Q: Why does the FTA collect incident information?
A: FTA provides incident data to government agencies, industry experts, academic institutions and others to develop benchmarks from performance statistics of transit systems nationwide. The State Safety Oversight (SSO) and Triennial Review (TR) program confirms the reporting of the transit agency’s safety initiative.

Q: Why aren’t all incidents reported, regardless of the injury or cost?
A: The incident severity capture is used to assist the FTA to identify countermeasures (e.g. crashworthiness). Additionally, FTA uses thresholds in accordance with other modes of transportation and complies with the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.

Q: Where can I get statistics on transit incidents?
A: General transit incident statistics and publications can be found on FTA’s Office of Program Management Safety & Security Statistics page. Jurisdiction is shared between FTA and FRA regarding reports of commuter rail (CR) at grade crossing incidents and is located on FRA’s Highway-Rail Crossing Inventory and Accidents page.

Q: I am a student and require studies that compare transit agencies safety records. How can I obtain more in-depth research projects?
A: The State Safety Oversight program provides annual reports of the rail transit industry performances. These publications can be downloaded or ordered. The Conditions and Performance (C&P) report provides the status of the nation’s transit system. Additional research projects can be acquired through APTA, TCRP and TRB reports.

Additional FAQ’s can be found in the NTD Safety and Security Newsletters or send inquiries to timothy.braxton@dot.gov.