REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 12/07/2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Community Services Department
SUBJECT:
Title
Amended City of Corona Transit Service Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks that Council approve amendments to the adopted City of Corona Transit Service Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan. The current Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan was approved and adopted by the City Council on April 15, 2020 and certified on September 3, 2020. As a result of the pandemic, the Federal Transit Administration requires all safety plans be amended in compliance with 49 U.S. Code 5329(d) to include infectious disease prevention protocols and safety performance targets. Other revisions to the plan include miscellaneous housekeeping updates to clean up staffing, clarify roles, and other such provisions.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council approve and adopt the amended City of Corona Transit Service Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan.
Body
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
On July 19, 2018, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) published the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) Final Rule (49 C.F.R. Part 673), which requires certain public transportation systems that receive federal funds under FTA’s Urbanized Area Formula Grants to develop safety plans, which include processes and procedures for implementing the Safety Management Systems (SMS); collectively these are referred to as the “CCTS Safety Plan”.
Per 49 U.S.C. 5307, the City of Corona Transit Service (CCTS) is a qualified public transportation system; as such, CCTS receives annual entitlements of program funds to operate its fixed route (Corona Cruiser) and demand response services (dial-a-ride). In compliance with the 2018 FTA PTASP Final Rule, City staff prepared the CCTS Safety Plan. On April 15, 2020, the City Council approved the CCTS Safety Plan, and as required by the FTA, staff submitted the plan to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), which was certified on September 3, 2020.
About the Safety Plan
The development and implementation of a PTASP is to ensure that public transportation systems are safe by establishing the four pillars of the safety management systems:
1. Safety Management Policy:
a. Safety objectives
b. Confidential employee reporting program
c. Organizational accountabilities and safety responsibilities, including the designation of a Chief Safety Officer
2. Safety Risk Management
a. Processes for hazard identification, risk assessment, and mitigation
3. Safety Assurance
a. Process for safety performance monitoring and measurement
4. Safety Promotion
a. Comprehensive safety training program and communication
The CCTS Safety Plan was adopted and is a local policy in conformance with state and federal regulations to ensure that the City will perform the necessary risk management activities, monitor results, and adjust as needed to maintain a safe transportation system. The implementation of this plan is a shared responsibility between the City and its contractor MV Transportation. Therefore, in collaboration, the City and MV Transportation, will continually identify, monitor, and mitigate various safety risks and hazards present in its transit operating environment. In addition, per the PTASP Final Rule, the transit operator is required to set safety performance targets based on the safety performance measures established by the National Public Transportation Safety Plan (NSP). The NSP safety performance measures are for the following categories: Fatalities; Injuries; Safety Events; and System Reliability (State of Good Repair).
The approved CCTS Safety Plan is reviewed annually by staff in partnership with its transit operations contractor; part of the review process includes collecting data and information from its operations, maintenance, and public transportation services to monitor the Agency’s safety performance. If no amendments to the plan are needed, City staff certifies the Safety Plan (annually) via FTA’s Certifications and Assurances process so that the CCTS Safety Plan continues to meet the requirements of the PTASP Final Rule. Additionally, as part of the regulatory process, the effectiveness of all safety plans are reviewed by and under the FTA’s Triennial Review process.
ANALYSIS:
Per the approved CCTS Safety Plan, the Safety Officer (Transit Program Manager) is responsible for convening a committee represented by City transit staff and the transit operations contractor to review the adopted Safety Plan and make necessary changes, additions, or deletions. Following this committee review, amendments to the CCTS Safety Plan require Council’s approval prior to submission to Caltrans.
Accordingly, in compliance with the plan and the FTA’s directive, the committee of City staff and the transit operations contractor have reviewed the plan and made revisions. Below is a summary list of revisions and updates.
1. Updated names and titles of CCTS staff and MV Transportation staff throughout.
2. Reassigned the Chief Safety Officer role to the Community Services Director (previously the Public Works Director).
3. Added sections related to infectious disease prevention programs and protocols.
4. Updated safety performance targets, in compliance with 49 U.S. Code 5329(d) - Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan.
5. Added a program information page to the Safety Management System Section.
Attached to this report are a complete redline and a clean copy of the revisions made to the CCTS Safety Plan.
Staff recommends Council approval of the amended CCTS Safety Plan. If approved, it will become effective immediately and be submitted to the California Department of Transportation.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the Safety Plan will have no fiscal impact on the City’s Budget.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the text changes and updates to the City of Corona Transit Safety Plan may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action merely approves and adopts the amended CCTS Safety Plan. Since there is no possibility that adopting this action will have a significant effect on the environment, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: SUDESH PAUL, TRANSIT PROGRAM MANAGER & CYNTHIA LARA, COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: ANNE K. TURNER, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Redline Version of the CCTS Agency Safety Plan
2. Exhibit 2 - Redline Version of the CCTS Safety Management System
3. Exhibit 3 - Clean Version of the Amended CCTS Agency Safety Plan & Safety Management System