On July 25th, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the latest round of states to receive certifications for their State Safety Oversight (SSO) Programs. Each state that oversees a defined rail transit system must apply for and receive certification under MAP-21 and 49 CFR §674. With these newest additions to the roster, TRA now has nine SSO clients who have achieved certification. TRA staff provided guidance, program support, and technical assistance to seven of these SSO agencies to ensure a smooth transition to MAP-21 regulatory oversight. These include Maryland, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.

TRA has worked with many of our SSO clients for decade or more, and has helped create and sustain program structure, procedures, and standards, as well as performing field implementation in areas such as audits, investigations, and triennial reviews. TRA appreciates the hard work of SSO client staff as well as our own TRA team members in securing this critical federal certification.