This section provides an overview of the National Transit Database (NTD) reporting requirements, including the following:
This section provides the legislative basis for the NTD reporting system.
This section describes the individual data modules and their specified reporting manual.
This section summarizes the changes in reporting requirements implemented in the 2009 NTD.
This section provides answers to basic reporting questions.
This section discusses the unique requirements for transit agencies completing their first NTD report.
This section presents key definitions as well as reference resources and publications for further detail on issues related to reporting.
The NTD was established by Congress to be the Nation’s primary source for information and statistics on the transit systems of the United States. Recipients or beneficiaries of grants from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) under the Urbanized Area Formula Program (§5307) or Other than Urbanized Area (Rural) Formula Program (§5311) are required by statute to submit data to the NTD. Over 690 transit providers in urbanized areas currently report to the NTD through the Internet-based reporting system. Each year, NTD performance data are used to apportion over $5 billion of FTA funds to transit agencies in urbanized areas (UZAs). Annual NTD reports are submitted to Congress summarizing transit service and safety data.
The legislative requirement for the NTD is found in Title 49 U.S.C. 5335(a):
SECTION 5335 National transit database
(a) NATIONAL TRANSIT DATABASE — To help meet the needs of individual public transportation systems, the United States Government, State and local governments, and the public for information on which to base public transportation service planning, the Secretary of Transportation shall maintain a reporting system, using uniform categories to accumulate public transportation financial and operating information and using a uniform system of accounts. The reporting and uniform systems shall contain appropriate information to help any level of government make a public sector investment decision. The Secretary may request and receive appropriate information from any source.
(b) REPORTING AND UNIFORM SYSTEMS — the Secretary may award a grant under Section 5307 or 5311 only if the applicant and any person that will receive benefits directly from the grant, are subject to the reporting and uniform systems.
The NTD reporting system evolved from the transit industry-initiated Project FARE (Uniform Financial Accounting and Reporting Elements). Both the private and public sectors have recognized the importance of timely and accurate data in assessing the continued progress of the nation's public transportation systems.
NTD data are used in the formula allocation of Federal transit funds for the Urbanized Area Formula Program (§5307) and for the Fixed Guideway Modernization Program (§5309, in part). The NTD data are also used in the formula allocations of Federal transit funds. Prior to the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), only NTD data for urbanized areas with populations of 200,000 or more were used. With the passage of SAFETEA-LU, NTD data for urbanized areas with populations fewer than 200,000 are also used in the allocation of Federal transit funding.
SAFETEA-LU provides for one-percent of the funds in the Section 5307 to be allocated according to the Small Transit Intensive Cities (STIC) formula. Under the formula for STIC, funds are apportioned to UZAs with populations less than 200,000 that meet or exceed the average level of service for all UZAs with populations between 200,000 and 1,000,000. Three of the average level of service measurements in the formula allocation rely on passenger mile data. Because transit agencies in these smaller UZAs also depend on the data reported to the NTD for formula funding, following the 2009 mandatory sampling year for all transit agencies, those transit agencies not required to sample annually will be required to sample every three years. There will no longer be a five-year cycle.
SAFETEA–LU also establishes new Growing States and High Density States formula factors (§5340) to distribute funds to the §5307 and §5311 programs. One-half of the funds are made available under the Growing States factors and are apportioned by a formula based on state population forecasts for 15 years beyond the most recent Census. Amounts apportioned for each state are then distributed between UZAs and nonurbanzied (non-UZAs) areas based on the ratio of UZA / non-UZA population within each State. The High Density States factors distribute the other half of the funds to states with population densities in excess of 370 persons per square mile. These funds are apportioned only to UZAs within those states.
For more information on SAFETEA-LU, contact your regional administrator or go to www.fta.dot.gov.
To facilitate reporting to the NTD, the National Transit Database (NTD) Reporting Manual is divided into four reporting modules, each comprised of a series of data modules, as described below:
In its ongoing efforts to improve upon the NTD Internet reporting system and to be responsive to the needs of the transit agencies reporting to NTD and the transit community, FTA continues to refine and clarify reporting requirements and Internet reporting.
Reporting changes for the 2009 NTD are highlighted in the
Exhibit 1 FY 2009 Annual Reporting Changes and Clarifications below. Specific
changes are discussed in detail in the applicable sections of this manual.
