Table of Contents
Plan Development, Approval, and Updates. 2
Safety Performance Target Coordination. 6
Safety Management Policy Statement. 7
Safety Management Policy Communication. 9
Authorities, Accountabilities, and Responsibilities. 9
Agency Leadership and Executive Management. 10
Safety Committee………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………12
Employee Safety Reporting Program.. 14
Safety Risk Management Process. 16
Strategies to Reduce Exposure to Infectious Diseases………………………………………………………………………. 17
Strategies to Reduce the Risk of Accidents, Injuries and Assaults……………………………………………………… 18
De-Escalation Strategies…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 19
Safety Performance Monitoring and Measurement. 20
Appendix A – Glossary of Terms. 22
Appendix B – NTD Safety & Security Quick Reference Guide. 24
Appendix C – Hierarchy of Controls. 26
Appendix D – Bow Tie Analysis Diagram.. 27
Appendix E – City Council PTASP Certification Approved Meeting Minutes. 28
Appendix F – Risk Assessment Matrix. 29
Appendix G – Hazard Report Form.. 30
Appendix H – Record of Revisions. 31
| TRANSIT AGENCY INFORMATION | |
| Transit Agency Name | City of Gardena – GTrans (Hereafter Agency) |
| Transit Agency Address | 13999 S. Western Avenue Gardena, CA 90249 |
| Accountable Executive | Ernie Crespo, Deputy City Manager* |
| Chief Safety Officer | Lee Sterling, Transit Training & Safety Manager |
| Modes of Service Provided by Agency | Fixed Route Bus; Dial-A-Ride |
| FTA Funding Received | 5307 |
| Does the agency provide transit service on behalf of another transit agency? | GTrans provides Dial-a-Ride service on behalf of the City of Hawthorne and unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County (Alondra Park and Del Aire) |
| Other Transit Agency Served | Address |
| Los Angeles County | 500 W Temple Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 |
| City of Hawthorne | 4455 W. 126th Street Hawthorne, CA 90250 |
Development, Approval, & Updates
| Transit Agency Name | City of Gardena – GTrans (Hereafter Agency) | Adoption Dates |
| Name of Person Who Drafted This Plan | Samantha M. Blackshire Transit Operations Officer, GTrans | |
| Previous Approvals by City Council | City of Gardena City Council | 9/8/2020- Original 9/27/2022 – Updated |
Development
As a recipient of funding via the Federal Transit Administration, the City of Gardena’s GTrans (GTrans) chose to develop its Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) rather than adopt a PTASP developed by the California Department of Transportation. By signature below, the Accountable Executive confirms the development and revision of this plan.
________________________________________ __________________________
Accountable Executive – Director of Transportation Date Signed
Approval
The City of Gardena City Council approved this plan as so indicated in the City Council minutes contained in Appendix E:
| Approval by City Council | City of Gardena City Council | Dec. 17, 2024 – Updated |
Certification
In accordance with 49 CFR 673.13 Certification of Compliance, GTrans will self-certify the PTASP via the FTA’s Certifications and Assurances process. The FTA requires each transit agency, direct recipient, or state to annually self-certify that they have PTASPs that meet the requirements of this rule. FTA will use its existing Certifications and Assurances process for this effort.
The Agency’s City Council will certify its PTASP and rely on the FTA to certify the PTASP during the GTrans’ Annual Certifications and Assurances that requirements of the Rule have been met. GTrans understands that the PTASP and the process employed to develop/deploy it will be audited by the FTA during our Triennial Performance Review.
GTrans’ Plan update was certified by the City Council, on ___Dec. 17, 2024_______, as is attested to by the meeting minutes of the _____Dec. 17, 2024________, City Council meeting which can be viewed in Appendix E.
Record of Revisions
A table that records the history of revisions made to the GTrans’ PTASP is contained in Appendix H of this document. The history of the changes was placed in the appendix to help preserve the page numbering to the extent possible.
Annual Review and Update of the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP)
On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed into law the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which authorizes federal investment in public transportation. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law amends FTA’s safety program at 49 U.S. Code § 5329(d) by adding to the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) requirements. These new requirements apply to GTrans as a transit agency required to implement a Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) under the PTASP regulation 49 CFR 673.
This document constitutes GTrans’ PTASP, which is designed to adhere to the Safety Management System (SMS) guidelines for a comprehensive and collaborative approach to managing transit safety. This is a living document that will evolve through successive updates and be expanded as needed through recorded revisions referenced in Appendix H. The SMS allows GTrans management and labor personnel to work together to control risk, detect and correct safety problems, effectively share and analyze safety data, and more precisely measure safety performance.
