FTA Safety Management Inspection

Immediate Action Letter from Board Chair, Kenneth E. Lawrence, Jr. and CEO/General Manager Leslie S. Richards

To our SEPTA community,

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has released the results of a Safety Management Inspection (SMI) of SEPTA that was conducted between August 2023 and January 2024. The FTA, which has federal oversight over SEPTA’s transit operations, initiated this detailed inspection of the Authority’s safety protocols, practices and processes following incidents that occurred on SEPTA’s bus and rail transit (Metro) systems.

At the time, the SEPTA Board and leadership promised our customers and employees a swift and transparent response and full cooperation with the FTA’s investigation. This webpage continues that commitment.

In all, the FTA requested and reviewed over 1,500 documents from SEPTA and PennDOT and conducted over 150 interviews, including SEPTA executive and technical leadership, mid-level management, supervisors, and frontline transit workers, as facilitated by union leadership, and with PennDOT representatives.

As an organization, we have taken a number of initial actions that directly address areas raised in the SMI report, and we are developing a series of corrective action plans (CAPs) to respond to the FTA’s formal directives. This page will update the public on our progress in response to each directive, and we encourage you to visit regularly to learn more about these efforts and how we are doing.

The safety and security of customers and employees is SEPTA’s top priority. We take these findings seriously and embrace the opportunity to work with the FTA and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to make SEPTA better. Safety is not a one-time initiative – it requires 24/7 vigilance, communication and collaboration. That is the culture we are building at SEPTA, and customers play an important role, as well. Please download and use the SEPTA Watch App and continue to share your thoughts and observations as you ride SEPTA.

Sincerely,

Safety Management Inspection (SMI)

The FTA informed SEPTA in August of last year that it would conduct a detailed inspection of the Authority’s safety protocols, practices and processes following incidents that occurred on SEPTA’s bus and rail transit (Metro) systems over the past few years. The FTA has federal oversight over SEPTA’s transit operations.

“The SMI found that SEPTA has an experienced and committed leadership team that has taken steps to support safety improvements.” (Safety Management Inspection, SEPTA/PennDOT)

FTA representatives were on site at SEPTA locations conducting inspections and interviews with employees between September 2023 and January 2024. The SMI report outlines findings and required actions for SEPTA to take, with most focused on three general areas: transit worker safety, System Safety and Control Center staffing and training, and bus and rail operational practices and policies.

Read the FTA’s SMI Report

SEPTA’s Actions

SEPTA’s efforts to enhance safety and security were underway before the FTA initiated the SMI process. Beginning last August, SEPTA conducted high-intensity safety trainings to every one of our 9,000 employees (beginning with frontline employees then moving across our entire workforce), reinforcing their understanding of our policies and procedures. At the same time, intensive hiring of Transit Police Officers and more strategic deployment of personnel has yielded critical improvements to personal safety, with serious crimes on the system dropping 37% in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year.