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Exhibit 1 — FY 2009 Annual Reporting Changes and Clarifications |
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Introduction Two changes:
Basic Information Module Identification Form (B-10) - one change:
Financial Module Sources of Funds — Funds Expended and Funds Earned form (F-10) – Seven changes:
Asset Module No changes from prior years
Service Module No changes from prior years
Resource Module Maintenance Performance form (R-20) – One change:
Energy Consumption form (R-30) Rail and Non-Rail – One change:
Federal Funding Allocation Statistics Module Federal Funding Allocation Statistics form (FFA-10) – One change:
Declarations Module No changes from prior years. |
Transit providers, States, or Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) that receive Urbanized Area Formula Program (§5307) grants, or that directly benefit from these grants, must report to the NTD or coordinate the submittal of data to the NTD on their behalf. The requirement to report begins in the year after you apply for a §5307 Grant, or in the year in which benefits are first received from a §5307 grant, whichever is sooner. The reporting requirement lasts for as long as the §5307 remains open, or through the minimum useful life of any capital assets purchased with §5307 grant funds, whichever is later.
Please note that this means that you may be required to report in year in which no §5307 grant funds were received. An NTD reporter that is no longer required to report to the NTD, should continue to file NTD reports if that reporter intends to apply for a §5307 or a §5311 grant in the future.
Recipients or direct beneficiaries from Other than Urbanized Area Program (§5311) grants are also required to report to the NTD, under the streamlined Rural NTD reporting requirements. Please consult the Rural NTD Reporting Manual for more information on these requirements.
A complete understanding of who must submit an NTD report requires an understanding of the following:
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A transit agency purchases a vehicle with funds from an
Urbanized Area Formula Program (§5307) grant. The vehicle, a 40-foot bus, has a useful life of 12 years or
500,000 miles. The transit agency must report under the NTD program throughout the useful life of the vehicle regardless of whether or not the transit agency receives Urbanized Area Formula Program (§5307) grant funds during a particular year. |
The NTD operates under a “you buy it, you report it” rule. Thus, sellers of purchased transportation (PT) services are generally not required to report to the NTD – data for the service are generally reported by the agency purchasing the service (buyer).
The NTD generally does not recognize agreements or memorandums of understanding between two public agencies as “purchased transportation services.” In these cases, the two public agencies should agree which of them will report the service to the NTD, and report the service as directly operated (DO).
Please see Contractual Relationship form (B-30) in the Basic Information Module for further discussion on reporting PT services.
Consolidated NTD reporters are a collection of transit agencies filing one report. One reporter may file a consolidated report on behalf of other reporters if it is easier to collect and control the quality of the data. This often occurs when one transit agency coordinates the development and funding of public transportation services in an area. Transit agencies filing a consolidated report must operate within the same UZA.
Transit agencies that wish to file a consolidated report must submit a request to FTA in writing. Such requests for consolidations are subject to FTA approval and must include the following:
Consolidation requests are subject to review and approval by FTA and are not granted automatically. FTA will notify you, in writing, via the e-File tab, if your request is approved.
FTA encourages all providers of transit service in urbanized areas to report to the NTD, regardless of whether they are public or private, and regardless of whether or not they receive or benefit from §5307 grants. To be accepted as a voluntary reporter in the NTD, you must be a provider of transit services in at least one urbanized area (UZA), and be able to comply with all of the NTD reporting requirements and the Uniform System of Accounts (USOA.) All urbanized area NTD reporters are required to comply with all NTD requirements for the Annual, Monthly, and Safety & Security Modules. Please refer to the Monthly Reporting Manual and the Safety & Security Reporting Manual for information on the reporting requirements of those modules.
This section describes the available extensions, waivers, and special requests and discusses eligibility requirements and procedures. Unless otherwise stated below, all requests must be received by the NTD at least 60 days prior to the report due date via the e-File tab. You should refer to Exhibit 3 NTD Annual Reporting Timelines under When to Report to determine actual due dates.
Extensions, waivers and special requests are subject to review and approval by FTA and are not granted automatically. FTA will notify you, in writing, via the e-File tab, if your request is granted or rejected.