The PTASP will be reviewed annually each year in June to ensure it is current and in compliance with federal rules and regulations. It’s the responsibility of the Chief Safety Officer to work with both the GTrans Policy Committee and the Safety Committee to solicit internal reviews. Both committees assist in the promotion of a safe, healthy and secure environment for all employees and our customers.
The GTrans Policy Committee will review the PTASP annually especially when the following have occurred:
GTrans’ Policy Committee will consist of the Accountable Executive, Chief Safety Officer, Assistant Director of Transportation, Transit Operations Manager, Transit Maintenance Manager, Human Resources staff, Transit Systems Analyst, and Transit Finance Manager.
The draft plan and updates will be presented by the Chief Safety Officer to the Policy Committee and the Safety Committee for review and comment in August. Any proposed changes will be submitted to SCAG in August.
Revisions will be submitted to the City Council at its September meeting for approval. Amendments to the PTASP will be published to the employees and the public at large in accordance with GTrans’ standard communication process (as indicated on Page 14 – Safety Communication).
Executive Summary
The purpose of this document is to establish the PTASP for GTrans in response to the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) PART 673. The regulation focuses on establishing Safety Management System (SMS) guidelines for a comprehensive and collaborative approach to managing transit safety by administering safety throughout the organization, and strategies for minimizing the exposure of the public, personnel, property to unsafe conditions.
The Agency Safety Plan (ASP) demonstrates GTrans’ commitment to safety and will be used to identify programs and processes to minimize injuries and accidents. Management’s compliance with identified responsibilities in the ASP ensures that goals and objectives are achieved. GTrans management and labor personnel will work together to control risk, detect and correct safety problems, effectively share and analyze safety data, and more precisely measure safety performance.
GTrans’ PTASP follows SMS criteria with the aim of generating data and information for management and Safety Committee to evaluate whether implemented safety risk mitigations are appropriate and effective, and to determine if GTrans’ safety performance conforms with established safety objectives and Safety Performance Targets. Safety performance is assessed through routine monitoring activities that enable the identification of any deficiencies in the SMS.
GTrans executive management and leadership team have the overall responsibility of implementing safe and secure operations within the transit agency. As such, management is committed to providing resources essential to the implementation and control of the SMS.
Authority
GTrans is part of the Transportation Department of the City of Gardena, and as such, is governed by the City’s five (5) member City Council. The City of Gardena has taken a great deal of pride in providing its residents and the surrounding areas with public transportation services since January 15, 1940. GTrans services are currently provided to the public with a fleet of electric and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. There are only a limited number of vehicles powered by gasoline. GTrans carries approximately 2 million passengers annually. GTrans also operates paratransit service to seniors and the persons with disabilities.
Approval of GTrans’ PTASP indicates that the City of Gardena City Council accepts that the PTASP complies with each requirement set forth in 49 CFR 673 and will effectively guide GTrans to manage safety risk. To fulfill the requirements of 49 CFR 673, GTrans shall certify the PTASP and maintain the plan onsite readily accessible if requested for review.
Safety Management System (SMS)
SMS is a formal, organization-wide approach to managing safety risks and assuring the effectiveness of a transit agency’s safety risk mitigation. SMS includes systematic procedures, practices, and policies for managing hazards and safety risk.
SMS safety culture is comprised of four (4) components (see below). SMS components interact with each other to provide an effective system of feedback.
| SMS Component | Description |
| Safety Management Policy | A transit agency’s documented commitment to safety, which defines the transit agency’s safety objectives and accountabilities and responsibilities for the management of safety. Defines safety policies, procedures, and organization structure. |
| Safety Risk Management | Process for identifying hazards, and analyzing, assessing the hazards, and mitigating safety risk of their potential consequences. Formal process for management of hazards to an acceptable level of risk of their potential consequences. |
| Safety Assurance | Ensures implementation and effectiveness of safety risk mitigation; ensures agency meets or exceeds it safety objectives through the collection, analysis, and assessment of information. Establishment of process measures, assessments and controls to assess the effectiveness of risk control strategies. |
| Safety Promotion | Combination of training and communication of safety information to support SMS. Safety training and risk communication practices to promote a culture of safety. |
The Chief Safety Officer is authorized by GTrans’ Accountable Executive to prepare, update and implement the PTASP, and to coordinate efforts with other involved departments and implement SMS processes and activities.
The Safety Committee will develop safety performance targets that will be reviewed and updated annually. The specific performance targets are based on the safety performance measures established under the National Public Transportation Safety Plan and any additional established performance goals.
The Safety Committee will set the following Safety Performance Targets (SPTs) to meet those specified by the National Public Transportation Safety Plan. The performance goals for reportable[1] fatalities, injuries and safety events are measured against total Vehicle Revenue Miles (VRM) per mode of transit service. Per the National Public Transportation Safety Plan, “Measuring the number of fatalities over vehicle revenue miles, by mode, provides a fatality rate from which to assess future performance.”
