Res 056-2020 Adopting Falls Ride Safety Plan 6/2/2020Resolution No. 56-2020
Resolution adopting the City of Wichita Falls Public Transportation
Agency Safety Plan
WHEREAS, the Federal Transit Administration provides oversight on the operation
of all public transportation agencies in the United States; and,
WHEREAS, as a grant recipient from the Federal Transit Administration, the City
of Wichita Falls is classified as a public transportation agency; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Wichita Falls is required to develop and implement a public
transportation agency safety plan.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS, THAT:
The City of Wichita Falls Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan is hereby
approved.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS, THAT:
PASSED AND APPROVED this the 2nd day of June, 2020.
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ATTEST:
9_dL�, L'�-� -
City Clerk
City of Wichita Falls
Falls Ride
Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan
Version 1
Adopted DATE HERE
In compliance with 49 CFR Part 673
Developed in conjunction with the
Texas Department of Transportation
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.
Executive Summary....................................................................................................................4
A.
Plan Adoption —673.11(a)(1)............................................................................................................ 5
B.
Certification of Compliance — 673.13(a)(b)....................................................................................... 5
2.
Transit Agency Information — 673.23(d).......................................................................................6
A.
Authorities & Responsibilities — 673.23(d)....................................................................................... 9
3.
Safety Policies and Procedures..................................................................................................10
A.
Policy Statement — 673.23(a) ..........................................................................................................10
1. Employee Safety Reporting Program — 673.23(b)......................................................................10
II. Communicating the Policy Throughout the Agency— 673.23(c)................................................11
B.
PTASP Development and Coordination with TxDOT— 673.11(d)...................................................11
C.
PTASP Annual Review — 673.11(a)(5) ..............................................................................................12
D.
PTASP Maintenance — 673.11(a)(2)(c) ............................................................................................13
E.
PTASP Documentation and Recordkeeping — 673.31 .....................................................................14
F.
Safety Performance Measures — 673.11(a)(3) ................................................................................14
G.
Safety Performance Target Coordination — 673.15(a)(b)...............................................................15
4.
Safety Management Systems — 673 subpart C............................................................................16
A.
Safety Risk Management — 673.25 .................................................................................................17
I. Safety Hazard Identification — 673.25(b) ....................................................................................18
II. Safety Risk Assessment — 673.25(c) ............................................................................................20
III. Safety Risk Mitigation — 673.25(d)..............................................................................................22
B.
Safety Assurance— 673.27(a)......................................................................................................... 23
I. Safety Performance Monitoring and Measuring — 673.27(b).................................................... 24
II. Safety Event Investigation — 673.27(B)(3).................................................................................. 25
C.
Safety Promotion — 673.29............................................................................................................. 29
I. Safety Competencies and Training — 673.29(a) ..........................................................................29
II. Safety Communication — 673.29(b) ............................................................................................30
S.
Appendix A...............................................................................................................................31
A.
Glossary of Terms............................................................................................................................33
B.
Additional Acronyms Used..............................................................................................................37
6.
Appendix B...............................................................................................................................38
A.
City Council Minutes or Resolution.................................................................................................38
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Falls Ride Organizational Chart...................................................................................................... 8
Figure 2: Safety Management Systems.......................................................................................................16
Figure 3: Safety Risk Management Process................................................................................................17
Figure4: Draft Risk Register........................................................................................................................18
Figure 5: Safety Risk Assessment Steps in Populating the Risk Register....................................................21
Figure 6: Safety Risk Assessment Matrix....................................................................................................22
Figure 7: Risk Register Mitigation Component...........................................................................................23
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Agency Information
Table 2: ASP Annual Update Timeline ................................
Table 3: ASP Record of Changes .........................................
Table 4: NSP Safety Performance Measures .......................
Table 5: Baseline 2019 Safety Performance Measures.......
Table 6: Fixed Route (Bus) Safety Performance Targets.....
Table 7: PTASP Supporting Documents ..............................
....................................................................... 7
.....................................................................13
.....................................................................13
.....................................................................14
.....................................................................14
.....................................................................15
..................................................................... 31
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) granted the Federal Transit Administration
(FTA) the authority to establish and enforce a comprehensive framework to oversee the safety of public
transportation throughout the United States. MAP-21 expanded the regulatory authority of FTA to
oversee safety, providing an opportunity to assist transit agencies in moving towards a more holistic,
performance -based approach to Safety Management Systems (SMS). This authority was continued
through the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act).
In compliance with MAP-21 and the FAST Act, FTA promulgated a Public Transportation Safety Program
on August 11, 2016 that adopted SMS as the foundation for developing and implementing a Safety
Program. FTA is committed to developing, implementing, and consistently improving strategies and
processes to ensure that transit achieves the highest practicable level of safety. SMS helps organizations
improve upon their safety performance by supporting the institutionalization of beliefs, practices, and
procedures for identifying, mitigating, and monitoring safety risks.
There are several components of the national safety program, including the National Public
Transportation Safety Plan (NSP), that FTA published to provide guidance on managing safety risks and
safety hazards. One element of the NSP is Transit Asset Management (TAM) Plan. Public transportation
agencies developed and implemented across the industry in 2018. The subject of this document is the
Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) rule, 49 CFR Part 673, and guidance provided by FTA.
Safety is a core business function of all public transportation providers and should be systematically
applied to every aspect of service delivery. At Wichita Falls Transit System (Falls Ride), all levels of
management, administration and operations are responsible for the safety of their clientele and
themselves. To improve public transportation safety to the highest practicable level in the State of Texas
and comply with FTA requirements, the Texas Department of Transportation JxDOT) has developed this
Agency Safety Plan (ASP) in collaboration with the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Planning Organization
(MPO), and the City of Wichita Falls, dba Falls Ride.
To ensure that the necessary processes are in place to accomplish both enhanced safety at the local
level and the goals of the NSP, the Wichita Falls City Council adopts this ASP and the tenets of SMS
including a Safety Management Policy (SMP) and the processes for Safety Risk Management (SRM),
Safety Assurance (SA), and Safety Promotion (SP), per 49 U.S.C. 5329(d)(1)(A).1 While safety has always
been a primary function at Falls Ride, this document lays out a process to fully implement an SMS over
the next several years that complies with the PTASP final rule.
1 Federal Register, Vol. 81, No. 24
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A. Plan Adoption - 673.11(a) (1)
This Public Transit Agency Safety Plan is hereby adopted, certified as compliant, and signed by:
John Burrus, Director of Aviation, Traffic and Transportation, City of Wichita Falls
ACCOUNTABLE EXECUTIVE SIGNATURE
DATE
Since Falls Ride is considered a department of the City of Wichita Falls, the main governing body is the
Wichita Falls City Council. Approval of this plan by the Wichita Falls City Council occurred on [DATE] and
is documented in [RESOLUTION] from the City Council Meeting.
B. Cerfificafion of Compliance - 673.13(a) (b)
TxDOT certifies on [DATE] that this Agency Safety Plan is in full compliance with 49 CFR Part 673 and has
been adopted and will be implemented by Falls Ride as evidenced by the plan adoption signature and
necessary Wichita Falls City Council approvals under Section 1.A of this plan.
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2. TRANSIT AGENCY INFORMATION - 673.23(D)
The City of Wichita Falls, dba Falls Ride, is the public transportation provider for the City of Wichita Falls,
Texas and is the largest transit provider in the region. The Falls Ride main office/transfer center is
located at 2100 Seymour Hwy Wichita Falls, TX 76301.