The NTD allows for a 30-day filing deadline extension for transit providers that experience unusual or unforeseen circumstances (good cause) that prevents them from meeting the regular deadline. Filing deadline extension requests must be requested in writing prior to the report due date; and FTA will provide written approval or denial of the request. Please note that filing deadline extension requests are discretionary; they are not automatic.
To request an extension, you should submit a letter from your chief executive officer (CEO) through the e-File that:
You should refer to Exhibit 3 NTD Annual Reporting Timelines under When to Report to determine report due dates.
There are six types of waivers:
Waivers are normally granted for only one year, except in extraordinary circumstances. Therefore, recipients or beneficiaries of §5307 grants must request waivers each year.
This section also discusses Extension requests and the Special Request – Strikes requirements and procedures.
A transit provider that operates nine or fewer vehicles may request a waiver from certain NTD reporting requirements. Recipients of the Nine or Fewer Vehicles Waiver must still submit an Identification form (B-10), Contacts form (B-20), and the Revenue Vehicle Inventory form (A-30) for each mode and types of service (TOS) to the NTD. To be considered for this waiver, a transit provider must meet the following criteria:
This waiver is only granted for one year, and is never granted for multiple years. Recipients or beneficiaries of §5307 grants that operate nine or fewer vehicles must request this waiver each year.
The following example illustrates eligibility criteria for Nine or Fewer Vehicles Waivers.
| Requirement: Nine or fewer vehicles operated in annual maximum service (VOMS) across all non-fixed guideway (NFG) modes and types of service (TOS). Eligible non-fixed guideway (NFG) modes: Bus (MB) on mixed traffic right-of-way (ROW), demand response (DR), jitney (JT), publico (PB) and vanpool (VP). |
| Example 1: Transit agency A directly operates 7 buses (mixed traffic ROW) and contracts for 2 DR vehicles = 9 VOMS. Eligible? Yes. The total across all modes is 9 VOMS; therefore transit agency A is eligible for a Nine or Fewer Vehicles Waiver. |
| Example 2: Transit agency B directly operates 7 buses (mixed traffic ROW) and contracts for 3 DR vehicles = 10 VOMS. Eligible? No. Though each service is less than 9 VOMS, the total across all modes and types of service is 10 VOMS; therefore transit agency B is not eligible for a Nine or Fewer Vehicles Waiver. |
| Example 3: Transit agency C directly operates 8 automated guideway (AG) vehicles = 8 VOMS. Eligible? No. Though the service is less than 9 VOMS, AG is fixed guideway (FG); therefore transit agency C is not eligible for a Nine or Fewer Vehicles Waiver. |
To request a Nine or Fewer Vehicles Waiver, you should submit the following:
An approved Nine or Fewer Vehicles Waiver will not affect your funding eligibility for §5307 grants, but may affect the amount of funding your UZA receives as follows:
You should refer to Exhibit 3 NTD Annual Reporting Timelines under When to Report to determine actual due dates for submitting the Nine or Fewer Vehicles Waiver request.
An organization that receives or benefits from §5307 funds, but does not have any transit operations, may request a waiver from certain NTD reporting requirements. Typically, this organization is using the §5307 funds for planning or capital investment. Recipients of the Planning Grants Waiver must still submit an Identification form (B-10), Contacts form (B-20) to the NTD. Recipients of the Capital Grants Waiver must still submit a B-10 form, B-20 form, Sources of Funds - Funds Expended and Funds Earned form (F-10), and Uses of Capital form (F-20) to the NTD.
This waiver is only granted for one year, and is never granted for multiple years. Recipients or beneficiaries of §5307 grants without transit operations must request this waiver each year. To be considered for this waiver, an organization must meet the following criteria:
To request a Planning or Capital Grants Waiver, you must submit a letter from your CEO that:
If FTA grants your agency a waiver:
You should refer to Exhibit 3 NTD Annual Reporting Timelines under When to Report to determine actual due dates for submitting the Planning or Capital Grants Waiver.
You may request a waiver of specific data requirements or for filing a complete NTD report. The following are typical justifications for requesting a Data, Report or Passenger Miles Traveled (PMT) Sampling Waiver:
Data, Report or PMT Sampling Waivers are not granted for reasons such as cost, personnel or data collection issues; loss of records; or simply stating undue reporting burden. These reasons are not considered unforeseen circumstances.