In accordance with 49 US Code 5329, GTrans implements SPTs based on the safety performance measures established by FTA and reportable to the National Transit Database (NTD).
| Mode of Transit Service | Fatalities (Total) | Fatalities (Per 100K VRM) | Injuries (Total) | Injuries (Per 100K VRM) | Safety Events (Total) | Safety Events (Per 100K VRM) | System Reliability (VRM/Failures) | Annual VRM (Total) |
| Fixed Route | 0 | 0.0 | 10 | .71 | 1 | 0.07 | 6,000 | 1,400,000 |
| Dial-A-Ride | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 64,000 | 36,000 |
The California DRMT, in its 2019 State Management Plan for Federal Transit Programs encourages all direct recipients of 5307 funds to develop and certify their own PTASP. The California DRMT also states in its 2019 State Management Plan for Federal Transit Programs, “After July 20, 2020, each agency that is required to develop a PTASP will have to certify with the FTA in their Annual Certifications and Assurances that they have met requirements of the Rule. The PTASP’s and the process employed to develop/deploy them will be audited by the FTA during each agencies Triennial Performance Review.”
Targets Transmitted to the State
Transit providers must make their SPTs available to their State and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs)(§ 673.15(a)). Transit providers also must coordinate with States and MPOs in the selection of State and MPO safety performance targets, to the maximum extent practicable (§ 673.15(b)). During this coordination process, to ensure consistency across the transportation modes represented in the state/regional planning process, States and MPOs may request that transit agencies use specific time periods for “total number” SPTs and specific VRM values for “rate” SPTs. The Chief Safety Officer will be responsible for coordinating GTrans’ Safety Performance Targets with the State and appropriate MPO. For the State of California, the contact for the SSO is listed in the table below.
| State Entity Name | Date Targets Transmitted |
| Brian Travis Senior Transportation Planner Caltrans Federal Transportation Performance Management Team Email: brian.travis@dot.ca.gov | December 18, 2024 |
Targets Transmitted to the Metropolitan Planning Organization(s)
| Metropolitan Planning Organization Name | Date Targets Transmitted |
| Priscilla Freduah-Agyemang Senior Regional Planner, Transit/Rail Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) 900 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1700 Los Angeles, CA. 90017 Tel: (213) 236 – 1973 Email: agyemang@scag.ca.gov | December 18, 2024 |
City of Gardena GTrans will maintain an active Safety Management System (SMS) that encourages the open sharing of information on all safety issues. We expect our employees to report their safety concerns to agency management. No employee will be asked to compromise safety to “get the job done.”
We will develop and embed a safety culture in all our activities that recognizes the importance and value of effective safety management and acknowledges at all times that safety is paramount. Our overall safety objective is to proactively manage safety hazards and their associated safety risk, with the intent to eliminate unacceptable safety risk in our transit operations.
To that end, we will continuously examine our operations for hazards. We will establish a non-punitive employee safety reporting program, train staff on safety management, document our findings and safety risk mitigations, and strive for continuous improvement of our safety performance.
As required by the Federal Transit Administration, we have established annual safety performance targets to help us measure the safety of our transit service. In addition, to address our overall safety objective, we will conduct hazard identification workshops with all frontline, supervisory, and management personnel during this calendar year. We will also work to increase the annual number of voluntary reports received from employees and actively track our safety risk mitigations. To ensure we meet this objective, our safety department will report out each quarter to our entire agency on the number of:
Ultimate responsibility for safety at City of Gardena GTrans rests with the Accountable Executive.
Responsibility for making our operations safer for everyone lies with each one of us – from executive management to frontline employees. Each manager is responsible for implementing the SMS in their area of responsibility and will be held accountable to ensure all reasonable steps are taken to perform activities established as part of the SMS.
Ineffective, Inappropriate Safety Risk Mitigations
If mitigation of a consequence(s) related to a hazard is not working as intended, the appropriate manager affected by the mitigation must submit notify the Chief Safety Officer in writing by requesting a modification. The request will be reviewed by the Chief Safety Officer and both the Policy and Safety Committee. The goal of the committee reviews is to find the best possible
solution for the modification requested. All Committee Members vote on the mitigation modification
recommended by the Chief Safety Officer. If an agreement is not reached the Committees are to
propose another recommendation to the Chief Safety Officer. This review process continues until a modification request is agreed upon. Upon final approval by the Chief Safety Officer, the mitigation response is provided to the responsible division for implementation. Follow up of implemented mitigations is the responsibility of the Chief Safety Officer and the responsible division manager. If determined that it is not possible or highly impractical to eliminate a consequence correlated to a hazard, other actions may be taken to reduce the risk to the lowest practical level. These may include communicating to all employees about the hazard through internal memos, installing warning devices, enclosures, shields, guards; or implementing special procedures.
