SEPTA Board Chairman Pasquale T. Deon, Sr. and SEPTA General Manager Jeffrey D. Knueppel, P.E., have announced the promotion of Scott A. Sauer to the position of Assistant General Manager of System Safety. Mr. Sauer, who had served as SEPTA’s Chief Officer of System Safety since 2013, will continue to report directly to the General Manager, Mr. Knueppel.
During his 25-year SEPTA career, Mr. Sauer has served as a trolley, bus and Market-Frankford Line operator and a transportation manager – gaining invaluable rail and bus operations and managerial experience for his positions as a safety officer, Operational Safety manager and Chief Officer of System Safety. In addition to his SEPTA responsibilities, Mr. Sauer has been active in Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI), a national organization that “provides public education programs in all 50 states to prevent collisions, injuries and fatalities on and around railroad tracks and highway-rail grade crossings”. Mr. Sauer has been an authorized OLI volunteer since 2006 and served on the board of directors of the organization’s Pennsylvania chapter and for the OLI national organization.
“The safety of our customers, community and employees is a top priority for SEPTA and the reason why we elevated System Safety from a department to a division and established the position of Assistant General Manager of System Safety,” said Mr. Knueppel. “Scott is nationally recognized as a rail and transit safety expert. His knowledge and commitment to creating a culture of safety for the authority will be invaluable as we expand and enhance SEPTA’s safety programs.”
During his 10 years as a member of SEPTA System Safety, Mr. Sauer has worked to expand the authority’s safety education programs, not only as an Operation Lifesaver presenter, but also through his efforts to increase the number of community programs SEPTA safety officers offer and by spearheading the authority’s annual system-wide Safety Awareness Day, when 500 employee volunteers are stationed at more than 100 SEPTA locations to educate customers and the public about transit safety. Mr. Sauer is a member of the Federal Transit Administration’s Transit Advisory Committee for Safety, which provides guidance to the FTA on new MAP 21 safety regulations for the transit industry.
Mr. Sauer received his master’s degree in environmental protection and safety management from St. Joseph’s University and is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and World Safety Organization Certified Safety and Security Director (WSO-CSSD). He resides in Boothwyn, PA with his wife, Robyn, and sons, Scott and Eric. Mr. Sauer is a second generation SEPTA employee – his father was a trolley operator and Market-Frankford Line cashier from 1965-95.