The Georgia Department of Transportation is pleased to announce it has obtained early approval and certification of our State Safety Oversight Program for rail transit by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration. Federal law requires states with rail transit systems to obtain FTA certification of their SSO Programs by April 15, 2019.

This certification is required under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) reauthorized under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act). Georgia’s SSO Program is controlled by Georgia DOT, and is tasked with establishing the minimum requirements for safety and security programs at each rail transit agency within the state’s jurisdiction and is required for Georgia to continue to receive federal transit funding. 

“By obtaining this certification Georgia is able to continue to receive federal funding – to the extent of $194.5 million for FY 2019 – and most importantly we’re able to continue to perform the necessary oversight of our rail transit systems including MARTA and the Atlanta Streetcar to ensure they are operating safely,” said Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell R. McMurry.

For the certification to be obtained, Georgia DOT had to adopt and enforce relevant federal and state safety laws, have investigative authority, and have appropriate financial and human resources for the number, size and complexity of the rail transit systems within the Georgia’s jurisdiction. Subsequently, over the course of the past year leading up to certification, the Department participated in meaningful work sessions with the affected transit agencies and our FTA headquarters and regional partners to ensure all parties were apprised of the pending changes to Georgia’s SSO Program.

Georgia is one of only 11 states that has successfully obtained this certification almost a year in advance of the federal safety deadline. If a state does not obtain certification by the April 15, 2019 deadline, federal law does not allow FTA to award any federal public transportation funds to any public transportation agencies throughout that state until certification is achieved.