This waiver is only granted for one year, and is never granted for multiple years.
To request a Data, Report or PMT Sampling Waiver, you must submit a letter from your CEO that:
An approved Data, Report or PMT Sampling Waiver will not affect your funding eligibility for §5307 grants, but may affect the amount of funding your UZA receives as follows:
You should refer to Exhibit 3 NTD Annual Reporting Timelines under When to Report to determine actual due dates for submitting the Data, Report or PMT Sampling Waiver request.
A waiver of the Independent Auditor Statement for Financial Data (IAS — FD) is granted only to first time reporters and is only granted for one year.
To request a waiver, you must submit a letter from your CEO that:
A waiver of the IAS — FD will not affect your funding eligibility for §5307 grants.
You should refer to Exhibit 3 NTD Annual Reporting Timelines under When to Report to determine actual due dates for submitting the IAS-FD Waiver request.
FTA will make “hold harmless” adjustments to data used in the apportionment to offset the negative effects of strikes on NTD service data. This adjustment is not automatic, and must be requested. To request this adjustment, the CEO of a transit provider affected by a strike must submit the request in writing, via the e-File tab. The request must identify the mode or modes affected, the exact time and day that the strike began, the exact time and day that the strike ended, and supporting documentation (e.g. published news reports) for the duration of the strike.
Transit providers receiving this adjustment must report actual data to the NTD. The “hold harmless” adjustment will be made by FTA, not by the reporting transit provider. The adjusted data will only be used for purposes of the apportionment; the actual data of the transit provider will be used in all publicly-available NTD data sets.
The NTD Annual report consists of a series of forms and declarations that provide a summary of transit characteristics for the fiscal year, including financial and non-financial operating statistics. It must contain all the public transportation service, including complementary paratransit services required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which the transit agency provides or purchases.
It must contain all of the public transportation service provided by your organization, whether directly operated or purchased transportation. All public transportation service must be included, regardless of whether it is urbanized area service or rural service. All revenues and expenditures for public transportation activities must be included, including planning activities and capital expenditures for modes not yet in service.
For purchased transportation service, the report must contain data only for those services under contract.
Not all forms are required from all transit agencies. The size of the UZA, the number of vehicles operated and TOS operated (directly operated or purchased transportation) are factors that determine which forms are required. The following exhibit presents a summary of NTD reporting requirements.
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There are three types of declarations which certify the data in the NTD Annual Report:
As with the NTD forms, not all declarations are required from all transit agencies (Exhibit 2 Summary of NTD Reporting Requirements). The size of the UZA, the number of vehicles operated and the types of service operated (directly operated or purchased transportation) are factors that determine which declarations are to be completed. You should go to the Declarations section of this manual for further details.
The data in the NTD Annual report covers a 12-month Fiscal Year ending in 2009. If the transit agency’s Fiscal Year changes notify FTA in writing via the e-File tab. FTA will determine the due date for your NTD report and notify you, in writing, via the e-File tab.
This section describes the following:
Each reporter is assigned a unique four-digit NTD, which is to be used in all NTD reports and correspondence. The first digit of the NTD ID corresponds to the FTA Region where the reporter is located (e.g., 9### indicates Region IX). If you do not have an NTD identification number, please refer to the New Reporters section below.
Required forms, waivers, and declarations are completed using Internet Reporting, which is accessible from the NTD website at www.ntdprogram.gov. Completing the Identification form (B-10) using Internet Reporting automatically generates the forms necessary for filing your NTD Annual report.
This manual contains all information necessary to complete the NTD Annual report using Internet Reporting. See the Internet Reporting section of this manual. FTA will provide Internet Reporting user names and passwords to transit agencies.
Transit agencies must submit their reports via the Internet Reporting system e-File tab. All transit agencies must file a complete report by the report due date including all required forms and declarations. See Exhibit 2 Summary of NTD Reporting Requirements to identify required reporting forms and declarations for your transit agency and Exhibit 3 NTD Annual Reporting Timelines under When to Report to determine report due dates.
Data reported must adhere to the following rules:
Internet Reporting incorporates these rules, formatting data automatically when you complete a cell entry.