The Chief Safety Officer will meet, regularly and not less than quarterly with the leadership team and the Safety Committee to determine if there are safety risk mitigations that were not implemented, are ineffective, or inappropriate. The Chief Safety Officer must track the mitigation of hazards and share any agreed upon actions and reports that establish methods for monitoring safety risk mitigations during meetings. To support the mitigation implementation process, the Chief Safety Officer will be responsible for assigning tasks related to monitoring of mitigation activities to the appropriate managers.
The Safety Committee will address missed safety performance targets set by GTrans and
consider mitigations to reduce risks that contribute to safety events and assaults in accordance
with Part 673. If a Safety Committee recommended a safety risk mitigation unrelated to the safety risk reduction program, and the Accountable Executive decides not to implement the safety risk mitigation, the Accountable Executive must provide a written statement explaining the decision. This explanation must be submitted and presented to the Safety Committee and City Council or equivalent entity.
The updated Safety Management Policy will be posted on the GTrans’ website, building lobby, employee break rooms, and rider guide (will direct riders to the policy statement on our website). GTrans will introduce the updated Safety Management Policy to the public in the following manner: when taken to the City Council and then posted on the GTrans’ website.
Our Accountable Executive reviewed the draft policy once it had been developed by our agency. Comments on and recommended changes were taken into account when the final document was developed. The Accountable Executive then submitted the policy to the Gardena City Council for approval. Once their approval was given, the Accountable Executive signed the policy. Additional responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
The Accountable Executive will also ensure the is responsible for the following safety objectives:
with SMS requirements.
incorporate them into budgeting plans, prioritizing and allocating expenditures
according to safety risk.
The Chief Safety Officer’s duties may include, but are not limited to:
Transit Maintenance Manager Responsible for: the providing vehicle maintenance data including frequency and cost of materials and labor for in-house repairs; participate on the Policy and Safety Committees; ensuring the identifications of hazards within their areas of responsible; ensuring corrective measures are implemented; ensuring compliance with regulations and the safety of the fueling station; ensuring identification and correction of bus stop hazards; managing hazardous waste storage and disposal; ensuring compliance with environmental regulations; ensuring compliance with all maintenance, building and fire code requirements and ensuring employees receive safety information and training.
Transit Operations Manager Responsible for: providing accident data and investigation results; ensuring driver evaluation are conducted and the results reviewed: implementation of safety campaigns; ensuring identification and correction of bus stop hazards; ensuring employees receive safety and training information; ensuring compliance with all operational requirements; developing policies and procedures to ensure safe operations; developing service routes and the timing associated with those routes and participation in the Policy and Safety Committees.
Asst. Director of Transportation Oversees the development and administration of external and internal reporting, including but not limited to National Transit Database (NTD) reports, federal and state triennial reviews; participates and assist in labor negotiations process; responsible for compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations; provides strategic planning by developing and implementing short and long term financial planning forecasting, projection, and analysis; provides highly responsible and complex, administrative and financial management support of the Accountable Executive; may assume responsibilities of Accountable Executive in his the absence or act as designee; participate in Policy and Safety Committees. Public dissemination of PTASP required information.
Transit Systems Analyst Responsible for: providing data and security information collection and/or analytical programs; ensuring the Agency’s ability to record and download safety and security videos; and participation on the Policy Committee as needed.
Transit Finance Manager Responsible for: providing insurance costs, and experience modification;
Human Resources Manager Responsible for: providing employee turnover number; employee injury and illness experience; managing the drug and alcohol program compliance; ensuring compliance with the Agency’s employee selection; and participation on the PTASP Committee as needed.
Union Leadership Responsible for: providing information and input regarding safety issues of which they become aware
Trainers Responsible for: the providing driving training to employees and new drivers; pass/fail rates for new drivers, providing accident data and investigation results; ensuring driver evaluation are conducted and the results reviewed: implementation of safety campaigns; ensuring identification and correction of bus system hazards; ensuring employees receive safety training annual an ask needed.
Safety Committee
GTrans has established a designated Safety Committee that is comprised of a joint labor-management process and consists of equal number of management representatives (6) and frontline transit workers (6) representatives. To the extent practicable, the Committee must include front line worker representatives from major transit service functions, such as operations and maintenance. Joint labor-management process means a formal approach to discuss topics affecting transit workers and the public transportation system. The labor organization that represents the plurality of the frontline transit workers must select the representatives for the Safety Committee. The GTrans Safety Committee members are as follows:
| Safety Committee Members |
| Chief Safety Officer (Chair) |
| Assistant Dir. Of Transportation |
| Transit Operations Manager |
| Transit Maintenance Manager |
| Transit Operations Supervisor |
| Maintenance Supervisor |
| Bus Operators (3) |
| Maintenance Staff (3) |
GTrans conducts regular Safety Committee meetings regularly and not less than quarterly to ensure that safety issues are addressed comprehensively.
