 2003 and beyond has been adjusted to reflect the revised definition. (Back to text)

(2) Preliminary estimate. (Back to text)

FY 2004 Results: FTA met the performance target.

FTA

In FY 2004, FTA's strategy for further reducing the low rate of transit fatalities included continued investment in the Formula Grants, Capital Investment Grants, and the Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) Program. Funding from these programs was used to improve transit safety by replacing older bus and rail vehicles with newer, safer ones and by improving track and transit facility conditions. For new projects, safety continued to be a significant design consideration from project inception. FTA planning and research funds assisted states, local transit authorities, and the transit industry by providing safety technical assistance, improving compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act's safety requirements, and improving technology and training programs. FTA supported the Transportation Safety Institute's safety and security training program, which resulted in 29 transit safety and security courses that were taken by over 4,900 transit employees. Additionally, FTA provided oversight of the states' programs for Safety Oversight of Rail Systems to ensure they are in compliance with the requirements of the State Safety Oversight Rule for Rail Fixed Guideway Systems. FTA also continued to audit alcohol and drug testing programs.

Through FTA formula and discretionary capital investment programs, funds were used to replace older bus and rail vehicles with newer, safer ones and invest in improvements in track and transit facility conditions. This funding approach re-capitalized investments by replacing older vehicles and assuring that bus facilities remained in proper condition.

With regard to rail vehicles, federal and local funding supported replacement and rehabilitation of existing rail fleet and restoration of rail facilities, such as stations, track, yards, and shops. Nationally, there are 10,722 miles of track, 2,862 stations, and 1,279 rail maintenance facilities. According to the Department's most recent Conditions and Performance Report (2002), recent transit funding provided by all levels of government stabilized, but did not improve the condition of the nation's rail vehicles and facilities.

Bus Safety

In FY 2004, FTA worked with its partners—the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the Community Transportation Association of America, and AASHTO—to implement and promote the Model Transit Bus Safety and Security Program. This included developing technical assistance documents for small/rural, medium, and large transit agencies on security, driver selection and training, vehicle maintenance, and drug and alcohol abuse programs.

In addition to FTA's actions, FMCSA, which is responsible for safety regulation of the nation's motorcoach industry involved in interstate commerce, continued to place significant emphasis on motorcoach safety. In this light, FMCSA conducted in excess of 30,000 roadside inspections of interstate buses and compliance reviews of motorcoach companies. Additionally, FMCSA initiated a Bus Crash Causation Study.

Four Photos, each showing a bus, three of them near bus shelters.

FTA has funded improvements to bus shelters and new bus purchases as part of its capital projects.

 

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