Falls Ride currently operates six (6) route deviation (up to 1/4 mile) routes, one (1) express route, and
one (1) college shuttle route (MSU shuttle) which are the core service of the system. The six (6) fixed
route service operates on weekdays from 5:00 am to 7:30 pm and on Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00
pm. The one (1) express fixed route operates weekdays from 6:30 am to 9:30 pm and on Friday until
12:00 am. The one (1) express fixed route operates on Saturdays from 9:30 am to 12:00 am and on
Sundays from 12:00 pm to 8:30 pm. The MSU shuttle operates on Monday - Thursday 7:00 am to 10:00
pm and on Friday from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm. After 5:30 pm, the MSU shuttle turns into the Meals,
Entertainment, Shopping, and Arts (MESA) which hits key destinations and weekend activity centers.
Falls Ride offers the Grocery Cart which is a subscription circulator route available to individuals 60 years
of age and older or those with certified disabilities, that allows the passenger to be picked up at their
residence and dropped off at their local Walmart grocery store for one hour, to buy groceries. The
service is offered on a first come first serve basis, and reservations must be made in advance for the day
the passenger wishes to travel. Falls Ride offers Night Crawler a call ahead after-hours service. This is a
work -to -home or home -to -work service only. Service must be within the Wichita Falls city limits. The
Night Crawler service is available Monday - Friday and reservations for Saturday must be made on Friday
before 3 pm.
Falls Ride is considered a section within the Aviation, Traffic and Transportation department of the City
of Wichita Falls. John Burrus is the director of the Aviation, Traffic and Transportation Department. Falls
Ride is managed by the Public Transportation Administrator, Jenny Stevens and the management team
includes the Transit Operations Supervisor and the Travel Center Administrative Assistant.
No additional transit service is provided by Falls Ride on behalf of another transit agency or entity at the
time of the development of this plan.
Table 1 contains agency information, while an organizational chart for Falls Ride is provided in
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Figure 1.
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TABLE 1: AGENCY INFORMATION
Information Type
Full Transit Agency Name
Information
City of Wichita Falls dba Falls Ride
Transit Agency Address
2100 Seymour Hwy Wichita Falls, TX 76301
Name and Title of Accountable Executive 673.23(d)(1)
John Burrus, Director of Aviation, Traffic and
Transportation
Name of Chief Safety Officer or SMS Executive
673.23(d)(2)
Jenny Stevens, Public Transportation
Administrator
Mode(s) of Service Covered by This Plan 673.11(b)
Fixed Route and Fixed Route with A Mile
Route Deviation
List All FTA Funding Types (e.g., 5307, 5310, 5311)
5307, 5339, 5310
Mode(s) of Service Provided by the Transit Agency
(Directly operated or contracted service)
Fixed Route and Fixed Route with A Mile
Route Deviation
Number of Vehicles Operated
18
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FIGURE 1: FALLS RIDE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
Aviation Traffic Transportation
Organizational Chart
Accountable Executive
`' ChW Safety Officer
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A. Authorities & Responsibilities - 673.23(d)
As stated in 49 CFR Part 673.23(d), Falls Ride is establishing the necessary authority, accountabilities,
and responsibilities for the management of safety amongst the key individuals within the organization,
as those individuals relate to the development and management of our SMS. In general, the following
defines the authority and responsibilities associated with our organization.
The Accountable Executive has ultimate responsibility for carrying out the SMS of our public
transportation agency, and control or direction over the human and capital resources needed to develop
and maintain both the ASP, in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 5329(d), and the agency's TAM Plan, in
accordance with 49 U.S.C. 5326. The Accountable Executive has authority and responsibility to address
substandard performance in the Falls Ride SMS, per 673.23(d)(1).
Agency leadership and executive management are those members of our agency leadership or
executive management, other than the Accountable Executive, Chief Safety Officer (CSO)/SMS
Executive, who have authority or responsibility for day-to-day implementation and operation of our
agency's SMS.
The CSO is an adequately trained individual who has the authority and responsibility as designated by
the Accountable Executive for the day-to-day implementation and operation of the Falls Ride SMS. As
such, the CSO is able to report directly to our transit agency's Accountable Executive.
Key staff are staff, groups of staff, or committees to support the Accountable Executive, CSO, or SMS
Executive in developing, implementing, and operating our agency's SMS.
Front line employees perform the daily tasks and activities where hazards can be readily identified so
the identified hazards can be addressed before the hazards become adverse events. These employees
are critical to SMS success through each employee's respective role in reporting safety hazards, which is
where an effective SMS and a positive safety culture begins.
Over the next year, Falls Ride will be reviewing and modifying, if necessary, our current job descriptions
to ensure the job descriptions comply with 49 CFR Part 673.
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3. SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
A. Policy Statement - 673.23(a)
Safety is Falls Ride's first priority. Falls Ride is committed to implementing, developing, and improving
strategies, management systems, and processes to ensure that all our activities uphold the highest level
of safety performance and meet required safety standards.
We will develop and embed a safety culture in all our activities that recognizes the importance and value
of effective safety management and acknowledges at all times that safety is paramount.
We will clearly explain for all staff their accountabilities and responsibilities for the development and
operation of the SMS.
For passengers and employees, we will minimize the safety risk associated with transit service to as low
as reasonably practicable and we will work to comply with and, wherever possible, exceed legislative
and regulatory requirements and standards. We also will work to ensure that all employees are provided
with adequate and appropriate safety information and training, are competent in safety matters, and
are only allocated tasks commensurate with their skills.
We have established Safety Performance Targets (SPT) to help us measure the overall effectiveness of
our processes and ensure we meet our safety objectives. We will issue quarterly reports to the entire
organization documenting how well we met our SPTs and describing the safety risk mitigations we
implemented to reduce safety risk.
I. Employee Safety Reporting Program — 673.23(b)
Frontline employees are a significant source of safety data. These employees are typically the first to
spot unsafe conditions that arise from unplanned conditions either on the vehicles, in the maintenance
shop, or in the field during operations. For this reason, the PTASP Rule is the Employee Safety Reporting
Program (ESRP) is a major tenant of the PTASP Rule. Under this rule, agencies must establish and
implement a process that allows employees to report safety conditions directly to senior management;
provides protections for employees who report safety conditions to senior management; and includes a
description of employee behaviors that may result in disciplinary action.
Falls Ride's Operator Rule and Checklist (Appendix A, Table 7 shows the document name, file name, and
date of adoption), Section II Report Writing states that all Operators are responsible for reporting to
Dispatch any accident, incident, or unusual occurrence during the course of the work assignment. This
requirement is reiterated in the City of Wichita Falls' Safety Policy (Appendix A), Section 11, which states
that employees are responsible for reporting all safety hazards, accidents, and potentially unsafe
equipment or actions to their supervisor immediately. Section 111 also notes that the Division Safety
Committee will identify a Safety Captain who will act as an employee liaison responsible for
communicating employee safety concerns to the Division Safety Committee.
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The City of Wichita Falls has a policy in place called the City of Wichita Falls, Texas Grievance Form
(Appendix A). The Grievance Form is applicable to internal grievances. The procedure requires that
when grievances are submitted, the complaints are first routed to their supervisor to attempt to resolve
the issue informally. The second step is to submit the grievance to the Division Head. The third step is to
present the grievance to the department director. The fourth step is to present the grievance to the City
Manager who will render a final decision or refer to a grievance committee. In addition, this form can be
submitted anonymously via the City of Wichita Falls website.
Over the next year, Falls Ride will review and modify, if necessary, our Safety Plan to develop the plan
into a full ESRP to ensure that the procedure complies with 49 CFR Part 673.
In general, the Falls Ride ESRP will ensure that all employees are encouraged to report safety conditions
directly to senior management or their direct supervisor for elevation to senior management. The policy
will include any contract employees. The policy will also spell out what protections are afforded
employees who report safety related conditions and will describe employee behaviors that are not
covered by those protections. The policy will also elaborate on how safety conditions that are reported
will be reported back to the initiator(s) — either to the individual or groups of individuals or organization,
dependent on the nature of the safety condition.
To bolster the information received from frontline employees, Falls Ride will also review our current
policy for how our agency receives information and safety related data from employees and customers.
