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FDOT Amendments to Rule 14-90,
Florida
Administrative Code
Rule 14-90, Florida Administrative Code (FAC), Equipment and Operational Safety Standards for Bus Transit Systems, has been amended effective August 7, 2005, with full implementation required on or before July 1, 2006. There are a number of changes to the Chapter that will impact many of
Florida
’s transit systems. Some of the more substantive changes are summarized below. Section 14-90.004 (2), requires each bus transit system to develop and adopt a Security Program Plan (SPP) that addresses the following security requirements:
- Locally developed security policies, goals, and objectives;
- Organizational structure, roles, and responsibilities;
- Emergency management processes and procedures for mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery;
- Procedures for the investigation of events (Subsection 14-90.004[5]);
- Procedures for interagency coordination with local law enforcement jurisdictions;
- Employee security and threat awareness training programs;
- Security data acquisition and analysis;
- Agency procedures for conducting and participating in emergency preparedness drills and exercises;
- Security requirements for private contract transit providers that provide continuous or recurring transportation services for compensation as a result of a contractual agreement with the bus transit system; and
- Procedures for SPP maintenance and distribution, including disclosure policies and practices.
(FDOT through
Florida
’s RTAP program will be conducting four one-day regional workshops on the development of Security Program Plans. Information on these workshops has been provided in the Upcoming Events segment of the RTAP Bulletin. All agencies are encouraged to attend).
Section 14-90.005, Transit Bus Accidents, has been repealed and relevant sections have been placed in Section 14-90.004(5). This section further addresses the minimum requirements or the investigation, collection of data, data maintenance, and post event follow-up requirements for events involving or taking place on a bus transit system controlled property that results in a fatality, injury or property damage. Section 14-90.004(6) provides that each investigation conducted be documented in a final report that includes a description of investigation activities, identified causal factors, and any identified action plan. Documentation must also be available to ensure that corrective actions have specific timelines identified, and that corrective actions are monitored and the implementation of those actions tracked. All documentation related to investigation reports, corrective actions plans and all other supporting documentation must be maintained for four years from the date of completion of the investigation.
Section 14-90.0041, Medical Examinations for Bus Transit System Drivers, Subsection 14-90.0041(2), requires that medical examinations be performed and recorded utilizing FDOT form number 725-030-11, Medical Examination Report for Bus Transit System Driver, dated July 2005, unless the standards established and form of the local agency either meet or exceed the FDOT form. Copies of the FDOT form are available from the Florida Department of Transportation, Public Transit Office, 605 Suwannee Street, MS-26,
Tallahassee
,
Florida
,
32399-0450
, online at www.dot.state.fl.us, or the RTAP website at www.rtap.cutr.usf.edu.
Medical examinations may now be performed by a Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy, Physician Assistant, or Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner licensed or certified by the State of
Florida
. If medical examinations are performed by a Physician Assistant or Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, they must be performed under the supervision or review of a Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy.
Section 14-90.007 (1) and (2), Vehicle Equipment Standards and Procurement Criteria, has been amended to provide additional guidance on the minimum levels of structural integrity and strength of buses procured for use in public transportation operations. Vehicles procured must have the capability and strength to carry the maximum allowable load while not exceeding the gross vehicle weight rating established by the manufacturer, gross axle weighting, or the tire rating. The structural integrity of the vehicle must mitigate or minimize the adverse effects of vehicle collisions. In addition, references to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), including amendments to the Standards dated October 1, 2004, are also included in this section. Please note that all vehicles procured through the Florida Vehicle Procurement Program meet or exceed these minimum standards.
Section 14-90.010 provides clarification on the annual safety and security certification process. Each bus transit system must submit its safety and security certification to the FDOT no later than February 15th of each year. The certification is for the PRIOR calendar year. The certification must attest to the adoption and compliance with a locally adopted and approved System Safety Program Plan and the Security Program Plan. In addition, the agency must attest that annual safety inspections have been performed on all buses operated by the system. Agencies must certify that annual reviews of the SSPP and the SSP have been conducted. The certification submitted to the FDOT must contain the name and address of the bus transit system, and the name of the entity(ies) that have performed the annual bus safety and security assessments, if different from the bus transit system. In addition, a statement must be included in the certification, signed by an officer of the system or a person directly responsible for the management of the bus transit system, attesting to the system’s compliance with Chapter 14-90, FAC.
Other changes to the Rule include:
- new terms and definitions have been added and clarified;
- references to sections of the motor vehicle code have been deleted due to redundancy; and
- the authority for inspections and reviews has been clarified.
View the Fall ‘05 RTAP Bulletin (pdf). |
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Florida
Transit Bus Accidents Database
Recent amendments to Chapter 14-90, Florida Administrative Code, requires transit agencies to adopt a more formal approach to accident investigation, document maintenance, analysis of trends, and follow-up activity. The project summarized below may assist
Florida
’s transit agencies in complying with these amendments.
- Day/date/time of accident
- Accident location
- Bus route
- Vehicle year and manufacturer
- Roadway type
- Traffic, roadway, and weather conditions
- Accident preventability
- Driver training information
Data Analysis and Reports
The Data Analysis and Reports page allows users to select variables and automatically run query reports, display the query results in a print preview mode, and print reports.
The Accident Database is available online at http://www.cutr.usf.edu/bussafety/documents/test/Bus Incident.mdb.
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