The Safety Committee meetings will be held regularly with equal number of labor and management personnel to discuss incidents, accidents, assaults based on data received throughout the month. This body will also be responsible for approving the PTASP and any updates; identifying and recommending risk based mitigations or strategies necessary to reduce the likelihood and severity of consequences identified through the agency’s safety risk assessment process; identifying mitigations or strategies that may be ineffective, inappropriate, or were not implemented as intended; identifying safety deficiencies for purposes of continuous improvement; and establishing performance targets for the GTrans risk reduction program. The Safety Committee will support the operation of the GTrans SMS.
The role of the committee is to review the status of programs, projects and activities designed to maintain the safety of employees and customers. The Safety Committee also identifies potential safety hazards and provides possible solutions to mitigate hazards. The Safety Committee also reviews annually any updates to the PTASP plan.
Agenda, Minutes and Notices
Safety Committee meeting agendas will be developed by the Chief Safety Officer and shared with members of the Safety Committee by email prior to the meeting date.
Information discussed and decisions made during each meeting will be recorded in the meeting minutes as documented by a member of the administrative staff. The meeting minutes will be circulated to all Safety Committee members by email and stored on a shared drive. Also, Safety Committee meeting minutes will be posted on employee bulletin boards, and actions to be taken as a result of Safety Committee review will also be presented at bus operator Quarterly Safety meetings, Maintenance Tailgate meetings and GTrans All-Hands staff meetings to increase employee safety awareness about the causes and prevention of accidents, and the identification and correction of physical hazards. The Chief Safety Officer will share the Safety Committee meeting minutes with the Accountable Executive, who can provide updates to the City Manager during regularly scheduled meetings.
Subcommittees
When deemed necessary the Safety Committee will establish subcommittees to meet, research, discuss and address mitigations related to the Safety Committee Meeting findings and recommendations.
Training for Committee Members
At the first committee meeting with new members, an overview of PTASP and safety policies will be provided and will act as a refresher for all other committee members. A more in-depth safety training is conducted during new hire training and at Safety and Tailgate meetings.
Compensation Policy
All members of the Safety Committee will be compensated for their time in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding for their respective bargaining group.
Technical Assistance
The Safety Committee may need access to technical experts, including other transit workers, to serve in an advisory capacity as needed to support its deliberations.
Reach & Record Decisions
The Safety Committee will reach decisions through consensus. If the Committee cannot reach an agreement, the Chief Safety Officer will be required to provide another proposal for committee consideration. All decisions will be recorded in the meeting minutes.
Disputes
The Safety Committee will manage disputes and grievances in concurrence with the City’s established Grievance Policy.
Employee Safety Reporting Program
Employees are encouraged to provide ideas, concerns, or suggestions for improved safety in the workplace. These safety concerns can be raised with supervisors, Management, or members of the Safety Committee. Reports and concerns about workplace safety issues (hazards, assaults on transit workers, near misses, unsafe acts and conditions) may be made anonymously placing a note in the Safety Suggestion Box or using the Hazard Report Form found (see Appendix G). Assault on Transit Worker is a circumstance in which an individual knowingly, without lawful authority or permission, and with intent to endanger the safety of any individual, or with a reckless disregard for the safety of human life, interferes with, disables, or incapacitates a transit worker while the transit worker is performing the duties of the transit worker.
Methods of self-reporting include:
All reports can be made without fear of reprisal. All suggestions will receive prompt follow-up by the Safety Committee or Management. Safety Committee meeting minutes will be posted on employee bulletin boards, and actions to be taken as a result of Safety Committee review will also be presented at bus operator Quarterly Safety meetings, Maintenance Tailgate meetings and GTrans All-Hands staff meetings to increase employee safety awareness about the causes and prevention of accidents, and the identification and correction of physical hazards.
Management will take immediate disciplinary action against employees if a disclosure indicates beyond any reasonable doubt, an illegal act, gross negligence, deliberate or willful disregard of federal laws, regulations, or department policies and procedures.
Inspections are conducted and are an important source of information about hazards. Results from these inspections also help us identify areas where mitigations designed and adopted to manage safety risk are not being carried out as required. Inspections include personnel, vehicles, facilities, and data that identify potential safety concerns or issues. Inspections focus on:
Strategies to Reduce Exposure to Infectious Diseases
GTrans has established strategies to minimize exposure of the public, personnel, and property to infectious diseases, consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and State health authority guidelines.