If necessary, Falls Ride will develop additional means for receiving, investigating and reporting the
results from investigations back to the initiator(s) — either to the person, groups of persons, or
distributed agency -wide to ensure that future reporting is encouraged.
II. Communicating the Policy Throughout the Agency - 673.23(c)
Falls Ride is committed to ensuring the safety of our clientele, personnel and operations. Part of that
commitment is developing an SMS and agencywide safety culture that reduces agency risk to the lowest
level possible. The first step in developing an SMS and agencywide safety culture is communicating our
SMP throughout our agency.
The SMP and safety objectives are at the forefront of all communications. This communication strategy
will include posting the policy on the bulletin board located in prominent work locations for existing
employees and adding the policy statement to the on -boarding material for all new employees. In
addition, the policy statement will become part of our agency's quarterly safety meetings and other
safety communications efforts. The policy will be signed by the Accountable Executive so that all
employees know that the policy is supported by management.
B. PTASP Development and Coordination with TxDOT - 673.11(d)
This PTASP has been developed by TOOT on behalf of the Wichita Falls MPO and the City of Wichita
Falls/Falls Ride in accordance with all requirements stated in 49 CFR Part 673 applicable to a small public
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transportation provider. TxDOT mailed a formal call for participation in a State sponsored PTASP
development process to all Texas Section 5307 small bus transit agencies on January 15, 2019 and
followed that call with a series of phone calls and additional correspondence. Falls Ride provided a letter
to TxDOT opting into participation on March 15, 2019 and has been an active participant in the
development of this plan through sharing existing documentation and participating in communication
and coordination throughout the development of this plan. The Falls Ride documentation used in the
development of this plan is presented in Table 7, in Appendix A.
In support of tracking performance on our SA and SP processes, Falls Ride conducts a yearly safety
culture survey. The survey is intended to help Falls Ride assess how well we communicate safety and
safety performance information throughout our organization by gauging how safety is perceived and
embraced by Falls Ride's administrators, supervisors, staff and contractors. The survey is designed to
help us assess how well we are conveying information on hazards and safety risks relevant to
employees' roles and responsibilities and informing employees of safety actions taken in response to
reports submitted through our ESRP. Results from our most recent survey were analyzed and
incorporated into the implementation strategies contained in this ASP.
Once the documents were reviewed, an on -site interview was conducted with Falls Ride to gain a better
understanding of the agency. This understanding was necessary to ensure that the ASP was developed
to fit Falls Ride's size, operational characteristics, and capabilities.
The draft ASP was delivered to Falls Ride in March 2020 for review and comment. Once review was
completed and any adjustments made, the final was delivered to Falls Ride for review and adoption.
C. PTASP Annual Review - 673.7 1(a)(5)
Per 49 U.S.C. 5329(d)(1)(D), this plan includes provisions for annual updates of the SMS. As part of Falls
Ride's ongoing commitment to fully implementing SMS and engaging our agency employees in
developing a robust safety culture, Falls Ride will review the ASP and all supporting documentation
annually. The review will be conducted as a precursor to certifying to FTA that the ASP is fully compliant
with 49 CFR Part 673 and accurately reflects the agency's current implementation status. Certification
will be accomplished through the City of Wichita Falls' annual Certifications and Assurances reporting to
FTA.
The annual review will include the ASP and supporting documents (Standard Operating Procedures
[SOP], Policies, Manuals, etc.) that are used to fully implement all the processes used to manage safety
at Falls Ride. All changes will be noted (as discussed below) and the Accountable Executive will sign and
date the title page of this document and provide documentation of approval by the Wichita Falls City
Council whether by signature or by reference to resolution.
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The annual ASP review will follow the update activities and schedule provided below in Table 2. As
processes are changed to fully implement SMS or new processes are developed, Falls Ride will track
those changes for use in the annual review.
TABLE 2: ASP ANNUAL UPDATE TIME LINE
Task
Review Agency Operations
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sept
Review SMS Documentation
• Safety Policy;
• Risk Management;
• Safety Assurance; and
• Safety Promotion.
Review Previous Targets and Set or Continue Targets
Report Targets to National Transit Database (NTD),
TxDOT, and Wichita Falls MPO
Make Any Necessary Adjustments to PTASP
Update Version No., Adopt & Certify Plan
Compliance
The following table, Table 3, will be used to record final changes made to the ASP during the annual
update. This table will be a permanent record of the changes to the ASP over time.
TABLE 3: ASP RECORD OF CHANGES
Document Section/Pages Changed Reason for Change Reviewer Date of
Version Name Change
The implementation of SMS is an ongoing and iterative process, and as such, this PTASP is a working
document. Therefore, a clear record of changes and adjustments is kept in the PTASP for the benefit of
safety plan performance management and to comply with Federal statutes.
D. PTASP Maintenance - 6 73. 7 1 (a) (2) (c)
Falls Ride will follow the annual review process outlined above and adjust this ASP as necessary to
accurately reflect current implementation status. This plan will document the processes and activities
related to SMS implementation as required under 49 CFR Part 673 Subpart C and will make necessary
updates to this ASP as Falls Ride continues to develop and refine our SMS implementation.
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E. PTASP Documentation and Recordkeeping - 673.37
At all times, Falls Ride will maintain documents that set forth our ASP, including those documents
related to the implementation of Falls Ride's SMS and those documents related to the results from SMS
processes and activities. Falls Ride will also maintain documents that are included in whole, or by
reference, that describe the programs, policies, and procedures that our agency uses to carry out our
ASP and all iterations of those documents. These documents will be made available upon request to the
FTA, other Federal entity, or TxDOT. Falls Ride will maintain these documents for a minimum of three
years after the documents are created. These additional supporting documents are cataloged in
Appendix A and the list will be kept current as a part of the annual ASP review and update.
F. Safety Performance Measures - 673.11(a)(3)
The PTASP Final Rule, 49 CFR Part 673.11(a)(3), requires that all public transportation providers must
develop an ASP to include SPTs based on the safety performance measures established under the NSP.
The safety performance measures outlined in the NSP were developed to ensure that the measures can
be applied to all modes of public transportation and are based on data currently being submitted to the
NTD. The safety performance measures included in the NSP are fatalities, injuries, safety events, and
system reliability (State of Good Repair as developed and tracked in the TAM Plan).
There are seven (7) SPTs that must be included in each ASP that are based on the four (4) performance
measures in the NSP. These SPTs are presented in terms of total numbers reported and rate per Vehicle
Revenue Mile (VRM). Each of the seven (7) is required to be reported by mode as presented in Table 4.
TABLE 4: NSP SAFETY PERFORMANCE MEASURES
Safety Performance Measure
Fatalities
SPT SPT
Total Number Reported Rate Per Total VRM
Injuries
Total Number Reported Rate Per Total VRM
Safety Events
Total Number Reported Rate Per Total VRM
System Reliability
Mean distance between major mechanical failure
Table 5 presents Falls Ride's reported baseline numbers for each of the performance measures. Falls
Ride collected the past five (5) years of reported data to develop the rolling averages listed in the table.
TABLE 5: BASELINE 2019 SAFETY PERFORMANCE MEASURES
*rate = 5-year average of number divided by 5-year average of Vehicle Revenue Miles
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While safety has always been a major component of the Falls Ride operation, the adoption of this ASP
will result in changes across all aspects of the organization. The SPTs set in Table 6 reflect an
acknowledgment that SMS implementation will produce new information that will be needed to
accurately set meaningful SPTs. We will set our targets at the current NTD reported five-year average as
we begin the process of fully implementing our SMS and developing our targeted safety improvements.
This will ensure that we do no worse than our baseline performance over the last five years.