This section addresses the following items:
For the most part, NTD reporting requirements for financial data follow generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The FTA NTD USOA is not a self-contained financial system that addresses every possible NTD transaction and situation. Instead, the NTD program is a system of accounts that complies with GAAP and Standards of Governmental Accounting and Financial Reporting. However, small differences do exist between NTD and GAAP, generally relating to the accounting of costs for capital grant purchases.
If there are conflicts between GAAP and NTD reporting instructions and requirements, NTD rules are to be followed. The following rule is used for NTD accounting:
Two organizations are responsible for promulgating GAAP:
Both FASB and GASB pronouncements are available through the FASB in Stamford, Connecticut. Most accounting firms will assist their clients in obtaining GAAP documents and applying GAAP requirements.
All financial data in the NTD Annual report must follow accrual accounting principles. Under accrual accounting:
If your transit agency uses a cash basis or encumbrance basis accounting system, you must make worksheet adjustments to record the data on an accrual basis.
The example below demonstrates the use of accrual accounting for an operating expense (OE).
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Example: A transit agency employee works the last two
weeks of the transit agency’s fiscal year earning $1,500. However, the
employee does not receive his pay until 10 days later in the new fiscal year
when payroll issues a check. How is the $1,500 reported? Solution: Report the $1,500 on the Operating Expenses form (F-30) under labor in object class 501. Even though the employee did not receive a paycheck during the report year, the transit agency incurred the liability to pay the employee. |
Purchased transportation (PT) service is service provided to a public transit agency or governmental unit from a public or private transportation provider based on a written contract. A contractual relationship exists only if all the following criteria are met:
Granting a transportation provider permission to operate certain services through a franchise or license does not, in itself, constitute PT. Also, management services contracts, in which all or some personnel or services are provided to manage or operate the transit agency, are not PT. Generally, the service is part of the public transit agency’s DO service.
Cooperative agreements between public transit agencies or governmental units should not be reported as PT services.
The schedule for submitting the NTD Annual report is based on the fiscal year for the reporting transit agency. The following sections describe:
A transit agency must file a complete report by the report due date (see Exhibit 3 NTD Annual Reporting Timelines under When to Report to determine report due dates). A report is complete only when all of the required forms and declarations are submitted. The due date for a transit agency's NTD Annual report to FTA is based on the transit agency's fiscal year end date. All transit agencies have at least 120 days after the end of their fiscal year before the report is due. The submission must be sent on or before the due date.
The NTD reporting system allows for reporting waivers for transit agencies that experience unusual or unforeseen circumstances. See the previous Waivers and Special Requests section. Reporting waivers must be requested in writing via the e-File tab.
The following exhibit presents the reporting timeline for the 2009 report year.
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FTA sends each transit agency a reminder notice 30 days prior to the NTD Annual report due date (e.g., October 1 for October 31 due date). FTA automatically sends a late report letter to the CEO if the report is not submitted within 15 calendar days following the due date (e.g., November 15 for October 31 due date) and no reporting waiver request has been submitted via the e-File tab. Refer to the Exhibit 3 NTD Annual Reporting Timeline for due dates.
A Failure to Report may result from not submitting a report, submitting a late report, submitting an incomplete report, or failing to respond to validation questions. If you receive a Failure to Report, your data will not be included in the apportionment of Urbanized Area Formula Program grants, although any submitted data may be included in the publicly-available NTD datasets at FTA’s discretion. More importantly, if you receive a Failure to Report, FTA is prohibited by law from awarding you any further grants under §5307 or §5311. A Failure to report for an urbanized area transit provider may result from the Annual, Monthly, or Safety & Security Modules.
A report is considered late if it is not submitted by the due date (see Exhibit 3 NTD Annual Reporting Timelines under When to Report to determine report due dates. These due dates are essential to ensure that submitted data can be properly validated before being included in the NTD and in the apportionment.
A report is incomplete if:
NTD reporters are required to respond to validation questions in a timely manner (see Exhibit 3 NTD Annual Reporting Timelines under When to Report to determine by which date you should respond to validation questions).