In accordance with Federal, state, and local public health mandates, GTrans has implemented the City of Gardena’s COVID-19 Prevention Program effective November 30, 2020. The COVID-19 Prevention Program provides guidance in the following areas:
Strategies to Reduce the Risk of Accidents, Injuries and Assaults
GTrans has undertaken several actions designed to reduce factors that can contribute to vehicle accidents, including enhanced observation of bus operator driving habits, identifying potential hazards in the physical environment, and reducing visibility impairments for bus operators that contribute to accidents. GTrans has also enhanced training and installed safety equipment on our buses and have scheduled implementation of additional safety-related measures to improve bus operator safety.
Actions that have been implemented or scheduled for implementation during the upcoming fiscal year include the following:
Law Enforcement Assistance
The Accountable Executive held an open forum safety listening session with the City of Gardena’s City Manager and Police Chief to hear the safety concerns of frontline transit workers, i.e. Bus Operators and Transportation Operations Supervisors in May 2024. During a follow up meeting with the Gardena Police Chief and his key leadership staff; the Assistant Director of Transportation; and the Transit Operations Manager it was agreed law enforcement would resume performance of on-board surveillance of operations; conduct vehicle checks; and stage at designated locations selected by GTrans staff. The high visibility of law enforcement aids in deterring behaviors that may jeopardize the safety of frontline transit workers and the public.
Relocation of Bus Mirror
Operators expressed concerns regarding the lack of visibility, which created a blind spot, due to
the apex and the top mounting of the driver’s side mirror in the El Dorado buses. The apex is the structure of the bus that is to the immediate left between the windshield and the driver’s side window. The Training Department created a video showing operators how they could lose site of a person therefore the rock and roll method was required. To resolve this issue frontline transit workers in both maintenance and operations visited an agency whose specifications required the lower mounting of the driver’s side mirror. This location of the mirror was well received by those in attendance. The next order of El Dorado buses, which was received in late 2023, included the specification of lower mounting.
Operator Barrier
During the COVID 19 Pandemic in 2020, a solution to protect frontline workers from direct contact with the public was the installation of an operator protective barrier. GTrans installed an early iteration of such barriers on its entire fleet. Later, a stronger, more durable barrier door with tempered Department of Transportation (DOT) certified glass became available from AROW Global Corporation. GTrans incorporated this new barrier as part of the design for its next bus order which arrived in late 2023 and early 2024. Only 17 buses in the GTrans bus fleet still have the original, less durable barriers, which are scheduled to be upgraded in 2025. As a result of our on-going efforts to provide a safe work environment for frontline employees, GTrans developed a larger footprint for the glass, with the goal of a fully enclosed driver cabin.
De-Escalation Strategies
Based on the open discussions during the meeting safety listening sessions it was evident that all operations staff would benefit from de-escalation training to reduce the likelihood of an altercation between frontline staff and passengers. Originally, GTrans engaged Red Kite Project team to provide frontline staff with conflict resolution training designed to provide the tools inter-personal skills to enhance their safety. Since this training was beneficial and well received GTrans reached out to the team to schedule additional training that address the increasingly more volatile work environment in which frontline employees work. Thus far three (3) training sessions have been held for approximately 28 frontline employees. Additional training sessions will be held in 2025.
Passenger Code of Conduct
GTrans is committed to providing a safe, secure, and pleasant environment for its passengers and staff. While on-board GTrans it is our hope that passengers are respectful and courteous. To guide them towards this objective the GTrans Passenger Code of Conduct was prepared in 2023. The draft Code of Conduct was reviewed, and comments provided by the Gardena City Attorney in 2024. Upon review of these comments and others submitted by staff the document will be revised and approved by the appropriate body. Staff will determine what information from the GTrans Code of Conduct will be communicated to operations staff, passengers, and the community. The GTrans Code of Conduct will be enforced in accordance with federal, state and local laws.
Transit Operations
When adequate coverage is available Transit Operations Supervisors are assigned to Zone coverage. This will allow Transportation Operation Supervisors to be responsible for a specific territory within the GTrans service area. While inside their respective territories, the Transit Operations Supervisor will be responsible for carrying out certain duties and responsibilities including but not limited to following behind buses while in-service.
Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) System – Covert Alarm
In 2022 the Clever Devices AVL system was installed on the GTrans fixed route fleet. This technology allows vehicles to be tracked from dispatch and in the Transportation Operations Supervisors’ vehicles. The Clever Devices technology also includes covert alarms. In October 2024 Operations reimplemented the Wednesday testing of all in-service buses covert alarm. Upon performing their daily vehicle inspection Operators are required to press the covert button to ensure an emergency message is received by dispatch. This practice is to ensure the covert alarms are functioning properly.
Altercation Policy
Instituted an Altercation Policy for transit worker safety. The policy directed frontline transit workers, specifically bus operators, not to leave their seat to engage or pursue any persons. They were provided other tools to handle the situation such as exercising excellent defensive verbal tactics.