TABLE 6: FIXED ROUTE (BUS) SAFETY PERFORMANCE TARGETS
Mode
Fatalities
Baseline
0
Target
0
Rate of Fatalities*
0
0
Injuries
0.6
0.6
Rate of Injuries*
0.0000010
0.0000010
Safety Events
0.8
0.8
Rate of Safety Events*
0.0000014
0.0000014
Mean Distance Between Major
Mechanical Failure
148,571
148,571
*rate = 5-year average of number divided by 5-year average of Vehicle Revenue Miles
As part of the annual review of the ASP, Falls Ride will reevaluate our SPTs and determine whether the
SPTs need to be refined. As more data is collected as part of the SRM process discussed later in this plan,
Falls Ride may begin developing safety performance indicators to help inform management on safety
related investments.
G. Safety Performance Target Coordination - 673.15(a)(b)
Falls Ride will make our SPTs available to TxDOT and the Wichita Falls MPO to aid in those agencies'
respective regional and long-range planning processes. To the maximum extent practicable, Falls Ride
will coordinate with TxDOT and the Wichita Falls MPO in the selection of State and MPO SPTs as
documented in the Interagency Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Each year during the FTA Certifications and Assurances reporting process, Falls Ride will transmit any
updates to our SPTs to both the Wichita Falls MPO and TxDOT (unless those agencies specify another
time in writing).
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4. SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS — 673 SUBPART C
As noted previously, FTA has adopted SMS as the basis for improving safety across the public
transportation industry. In compliance with the National Safety Program, National Public Transportation
Safety Plan, and 49 CFR Part 673, Falls Ride is adopting SMS as the basis for directing and managing
safety and risk at our agency. Falls Ride has always viewed safety as a core business function. All levels
of management and employees are accountable for appropriately identifying and effectively managing
risk in all activities and operations in order to deliver improvements in safety and reduce risk to the
lowest practical level during service delivery.
SMS is comprised of four basic components - SMP, SRM, SA, and SP. The SMP and SP are the enablers
that provide structure and supporting activities that make SRM and SA possible and sustainable. The
SRM and SA are the processes and activities for effectively managing safety as presented in Figure 2.
FIGURE 2: SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Safety Promotion
Safety
Management
Policy
(I aarlarchin
(C'Mmunication & Training)
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iu
r
S°,r
Implementing SMS at Falls Ride will be a major undertaking over the next several years. This ASP is the
first step to putting in place a systematic approach to managing the agency's risk. Falls Ride has already
taken several steps to implement SMS, such as developing this initial ASP and designating a CSO. During
the first year of implementation, Falls Ride will identify SMS roles and responsibilities and key
stakeholder groups, identify key staff to support implementation, and ensure the identified staff receive
SMS training. Falls Ride will also develop a plan for implementing SMS, inform stakeholders about the
ASP, and discuss our progress toward implementation with Wichita Falls City Council and our agency's
planning partners.
A. Safety Risk Management - 673.25
By adopting this ASP, Falls Ride is establishing the SRM process presented in Figure 3 for identifying
hazards and analyzing, assessing and mitigating safety risk in compliance with the requirements of 49
CFR Part 673.25. The SRM processes described in this section are designed to implement the Falls Ride
SMS.
FIGURE 3: SAFETY RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS
The implementation of the SRM component of the SMS will be carried out over the course of the next
year. The SRM components will be implemented through a program of improvement during which the
SRM processes will be implemented, reviewed, evaluated, and revised as necessary, to ensure the
processes are achieving the intended safety objectives as the processes are fully incorporated into the
Falls Ride SOPs.
The SRM is focused on implementing and improving actionable strategies that Falls Ride has undertaken
to identify, assess and mitigate risk. The creation of a Risk Register provides an accessible resource for
documenting the SRM process, tracking the identified risks, and documenting the effectiveness of
mitigation strategies in meeting defined safety objectives and performance measures. The draft Risk
Register is presented in Figure 4.
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FIGURE 4: DRAFr RISK REGISTER
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What is wrong? What could happen What could mitigate this?
As the SRM process progresses through the steps of identifying what may be wrong, what could happen
as a result, and what steps Falls Ride is taking to resolve the risk and mitigate the hazard, the CSO
completes and publishes the various components of the Risk Register. These components include the
use of safety hazard identification, safety risk assessment, and safety risk mitigation, as described in the
following sections.
Irifety Hazard Identification — 673.25(b)
Falls Ride's Operator Rule and Checklist, Section 5 Pre -Trip Inspection process includes a Pre -Trip
Inspection Sheet for drivers to note defects and check that a vehicle is functioning properly before
placing a coach in service.
Falls Ride has informal processes such as using the DoubleMap system to conduct the pre- and post -trip
inspection checklist, and conducting a facility walkthrough and a facility maintenance checklist for the
travel center and the main transit office.
Falls Ride's Transit Asset Management Program (Appendix A) provides asset performance targets and
measures, capital asset inventory, condition assessment, investment prioritization. The Asset
Management Program contains appendices that provide an asset register, asset condition data,
equipment assets, facilities assets, proposed investment projects, and the fleet replacement module
output.
Falls Ride has a Preventative Maintenance Inspection Sheet (Appendix A) which contains a preventative
maintenance inspection sheet to check for necessary repairs.
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Falls Ride has a Transit Accident Tracker (Appendix A) which identifies the driver, the date of the
incident, and the description of the incident.
The Falls Ride SRM process is a forward -looking effort to identify safety hazards that could potentially
result in negative safety outcomes. In the SRM process, a hazard is any real or potential condition that
can cause injury, illness, or death; damage to or loss of the facilities, equipment, rolling stock, or infra-
structure of a public transportation system; or, damage to the environment.
Hazard identification focuses on out -of -the -norm conditions that need special attention or immediate
action, new procedures, or training to resolve a condition that is unacceptable and return conditions to
an acceptable level. Falls Ride uses a variety of mechanisms for identifying and documenting hazards,
namely:
• Through training and reporting procedures, Falls Ride ensures personnel can identify hazards
and that each employee clearly understands that the employee has a responsibility to
immediately report any safety hazards identified to the employee's supervisors. Continued
training helps employees to develop and improve the skills needed to identify hazards.
• Employee hazard training coupled with the ESRP ensures that Falls Ride has full use of
information from frontline employees for hazard identification.
• Upon receiving the hazard report, supervisors communicate the identified hazard to the CSO for
entry into the risk register for risk assessment, classification and possible mitigation.
• In carrying out the risk assessment, the CSO uses standard reporting forms (e.g. Pre -and Post -
Trip Inspection Forms, Courtesy Cards and Job Safety Analysis [JSA]) and other reports
completed on a routine basis by administrative, operations and maintenance. The Falls Ride
Safety Policy contains procedures for flagging and reporting hazards as a part of day-to-day
operations.
• Supervisors are responsible for performing and documenting regular JSA, which include
reporting and recommending methods to reduce identified hazards.
• Falls Ride uses incident reports and records to determine specific areas of training that need to
be covered with employees to ensure safety hazard identification is continually improved, and
thus ensure that hazards are identified before an event recurrence.
• Incident reports are also analyzed by the risk management team to identify any recurring
patterns or themes that would help to identify underlying hazards and root causes of the event
that can be mitigated to prevent recurrence.
• If a hazard is such that an employee would be reluctant to report the information due to
perceived negative consequences (e.g. disciplinary action), alternative, anonymous reporting
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mechanisms are available through an anonymous suggestion box, anonymous online reporting
form, or other secure mechanism.
• To increase the safety knowledge of our agency, the CSO, risk management personnel and
subject matter experts are also encouraged to participate in available professional development
activities and peer -to -peer exchanges as a source of expertise and information on lessons
learned and best practices in hazard identification.
• Other sources for hazard identification include:
o ESRP
o Inspections of personnel job performance, vehicles, facilities and other data
o Investigations of safety events
o Safety trend analysis on data currently collected
o Training and evaluation records
o Internal safety audits
o External sources of hazard information could include:
• FTA and other federal or state authorities
■ Reports from the public
• Safety bulletins from manufacturers or industry associations
In addition to identifying the hazard, the hazard identification process also classifies the hazard by type
(organizational, technical or environmental) to assist the CSO in identifying the optimal combination of
departmental leadership and subject matter expertise to select in assembling the safety risk assessment
team.