When submitted data are questioned during the validation process, you may revise the questioned data with more accurate data. Revisions to data, however, require the concurrence of the CEO, and in the case of data included on the FFA-10 Form, the concurrence of the independent auditor as well. If you do not revise the questioned data, then you must provide sufficient documentation to establish the accuracy of the questioned data to a reasonable person. Failure to respond to validation questions in a timely manner with either revisions or satisfactory documentation will result in a Failure to Report.
When a Failure to Report occurs, FTA will notify the CEO of the reporter and the FTA Regional Administrator.
Transit agencies submit all NTD reports via Internet Reporting at the project's website, www.ntdprogram.gov.
FTA assigns an NTD analyst to each reporting transit agency to assist reporters throughout the year. Please feel free to contact your NTD analyst if there are any questions, or if FTA can do anything to assist you in reporting.
Exhibit 4 — NTD Contact Information | |
| Mailing Address You
can write to the FTA NTD Project Office at the following address: | Telephone Your
NTD analyst and other NTD staff can be contacted by telephone on weekdays. For
telephone information and assistance, call the FTA NTD Project Office at: 866-349-1427. The FTA NTD Project Office Help Desk is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (Eastern Time). If your NTD analyst is unavailable, you may use the voice-mail system and your call will be returned, or you may forward your call to another NTD analyst. |
Express
Delivery Address | E-mail |
Fax | Internet
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New reporters have slightly different requirements for submitting their first NTD Annual report. These requirements include:
All new reporters, both required and voluntary reporters, must first submit a written request to FTA for a NTD ID. If the request for an NTD ID is approved, the first report year is dependent upon when the request was received (Exhibit 5 New Agency Reporting Timelines). If the request is received at NTD within the first six months of a fiscal year (e.g., 2009); the agency will submit its first NTD report for the current fiscal year (e.g., 2009). If the request is received during the last six months of a fiscal year (e.g., 2009), the agency will report during the next fiscal year (e.g., 20010).
The due date of a new agency’s first report can vary depending on their fiscal year, and when their New ID Request is received by the NTD. Below are common examples of transit agency fiscal years. If your agency has a different fiscal year than those listed below, contact NTD for your first report due date. |
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Fiscal Year |
New ID Request Received |
First Report Due |
Data Included |
RY |
July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009 |
Jan. 1, 2008 - Dec. 31, 2008 |
October 31, 2009 |
July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009 |
2009 |
Oct. 1, 2008 - Sept. 30, 2009 |
April 1, 2008 - March 31, 2009 |
January 30, 2010 |
Oct. 1, 2008 - Sept. 30, 2009 |
2009 |
Jan. 1, 2009 - Dec. 31, 2009 |
July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009 |
April 30, 2010 |
Jan. 1, 2009 - Dec. 31, 2009 |
2009 |
The written request to FTA for a NTD ID should be submitted by the CEO of the transit agency, company, city or other entity that will be filing the report. You should send the letter to the mailing address listed in the Where to Report section above. The CEO’s letter must be on letterhead and should state the following:
This section contains two items necessary to understanding NTD reporting:
Reporting data for the NTD requires an understanding of the following transit concepts and terms:
Each of these terms is described in further detail in the sections that follow.
The NTD is established by law as a repository of information on public transportation. The term public transportation is synonymous with the terms transit and mass transportation and is defined by law at 49 U.S.C. 5302(a) (10).
(10) PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. – The term “public transportation” means transportation by a conveyance that provides regular and continuing general or special transportation to the public, but does not include schoolbus, charter, or intercity bus transportation or intercity passenger rail transportation provided by the entity described in chapter 243 (or a successor to such entity).
Transit must be open to the public. Transit must also comply with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Services that are only open to specific groups of people are excluded. Examples of excluded services include:
Transit includes special transportation, such as complimentary paratransit required by the ADA. Transit also includes other shared-ride demand response services, including both sponsored and unsponsored trips.
Transit excludes schoolbus service. At the time of this writing, FTA has invited public comment on a revised definition of schoolbus service in the Federal Register. The NTD will adopt the new definition of schoolbus service, if and when it is finalized.
Transit excludes charter service. In accordance with FTA’s Charter Rule, any service reported to FTA’s charter registration website must not be treated as public transportation in NTD reports.
Transit excludes sightseeing service. Sightseeing service is provided primarily for the enjoyment of sights and sounds during the ride, or for enjoyment of the ride itself. Sightseeing service includes services that have narration and services where passengers primarily make round-trips without disembarking the vehicle.