GTrans will monitor a variety of activities to ensure hazards have been corrected and the mitigations were effective. GTrans will use leading indicators activity performance, such as: the number of inspections required versus those completed, training rates, driver evaluation trend reports, and other safety reporting programs within its reporting programs.
GTrans will use a variety of lagging indicators to determine the completion, effectiveness, and appropriateness of mitigation action, including, but not limited to worker and liability loss trends, customer complaint trends, and establishing a formal system that requires an assessment of the effectiveness of corrective actions previously implemented; these will vary based on how the hazard corrected was identified and/or how the solution was determined.
GTrans will monitor: accident data; anonymous employee reports; its transit near-miss reporting; its Transit Asset Management Program findings; employee injury statistics; and customer complaints to determine the effectiveness of its safety plan.
GTrans has fewer than 100 vehicles during peak service periods; therefore, we are exempted from this requirement.
GTrans has fewer than 100 vehicles during peak service periods; therefore, they we are exempted from this requirement.
GTrans requires employees and contractors, including the Chief Safety Officer, to complete training to be able to fulfill their safety-related roles and responsibilities. Initial training will be completed at hire/assignment, and refresher training will be provided when behaviors indicate a need, and/or there are changes to the PTASP, operations, procedures, organizational structure, and when new hazards are identified, and mitigation measures are developed.
GTrans will communicate safety and safety performance information throughout the organization and community using the following methods of communication:
| Term | Definition |
| Accident | Accident means an Event that involves any of the following: a loss of life; a report of a serious injury to a person; a collision of public transportation vehicles; a runaway train; an evacuation for life safety reasons; or any derailment of a rail transit vehicle, at any location, at any time, whatever the cause. (per § 673.5) |
| Accountable Executive | § 673.5 Definitions – Accountable Executive means a single, identifiable person who has ultimate responsibility for carrying out the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan of a public transportation agency; responsibility for carrying out the agency’s Transit Asset Management Plan; and control or direction over the human and capital resources needed to develop and maintain both the agency’s Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan, in accordance with 49 U.S.C. § 5329(d), and the agency’s Transit Asset Management Plan in accordance with 49 U.S.C. § 5326. § 673.23(d)(1) – The transit agency must identify an Accountable Executive. The Accountable Executive is accountable for ensuring that the agency’s SMS is effectively implemented throughout the agency’s public transportation system. The Accountable Executive is accountable for ensuring action is taken, as necessary, to address substandard performance in the agency’s SMS. The Accountable Executive may delegate specific responsibilities, but the ultimate accountability for the transit agency’s safety performance cannot be delegated and always rests with the Accountable Executive. |
| Chief Safety Officer | § 673.31 Definitions – Chief Safety Officer means an adequately trained individual who has responsibility for safety and reports directly to a transit agency’s chief executive officer, general manager, president, or equivalent officer. A Chief Safety Officer may not serve in other operational or maintenance capacities, unless the Chief Safety Officer is employed by a transit agency that is a small public transportation provider as defined in this part, or a public transportation provider that does not operate a rail fixed guideway public transportation system. Safety Management System (SMS) Executive means a Chief Safety Officer or an equivalent. § 673.23(d)(2) – The Accountable Executive must designate a Chief Safety Officer or SMS Executive who has the authority and responsibility for day-to-day implementation and operation of an agency’s SMS. The Chief Safety Officer or SMS Executive must hold a direct line of reporting to the Accountable Executive. A transit agency may allow the Accountable Executive to also serve as the Chief Safety Officer or SMS Executive. |
| Consequence | Consequences are outcomes or what those conditions can cause. Transit agencies should assess the likelihood and severity of the consequences of a hazard, not of the hazard itself (per § 673.5) |
| Event | Event means any Accident, Incident, or Occurrence. (per § 673.5) |
| Fatalities | Deaths, excluding suicides or trespassers |
| Hazard | Hazard means any real or potential condition that can cause injury, illness, or death; damage to or loss of the facilities, equipment, rolling stock, or infrastructure of a public transportation system; or damage to the environment. Hazards are conditions. (per § 673.5) |
| Incident | Incident means an Event that involves any of the following: A personal injury that is not a serious injury; one or more injuries requiring medical transport; or damage to facilities, equipment, rolling stock, or infrastructure that disrupts the operations of a transit agency. (per § 673.5) |
| Injuries | Any harm to persons as a result of an event that requires immediate medical attention away from the scene. |