The various hazard types can also be categorized by subcategory for each type. For example,
organizational hazards can be subcategorized into resourcing, procedural, training or supervisory
hazards. Each of the subcategories implies different types of mitigation strategies and potentially affect
overall agency resources through varying costs for implementation. Technical hazards can be
subcategorized into operational, maintenance, design and equipment. Additionally, environmental
hazards can be subcategorized into weather and natural, which is always a factor for every operation.
II. Safety Risk Assessment— 673.25(c)
As part of the new SRM process, Falls Ride has developed methods to assess the likelihood and severity
of the consequences of identified hazards, and prioritizes the hazards based on the safety risk. The
process continues the use of the Risk Register described in the previous section to address the next two
components.
To accurately assess a risk, Falls Ride may need to perform an investigation. Falls Ride currently
investigates accidents or crashes, but will need to develop a full investigation procedure to inform the
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SRM process. The investigation procedure will start with the Safety Policy framework and will be
developed to cover all risk assessment. Once fully developed, the document will become the
Investigation SOP. The SOP will include accident investigation procedures as well as risk investigation
procedures. These procedures will be used to investigate risks identified from multiple sources including
the ESRP.
Safety risk is based on an assessment of the likelihood of a potential consequence and the potential
severity of the consequences in terms of resulting harm or damage. The risk assessment also considers
any previous mitigation efforts and the effectiveness of those efforts. The results of the assessment are
used to populate the third and fourth components of the Risk Register as presented in Figure 5.
FIGURE 5: SAFETY RISK ASSESSMENT STEPS IN POPULATING THE RISK REGISTER
The risk assessment is conducted by the CSO and their risk management team through the safety
compliance committee supplemented by subject matter experts from the respective department or
section to which the risk applies. The process employs a safety risk matrix, similar to the one presented
in Figure 6, that allows the safety team to visualize the assessed likelihood and severity, and to help
decision -makers understand when actions are necessary to reduce or mitigate safety risk.
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r
FIGURE 6: SAFETY RISK ASSESSMENT MATRIX
RISK ASSESSMENT MATRIX
SEVERITY
Catastrophic Critical
Marginal
Negligible
LIKELIHOOD
(t) (2)
(3)
(4)
Frequent (A)
Medium
Probable (B)
Medium
Medium
Occasional (C)
Medium
Medium
Low
Remote (D)
Medium Medium
Low
Low
Improbable (E)
Medium
Low
Although the current version of the matrix relies heavily on the examples and samples that are listed on
the PTASP Technical Assistance Center website, lessons learned from the implementation process during
the coming years will be used to customize the matrix that Falls Ride will use to address our unique
operating realities and leadership guidance.
The Risk Assessment Matrix is an important tool. If a risk is assessed and falls within one of the red
zones, the risk is determined to be unacceptable under existing circumstances. This determination
means that management must take action to mitigate the situation. This is the point in the process
when SRMs are developed. If the risk is assessed and falls within one of the yellow zones, the risk is
determined to be acceptable, but monitoring is necessary. If the risk falls within one of the green zones,
the risk is acceptable under the existing circumstances.
Once a hazard's likelihood and severity have been assessed, the CSO enters the hazard assessment into
the Risk Register that is used to document the individual hazard and the type of risk it represents. This
information is used to move to the next step, which is hazard mitigation.
III. Safety Risk Mitigation — 673.25(d)
Upon completion of the risk assessment, the CSO and the safety committee continue populating the Risk
Register by identifying mitigations or strategies necessary to reduce the likelihood and/or severity of the
consequences. The goal of this step is to avoid or eliminate the hazard or, when elimination is not likely
or feasible, to reduce the assessed risk rating to an acceptable level (Figure 7). However, mitigations do
not typically eliminate the risk entirely.
'cc
a
FIGURE 7: RISK REGISTER MITIGATION COMPONENT
Hazard I Type Likelihood Consequence Resolution
To accomplish this objective, the CSO, through the risk management team, works with subject matter
experts from the respective department or section to which the risk applies. The risk management team
then conducts a brainstorming exercise to elicit feedback from staff and supervisors with the highest
level of expertise in the components of the hazard.
Documented risk resolution and hazard mitigation activities from previous Risk Register entries and the
resolution's documented level of success at achieving the desired safety objectives may also be
reviewed and considered in the process. If the hazard is external (e.g., roadway construction by an
outside agency) information and input from external actors or experts may also be sought to take
advantage of all reasonably available resources and avoid any unintended consequences.
Once a mitigation strategy is selected and adopted, the strategy is assigned to an appropriate staff
member or team for implementation. The assigned personnel and the personnel's specific
responsibilities are entered into the Risk Register. Among the responsibilities of the mitigation team
leader is the documentation of the mitigation effort, including whether the mitigation was carried out as
designed and whether the intended safety objectives were achieved. This information is recorded in the
appendix to the Risk Register for use in subsequent SA activities and to monitor the effectiveness of the
SRM program.
B. Safety Assurance - 673.27 (a)
Safety Assurance means processes within the Falls Ride SMS that function to ensure a) the
implementation and effectiveness of safety risk mitigation, and b) Falls Ride meets or exceeds our safety
objectives through the collection, measurement, analysis and assessment of information.
SA helps to ensure early identification of potential safety issues. SA also ensures that safeguards are in
place and are effective in meeting Falls Ride's critical safety objectives and contribute towards SPTs.
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Safety Performance Monitoring and Measuring - 673.27 (b)
As the first step in the Falls Ride SA program, Falls Ride collects and monitors data on safety
performance indicators through a variety of mechanisms described in the following sections. Safety
performance indicators can provide early warning signs about safety risks. Falls Ride currently relies
primarily on lagging indicators representing negative safety outcomes that should be avoided or
mitigated in the future. However, initiatives are underway to adopt a more robust set of leading
indicators that monitor conditions that are likely to contribute to negative outcomes in the future. In
addition to the day-to-day monitoring and investigation procedures detailed below, Falls Ride will
review and document the safety performance monitoring and measuring processes as part of the annual
update of this ASP.
MONITORING COMPLIANCE AND SUFFICIENCY OF PROCEDURES— 673.27 (B)(t
Falls Ride monitors our system for personnel compliance with operations and maintenance procedures
and also monitors these procedures for sufficiency in meeting safety objectives. A list of documents
describing the safety related operations and maintenance procedures cited in this ASP is provided in
Appendix A of this document.
Falls Ride informally monitors our system for compliance with, and sufficiency of, our agency's
procedures for operations and maintenance by completing a pre- and post -trip log using DoubleMap.
Supervisors monitor employee compliance with Falls Ride SOPs through direct observation and review
of information from internal reporting systems such as the Grievance Form from both employees and
customers.
Falls Ride addresses non-compliance with standard procedures for operations and maintenance
activities through a variety of actions, including revision to training materials and delivery of employee
and supervisor training if the non-compliance is systemic. If the non-compliance is situational, then
activities may include supplemental individualized training, coaching, and heightened management
oversight, among other remedies.
Sometimes personnel are fully complying with the procedures, but the operations and maintenance
procedures are inadequate and pose the risk of negative safety outcomes. In this case, the cognizant
person submits the deficiency or description of the inadequate procedures to the SRM process. Through
the SRM process, the SRM team will then evaluate and analyze the potential organizational hazard and
assign the identified hazard for mitigation and resolution, as appropriate. The SRM team will also
conduct periodic self -evaluation and mitigation of any identified deficiencies in the SRM process itself.