Transit excludes Intercity service. The NTD defines an intercity service as service where a majority of passengers are not making a same-day return trip. Thus, for public transportation, a majority of passengers across the totality of the service (i.e. all runs on all days of the week) must make a same-day return trip. On public transportation, a majority of passengers use the service three or more times a week.
Transit excludes Amtrak (the entity described in chapter 243.) NTD reporters must demonstrate that they are organizationally separate from Amtrak. This exclusion does not apply to cases where Amtrak is the supplier of purchased transportation for commuter rail service.
A variety of transit modes are operated in the United States. The NTD reporting system groups transit modes into two broad categories - rail and non-rail - as follows:
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Rail |
Non-Rail |
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Alaska Railroad (AR) |
Aerial tramway (TR) |
Modal definitions are used in the NTD reporting system in different ways. Transit agencies are required to report data according to the detailed modal definitions on most reporting forms (e.g., MB, DR, VP and LR). On selected forms (e.g., Transit Way Mileage form (A-20), Service form (S-10), Energy Consumption form (R-30), Federal Funding Allocation Statistics form (FFA-10)), different data items are required for rail and non-rail modes.
Public transportation can be provided in two ways:
TOS is an important element of NTD reporting. On most reporting forms, transit agencies are required to report data by TOS.
A transit agency is responsible for the provision of public transportation service. The transit agency can provide the service using its own employees to operate the vehicles (DO service) or contract with a public or private provider to operate the transit vehicles and employ the vehicle operators (PT service). With some exceptions, transit agencies typically are public bodies and generally are the NTD reporting agencies for their DO and PT services.
The NTD reporting system uses two definitions of area:
UZA is defined by the US Census Bureau based on incorporated places (e.g., cities, towns, villages) and their adjacent areas that together form a densely populated area of at least 50,000 persons. UZAs do not conform to congressional districts or any other political boundaries.
The most current UZA designations are based on the 2000 census. The NTD reporting system assigns a unique number to each of the UZAs in the country. All transit providers reporting to the NTD must serve at least one UZA; many reporters service multiple UZAs, as well as rural areas (non-UZAs) of less than 50,000 persons.
The Census-defined UZAs are an important part of NTD reporting requirements. Reporters must report selected data by UZA number on two forms - the S-20 and the FFA-10. Transit agencies serving UZAs of 200,000 or more population must report security data on the Reportable Incident Report form (S&S-50). Finally, UZA size determines the sampling requirements for passenger miles traveled (PMT) data reported on the S-10.
Service area is a measure of access to transit service in terms of population served and area coverage (square miles). The reporting transit agency determines the service area boundaries and population for most transit services using the definitions contained in the ADA.
For most transit agencies, the size of the UZA is different from the size of the service area. In many instances, the size of the service area will be smaller than the UZA served. In other cases, where there is broad public support for transit, the size of the service area is greater than the size of the UZA. These differences can cause confusion, since a transit agency's NTD reporting requirements are based on the size of the UZA served and the data reported are for the transit agency's service area.
Transit agencies are required to submit service area information on the B-10.
The maximum service operated during the year is an important determinant of a transit system's size and resulting performance. Transit agencies are required to report data on two measures of maximum service:
VOMS is a count of the revenue vehicles scheduled for the peak day and operating period of the peak service season or schedule of the year. The revenue count is the typical number of vehicles operated and does not consider the number of vehicles operated on atypical days such as holiday celebrations (e.g., Fourth of July), or one-time special events (e.g., World Series celebrations, political conventions).
Vehicles available in annual maximum service is a count of the revenue vehicles available to meet the maximum service requirement (revenue vehicles necessary to meet peak demand) for the fiscal year. This count of revenue vehicles includes:
The count of vehicles does not include:
The FTA Uniform System of Accounts (USOA) and Final Rule (49 CFR Part 630) are essential to understanding the forms and instructions presented in this manual. You can obtain these documents, as well as the other reference documents listed in Exhibit 6 NTD Reference Documents below, by visiting the NTD Project website at www.ntdprogram.gov or calling the NTD Project Office at 866-349-1427.
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The Reference document listed below are available from for downloading or viewing from the NTD website:
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