The U.S. rail transit system is a vital component of the nation's transportation infrastructure. Safety and security oversight of rail transit is the responsibility of state-designated oversight agencies following Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requirements. In this report, GAO addressed: (1) how the State Safety Oversight program is designed; (2) what is known about the program's impact; and (3) challenges facing the program. We also provide information about oversight of transit systems that cross state boundaries. To do our work we surveyed state oversight agencies and transit agencies covered by FTA's program.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent agency that works for Congress. The GAO watches over Congress, and investigates how the federal government spends taxpayers dollars. The Comptroller General of the United States is the leader of the GAO, and is appointed to a 15-year term by the U.S. President. The GAO wants to support Congress, while at the same time doing right by the citizens of the United States. They audit, investigate, perform analyses, issue legal decisions and report anything that the government is doing. This is one of their reports.

GAO-06-821 Rail Transit: Additional Federal Leadership Would Enhance FTA's State Safety Oversight Program

Rail transit generally has been one of the safest forms of public transportation. However, several recent accidents are cause for concern. For ex., a July 2009 crash on the Washington Metro resulted in 9 deaths. The Federal Transit Admin. (FTA) requires states to designate an oversight agency to directly oversee the safety of rail transit systems. The Dept. of Transportation (DoT) is planning to propose legislation that, if passed, would result in a greater role for FTA in regulating and overseeing the safety of these systems. This statement: (1) summarizes the findings of a 2006 report; and (2) provides preliminary observations on key elements DoT has stated it will include in its legislative proposal for revamping rail transit safety oversight. Charts and tables.