MONITORING OPERATIONS — 673.27(B)(2)
The Department Director is required to monitor investigation reports of safety events and SRM
resolution reports to monitor the department's operations to identify any safety risk mitigations that
may be ineffective, inappropriate, or not implemented as intended. If it is determined that the safety
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risk mitigation did not bring the risk to an acceptable level or otherwise failed to meet safety objectives,
then the supervisor resubmits the safety risk/hazard to the SRM process. The CSO will work with the
subject matter experts to reanalyze the hazard and consequences and identify additional mitigation or
alternative approaches to implementing the mitigation.
0. Safety Event Investigation — 673.27(B)(3)
Falls Ride currently conducts investigations of safety events. From an SA perspective, the objective of
the investigation is to identify causal factors of the event and to identify actionable strategies that Falls
Ride can employ to address any identifiable organizational, technical or environmental hazard at the
root cause of the safety event.
As contained in the City of Wichita Fall's Accident/Incident Review Board Policy (Appendix A). The Policy
establishes and implements consistent guidelines for the Accident Incident Review Board to utilize when
assessing incidents brought before the board. The City Accident/Incident Review Board will convene
once a month to consider incidents from the preceding month. Members will render a decision on
whether the incident was preventable or non -preventable. If the incident is determined preventable a
points system is used to determine disciplinary actions that follow.
Safety Event Investigations that seek to identify and document the root cause of an accident or other
safety event are a critical component of the SA process because they are a primary resource for the
collection, measurement, analysis and assessment of information. Falls Ride gathers a variety of
information for identifying and documenting root causes of accidents and incidents, namely in the
Operator Rule and Checklist and the Drug Free Workplace Policy Drug and Alcohol Program Procedure
(Appendix A):
Section 4 Knowledge of Traffic Laws
1. Operators are responsible for knowing and complying with applicable federal, state, and local
driving laws.
2. Operators must have in their possession a valid Class A or B license, with a Passenger
Endorsement.
3. Operators must signal when pulling into and out of coach stops.
4. Operators must not allow unauthorized persons to drive any Falls Ride vehicle.
5. Operators must notify Dispatch immediately upon receiving a citation for a moving violation of
any kind. In addition, if the citation occurs while operating a Falls Ride vehicle, Operators must
submit an incident report to Dispatch by the end of the workday.
6. Operators must contact Dispatch, the Supervisor, or mechanic on duty whenever there is
damage done to any vehicle or property, whether the vehicle or property is privately owned or
owned by the City of Wichita Falls. This must be done immediately after the damage has
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occurred, no matter what time of day. The proper paperwork must then be filled out and
submitted to Risk Management.
7. Hazard signals or 4-way flashers must be used:
a. While loading or unloading wheelchair passengers.
b. When stopping and blocking a lane of traffic to load or unload passengers.
c. When delayed at a stop for an unusual length of time or for an unsafe situation.
Section 8 Emergency Procedures
1. In the event of a serious threat or assault, the Operator should ensure the safety of himself or
herself and the passengers. The Operator should use the radio to contact Dispatch for
instructions. The Operator should get a description of the person or persons involved, to assist
officers in the investigation.
2. If a passenger becomes ill or is injured onboard, contact Dispatch with information concerning
the situation. Await instructions from Dispatch.
3. When severe weather is imminent, the Operator should proceed to a shelter area where the
passengers can be safely housed until the threat has passed.
4. In case of fire, Operator and passenger safety is the first consideration. The Operator must do
everything possible to prevent injury to passengers or damage to equipment. When a fire or
smoke is observed or reported:
a. Stop immediately and evacuate the coach, moving the passengers 300 feet upwind from
the coach.
b. Call Dispatch and provide all relevant information.
c. After evacuation, the Operator must take all precautions to ensure passenger safety.
d. Follow accident procedures.
5. No one is allowed to board a Falls Ride vehicle with any hazardous materials, such as but not
limited to car batteries, gas cans or fireworks.
6. If a suspicious objector a suspected explosive device is located onboard a coach:
a. Stop immediately in a safe location.
b. Evacuate all passengers and advise them to take all their personal property with them.
c. Move at least 300 feet away from the coach.
d. Do not contact Dispatch via the radio. Use a payphone or a cell phone, if possible, to
notify Dispatch. Specify the location, give a brief description of the situation, and
indicate what emergency help is needed.
e. Reassure the passengers.
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f. Await assistance from police or fire personnel.
7. In the event of a hazardous spill:
a. Stop immediately at a safe location and notify Dispatch.
b. Evacuate the passengers to a position at least 300 feet upwind from the coach.
c. Isolate spill or leak area immediately and do not walk through or touch the hazard.
d. Await assistance.
8. If a chemical hazard is detected:
a. Determine if the hazard is outside or inside the coach.
b. If outside, drive out of the area immediately, contact Dispatch and advice of the hazard.
c. If inside, stop immediately at a safe location, evacuate the passengers to a position at
least 300 feet upwind from the coach. Do not return to the coach. Contact Dispatch for
assistance.
Section 9 Safety Procedures
1. The safety of passengers and the public is always the first consideration. All employees are
required to exercise constant care to prevent injury to themselves, other persons, or Falls Ride
property.
2. Operators should know and use defensive driving techniques.
3. Operators are required to wear safety belts at all times while driving.
4. Operators are required to carry courtesy cards.
5. If involved in an accident (vehicle, fixed object, passenger, pedestrian):
a. Remain calm.
b. Assess the situation. Check for injuries.
c. Protect people, then property and evacuate the coach if necessary.
d. Call Dispatch for assistance. Specify the location, give a brief description of the accident
and indicate what emergency help, if any, is needed.
e. Reassure and assist the passengers.
f. Secure the scene. Count the number of passengers on board at the time of the accident.
Make sure other people in the area don't try to board the coach so as to appear they
were on board at the time of the accident.
g. Gather information from the scene. (license number, make, model, year, and color of
the other vehicle).
h. Pass out courtesy cards to all passengers and witnesses.
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i. Do not discuss the accident with anyone other than persons from Risk Management or
Wichita Falls Police Department.
j. Do not admit guilt or accept responsibility. Do not ask the other driver to admit guilt.
k. Do not give information to the news media. Refer them to a Falls Ride spokesperson.
I. Wait for assistance from a Supervisor or mechanic.
6. The supervisor will:
a. Determine whether the General Manager or Assistant General Manager needs to be
contacted but will give them a report when the supervisor finishes the initial
assessment.
b. Let the Operator know that Police and supervision have been contacted and help and is
on the way.
c. Assign a Standby Operator to pre -trip a bus in case a standby must drive the next round
for the operator on that route. When needed, the Standby Operator may take a bus out
to continue a route.
d. Let the Operator know that a Standby Operator and bus have been assigned to continue
the route or that support personnel are bringing another bus out to them.
e. Refer the operator for required drug and alcohol testing in compliance with 49 CFR §
655.44 Post -accident testing, if the safety event meets the definition of accident in 49
CFR § 655.4
f. Return to the station.
g. Record all accident information on the Daily Dispatch log, any missed trips, downtime,
or bus change outs.
Dispatcher on duty will give the Operator an incident report to complete before the Operator
leaves that day. Dispatcher will put the Operator's report in the CSO's box.
The CSO, working with content specialists, evaluates the incident report and other available
information to determine the root cause of the accident/event. Follow up with driver or other
cognizant parties may be necessary to elicit additional information.
The CSO identifies any hazards noted in the incident report and refers those hazards to the SRM
process.
MONITORING INTERNAL SAFETY REPORTING PROGRAMS — 573.27(B)(4)
As a primary part of the internal safety reporting program, our agency monitors information reported
through the ESRP. When a report originating through the complaint process documents a safety hazard,
the supervisor submits the hazards identified through the internal reporting process, including previous
mitigation in place at the time of the safety event. The supervisor submits the hazard report to the SRM
process to be analyzed, evaluated, and if appropriate, assigned for mitigation/resolution.
OTHER SAFL ��::�URANCE INITIATIVES
Because leading indicators can be more useful for safety performance monitoring and measurement
than lagging indicators, Falls Ride is undertaking efforts to implement processes to identify and monitor
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more leading indicators or conditions that have the potential to become or contribute to negative safety
outcomes. This may include trend analysis of environmental conditions through monitoring National
Weather Service data; monitoring trends toward or away from meeting the identified SPTs; or other
indicators as appropriate.
C. Safety Promotion - 673.29
Management support is essential to developing and implementing SMS. SP includes all aspects of how,
why, when and to whom management communicates safety related topics. SP also includes when and
how training is provided. The following sections outline both the safety competencies and training that
Falls Ride will implement and how safety related information will be communicated.
I. Safety Competencies and Training - 673.24(a)
Falls Ride provides comprehensive training to all employees regarding each employee's job duties and
general responsibilities. This training includes safety responsibilities related to the employee's position.
In addition, regular driver safety meetings are held to ensure that safety related information is relayed
to the key members of our agency's safety processes.
As part of SMS implementation, Falls Ride will be conducting the following activities:
• Conduct a thorough review of all current general staff categories (administrative, driver,
supervisor, mechanic, maintenance, etc.) and the respective staff safety related responsibilities.
• Assess the training requirements spelled out in 49 CFR Part 672 and the various courses
required for different positions. (Falls Ride is not subject to the requirements under 49 CFR Part
672 but will review the training requirements to understand what training is being required of
other larger agencies in the event these trainings might be useful).
• Assess the training material available on the FTA PTASP Technical Assistance Center website.
• Review other training material available from industry sources such as the Community
Transportation Association of America and the American Public Transportation Association
websites.
• Develop a set of competencies and trainings required to meet the safety related activities for
each general staff category.
• Develop expectations for ongoing safety training and safety meeting attendance.
• Develop a training matrix to track progress on individuals and groups within the organization.
• Adjust job notices associated with general staff categories to ensure that new personnel
understand the safety related competencies and training needs and the safety related
responsibilities of the job.
• Include refresher training in all trainings and apply it to agency personnel and contractors.
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Safety Communication - 673.29(b)
Falls Ride regularly communicates safety and safety performance information throughout our agency's
organization that, at a minimum, conveys information on hazards and safety risks relevant to
employees' roles and responsibilities and informs employees of safety actions taken in response to
reports submitted through the ESRP (noted in Section 3.A.1) or other means.
Falls Ride reports any safety related information to the Wichita Falls City Council at their regular
meetings and will begin including safety performance information. In addition, Falls Ride holds quarterly
scheduled meetings with drivers to ensure that any safety related information is passed along that
would affect the execution of the drivers' duties. Falls Ride also posts safety related and other pertinent
information on a bulletin board for all employees to see.
Falls Ride will begin systematically collecting, cataloging, and, where appropriate, analyzing and
reporting safety and performance information to all staff. To determine what information should be
reported, how the information should be reported and to whom, Falls Ride will answer the following
questions:
• What information does this individual need to do their job?
• How can we ensure the individual understands what is communicated?
• How can we ensure the individual understands what action must be taken as a result of the
information?
• How can we ensure the information is accurate and kept up-to-date?
• Are there any privacy or security concerns to consider when sharing information? If so, what
should we do to address these concerns?
In addition, Falls Ride will review our current communications strategies and determine whether others
are needed. As part of this effort, Falls Ride has conducted, and will continue to conduct, a Safety
Culture Survey to understand how safety is perceived in the workplace and what areas Falls Ride should
be addressing to fully implement a safety culture at our agency.
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5. APPENDIX A
TABLE 7: PTASP SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
File Name
Revision Date
Document Name
Document Owner
Wichita Falls
1-c Route Brochure.pdf
1-c Route Brochure
Transit
System/City of
Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls
2008 Wichita Falls Transit
2008 Wichita Falls Transit Plan
Transit
Plan.pdf
System/City of
Wichita Falls
2015-2040 MTP Final Draft
2015-2040 MTP Final Draft
Document.pdf
Document
Wichita Falls MPO
2017 Final Report06.06.17.pdf
June 2017
FTA Fiscal Year 2017 Triennial
Federal Transit
Review- Draft Report
Administration
Wichita Falls
2019 PROCUREMENT POLICIES
July 2019
2019 Purchasing Policies &
Transit
AND PROCEDURES.docx.pdf
Procedures
System/City of
Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls
Accident Incident Review
Accident Incident Review
Transit
Board Policy 3-28-19.pdf
March 2019
Board Policy
System/City of
Wichita Falls
Appendix C - WFMPO
Appendix C: WFMPO
Wichita Falls MPO
Boundary Map.pdf
Boundary Map
City of Wichita Falls Grievance
City of Wichita Falls, Texas
City of Wichita
Form.pdf
Grievance Form
Falls
Compensation and Job
Classification Plan,
City of Wichita Falls, Texas
City of Wichita
Administration and
January 2008
Administrative Policies
Falls
Maintenance Plan.pdf
CoWF Safety Policy.pdf
December
Safety Policy
City of Wichita
2016
Falls
February
Drug Free Workplace Policy
City of Wichita
Drug and Alcohol Policy.pdf
Drug and Alcohol Program
2015
Procedure
Falls
Wichita Falls
February
Falls Ride Inclement Weather
Transit
inclement weather policyl.doc
2017
Protocol
System/City of
Wichita Falls
'AV4Or4
�fw.
File Name
Revision Date
Document Name
Document Owner
Wichita Falls
Operator Rule and
Operator Rule and Checklist
Transit
Checklist.pdf
System/City of
Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls
safety action plan.xlsx
Safety Action Plan
Transit
System/City of
Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls
system safety program
Falls Ride System Safety
Transit
plan.doc
Program Plan
System/City of
Wichita Falls
Tornado Policy.pdf
May 2013
Tornado Policy
City of Wichita
Falls
Wichita Falls
Training Job Description.pdf
Mechanic Training
Transit
System/City of
Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls
Transit Accident Tracker.xlsx
Transit Accident Tracker
Transit
System/City of
Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls
Transit Maintenance Plans.pdf
Preventative Maintenance
Transit
Inspection Sheet
System/City of
Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls
TRANSIT ORG CHART. pdf
Public Transportation
Transit
Organizational Chart
System/City of
Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls
Transit Travel Center
City of Wichita Falls Job Safety
Transit
JSA_SOP.pdf
Analysis Form
System/City of
Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls
Transportation Job
Transportation Job
Transit
Descriptions.pdf
Descriptions
System/City of
Wichita Falls
f<<4
File Name
Revision Date
Document Name
Document Owner
Wichita Falls
WFTSTransit Asset
Management Program
March 2018
WFTSTransit Asset
Transit
2018.pdf
Management Program
System/City of
Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls Transit System
Wichita Falls Transit System
Transit
Overview.pdf
Overview
System/City of
Wichita Falls
Accident: means an event that involves any of the following: a loss of life; a report of a serious injury to
a person; a collision of transit vehicles; an evacuation for life safety reasons; at any location, at any time,
whatever the cause.
Accountable Executive (typicallythe highest executive in the agency): means single, identifiable
person who has ultimate responsibility for carrying out the SMS of a public transportation agency, and
control or direction over the human and capital resources needed to develop and maintain both the
agency's PTASP, in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 5329(d), and the agency's TAM Plan in accordance with 49
U.S.C. 5326.
Agency Leadership and Executive Management: include members of agency leadership or executive
management (other than an Accountable Executive, CSO, or SMS Executive) who have authorities or
responsibilities for day-to-day implementation and operation of an agency's SMS.
Chief Safety Officer (CSO): means an adequately trained individual who has responsibility for safety and
reports directly to a transit agency's chief executive officer, general manager, president, or equivalent
officer. A CSO may not serve in other operational or maintenance capacity, unless the CSO is employed
by a transit agency that is a small public transportation provider as defined in this part, or a public
transportation provider that does not operate a rail fixed guideway public transportation system.
Corrective Maintenance: Specific, unscheduled maintenance typically performed to identify, isolate, and
rectify a condition or fault so that the failed asset or asset component can be restored to a safe
operational condition within the tolerances or limits established for in-service operations.
Equivalent Authority: means an entity that carries out duties similar to that of a Board of Directors, for a
recipient or subrecipient of FTA funds under 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53, including sufficient authority to
review and approve a recipient or subrecipient's PTASP.
Event: means an accident, incident, or occurrence.
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Federal Transit Administration (FTA): means the Federal Transit Administration, an operating
administration within the United States Department of Transportation.
Hazard: means any real or potential condition that can cause injury, illness, or death; damage to or loss
of the facilities, equipment, rolling stock, or infrastructure of a public transportation system; or damage
to the environment.
Incident: means an event that involves any of the following: a personal injury that is not a serious injury;
one or more injuries requiring medical transport; or damage to facilities, equipment, rolling stock, or
infrastructure that disrupts the operations of a transit agency.
Investigation: means the process of determining the causal and contributing factors of an accident,
incident, or hazard, for the purpose of preventing recurrence and mitigating risk.
Key staff: means a group of staff or committees to support the Accountable Executive, CSO, or SMS
Executive in developing, implementing, and operating the agency's SMS.
Major Mechanical Failures: means failures caused by vehicle malfunctions or subpar vehicle condition
which requires that the vehicle be pulled from service.
National Public Transportation Safety Plan (NSP): means the plan to improve the safety of all public
transportation systems that receive Federal financial assistance under 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53.
Occurrence: means an event without any personal injury in which any damage to facilities, equipment,
rolling stock, or infrastructure does not disrupt the operations of a transit agency.
Operator of a Public Transportation System: means a provider of public transportation as defined
under 49 U.S.C. 5302(14).
Passenger: means a person, other than an operator, who is on board, boarding, or alighting from a
vehicle on a public transportation system for the purpose of travel.
Performance Measure: means an expression based on a quantifiable indicator of performance or
condition that is used to establish targets and to assess progress toward meeting the established
targets.
Performance Target: means a quantifiable level of performance or condition, expressed as a value for
the measure, to be achieved within a time period required by the FTA.
Preventative Maintenance: means regular, scheduled, and/or recurring maintenance of assets
(equipment and facilities) as required by manufacturer or vendor requirements, typically for the
purpose of maintaining assets in satisfactory operating condition. Preventative maintenance is
conducted by providing for systematic inspection, detection, and correction of anticipated failures either
before they occur or before they develop into major defects. Preventative maintenance is maintenance,
including tests, measurements, adjustments, and parts replacement, performed specifically to prevent
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faults from occurring. The primary goal of preventative maintenance is to avoid or mitigate the
consequences of failure of equipment.
Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP): means the documented comprehensive agency
safety plan for a transit agency that is required by 49 U.S.C. 5329 and this part.
Risk: means the composite of predicted severity and likelihood of the potential effect of a hazard.
Risk Mitigation: means a method or methods to eliminate or reduce the effects of hazards.
Road Calls: means specific, unscheduled maintenance requiring either the emergency repair or service
of a piece of equipment in the field or the towing of the unit to the garage or shop.
Safety Assurance (SA): means the process within a transit agency's SMS that functions to ensure the
implementation and effectiveness of safety risk mitigation and ensures that the transit agency meets or
exceeds its safety objectives through the collection, analysis, and assessment of information.
Safety Management Policy (SMP): means a transit agency's documented commitment to safety, which
defines the transit agency's safety objectives and the accountabilities and responsibilities of the
agency's employees regarding safety.
Safety Management System (SMS): means the formal, top -down, data -driven, organization -wide
approach to managing safety risk and assuring the effectiveness of a transit agency's safety risk
mitigation. SMS includes systematic procedures, practices, and policies for managing risks and hazards.
Safety Management System (SMS) Executive: means a CSO or an equivalent.
Safety Objective: means a general goal or desired outcome related to safety.
Safety Performance: means an organization's safety effectiveness and efficiency, as defined by safety
performance indicators and targets, measured against the organization's safety objectives.
Safety Performance Indicator: means a data -driven, quantifiable parameter used for monitoring and
assessing safety performance.
Safety Performance Measure: means an expression based on a quantifiable indicator of performance or
condition that is used to establish targets and to assess progress toward meeting the established
targets.
Safety Performance Monitoring: means activities aimed at the quantification of an organization's safety
effectiveness and efficiency during service delivery operations, through a combination of safety
performance indicators and SPTs.
Safety Performance Target (SPT): means a quantifiable level of performance or condition, expressed as
a value for a given performance measure, achieved over a specified timeframe related to safety
management activities.
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Safety Promotion (SP): means a combination of training and communication of safety information to
support SMS as applied to the transit agency's public transportation system.
Safety Risk: means the assessed probability and severity of the potential consequence(s) of a hazard,
using as reference the worst foreseeable, but credible, outcome.
Safety Risk Assessment: means the formal activity whereby a transit agency determines SRM priorities
by establishing the significance or value of its safety risks.
Safety Risk Management (SRM): means a process within a transit agency's Safety Plan for identifying
hazards, assessing the hazards, and mitigating safety risk.
Safety Risk Mitigation: means the activities whereby a public transportation agency controls the
probability or severity of the potential consequences of hazards.
Safety Risk Probability: means the likelihood that a consequence might occur, taking as reference the
worst foreseeable, but credible, condition.
Safety Risk Severity: means the anticipated effects of a consequence, should the consequence
materialize, taking as reference the worst foreseeable, but credible, condition.
Serious Injury: means any injury which:
• Requires hospitalization for more than 48 hours, commencing within seven days from the date
that the injury was received;
• Results in a fracture of any bone (except simple fractures of fingers, toes, or nose);
• Causes severe hemorrhages, nerve, muscle, or tendon damage;
• Involves any internal organ; or
• Involves second- or third-degree burns, or any burns affecting more than 5 percent of the body
surface.
Small Public Transportation Provider: means a recipient or subrecipient of Federal financial assistance
under 49 U.S.C. 5307 that has one hundred (100) or fewer vehicles in peak revenue service and does not
operate a rail fixed guideway public transportation system.
State: means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Territories of Puerto Rico, the
Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands.
State of Good Repair: means the condition in which a capital asset is able to operate at a full level of
performance.
State Safety Oversight Agency: means an agency established by a State that meets the requirements
and performs the functions specified by 49 U.S.C. 5329(e) and the regulations set forth in 49 CFR part
674.
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Transit Agency: means an operator of a public transportation system.
Transit Asset Management (TAM) Plan: means the strategic and systematic practice of procuring,
operating, inspecting, maintaining, rehabilitating, and replacing transit capital assets to manage their
performance, risks, and costs over their life cycles, for the purpose of providing safe, cost-effective, and
reliable public transportation, as required by 49 U.S.C. 5326 and 49 CFR part 625.
Vehicle Revenue Miles (VRM): means the miles that vehicles are scheduled to or actually travel while in
revenue service. Vehicle revenue miles include layover/recovery time and exclude deadhead; operator
training; vehicle maintenance testing; and school bus and charter services.
B. Additional Acronyms Used
ASP: Agency Safety Plan
CDL: Commercial Driver's License
dba: doing business as
ESRP: Employee Safety Reporting Program
Falls Ride: Wichita Falls Transit System, City of Wichita Falls, Texas
FASTAct: Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act
MAP-21: Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21" Century Act
MESA: Meals, Entertainment, Shopping, Arts Routes
MOU: Memorandum of Understanding
MPO: Metropolitan Planning Organization
NTD: National Transit Database
SOP: Standard Operating Procedure
TxDOT: Texas Department of Transportation
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6. APPENDIX B
A. City Council Minutes or Resolution
Place here
cc