| Occurrence | Occurrence means an Event without any personal injury in which any damage to facilities, equipment, rolling stock, or infrastructure does not disrupt the operations of a transit agency. (per § 673.5) |
| Performance Target | Performance target means a quantifiable level of performance or condition, expressed as a value for the measure, to be achieved within a time period required by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). (per § 673.5) |
| Safety Event | Safety event means an unexpected outcome resulting in injury or death; damage to or loss of the facilities, equipment, rolling stock, or infrastructure of a public transportation system; or damage to the environment. |
| Safety Performance Target | Safety performance target means a Performance Target related to safety management activities. (per § 673.5) |
| Serious Injury | Serious injury means any injury which: (1) Requires hospitalization for more than 48 hours, commencing within 7 days from the date the injury was received; (2) Results in a fracture of any bone (except simple fractures of fingers, toes, or noses); (3) Causes severe hemorrhages, nerve, muscle, or tendon damage; (4) Involves any internal organ; or (5) Involves second- or third-degree burns, or any burns affecting more than 5 percent of the body surface. (per § 673.5) |
2020 NTD Safety & Security Quick Reference Guide – Non-Rail Mode Reporting
| S&S-40 Major Event Report | S&S-50 Non-Major Monthly Summary |
| MAJOR THRESHOLDS | NON-MAJOR THRESHOLDS |
| An event meeting the reportable event definition AND meeting one or more of the following reporting thresholds: A fatality confirmed within 30 days (including suicide)An injury requiring transport away from the scene for medical attention for one or more persons (partial exception in the case of Other Safety Events)Estimated property damage equal to or exceeding $25,000An evacuation for life safety reasonsCollisions involving transit roadway revenue vehicles that require towing away of a transit roadway vehicle or other non-transit roadway vehicle Reports are due within 30 days of the date of the event. | Less severe Other Safety Occurrence Not Otherwise Classified (OSONOC) injuries meeting the reportable event definition that are NOT a result of a collision, evacuation, security event, hazmat spill, or Act of God, and non-major fires. Other Safety Occurrence Not Otherwise Classified (OSONOC): Single injury event requiring transport away from the scene for medical attention (do not report “minor” collisions on S&S-50) Fires: Requiring suppression that do not meet a major incident reporting threshold injury, fatality, evacuation, or property damage of $25,000 or more). Reports due by the end of the following month (e.g., January data due by end of February) |
| S&S-40 Major Event Report | S&S-50 Non-Major Monthly Summary |
| EVENT TYPES | EVENT TYPES |
| Collision (including suicide/attempted suicide)FireHazardous material spill (requires specialized clean-up)Acts of God (nature)System security:ArsonBomb threat/bombingBurglary / VandalismChemical/biological/radiological/nuclear releaseCyber security eventHijackingSabotageSuspicious packageOther security event (shots fired, projectiles, etc.)Personal Security:AssaultHomicideSuicide or Attempted Suicide (no transit vehicle involved)RobberyLarceny/theftMotor vehicle theftRapeOther personal security events (perpetrator tazing)Other Safety Occurrences Not Otherwise Classified (OSONOC) (two injuries and/or another threshold) Miscellaneous events that meet a threshold | Other Safety Occurrence Not Otherwise Classified (OSONOC): Injury due to: Slip/TripFallIncluding person making contact with a non-moving transit vehicleInjury to maintenance workersBoarding/alightingAbrupt or evasive transit vehicle maneuversMobility device (e.g. wheelchair) securement issuesInjury sustained on a mobility device liftStairs/elevator/escalator injury Fire: Requires suppression but no major threshold is metSmall fire on in transit stationSmall engine fire on transit vehicle |
| 1. Elimination | Remove the hazard, i.e. remove the hazardous process, tool, or materials, | |
| 2. Substitution | Substitute a less hazardous materialSubstitute the vehicleReduce the energy | |
| 3. Engineering Controls | VentilationMachine guarding / Driver guardingSound enclosuresInterlocksPlatforms and guard railingLift platforms | |
| 4. Warnings | SignsBackup alarmsBeepersHornsLabels | |
| 5. Administrative Controls | ProceduresTraining | |
| 6. PPE | Safety glassesHearing protectionSafety vestsSafety harnessesGlovesRespirators |
Appendix D – Bow Tie Analysis Diagram
The Safety Risk Severity Table presents a typical safety risk. It includes four categories to denote the level of severity of the occurrence of a consequence, the meaning of each category, and the assignment of a value to each category using numbers. In this table, 1 is considered catastrophic meaning possible deaths and equipment destroyed and 4 is considered negligible or of little consequence with two levels in between.
The Risk Assessment Matrix measures the level of safety risk in terms of severity (across the top) and likelihood (down the side). The matrix format will allow GTrans to combine the assessment of severity and likelihood to determine the overall risk rating of the potential consequence of the hazard.
Safety Risk Assessment Matrix with Labels
| Safety Risk Assessment Matrix | ||||||
| Severity ® Probability ¯ | Catastrophic 1 | Critical 2 | Marginal 3 | Negligible 4 | ||
| A-Frequent | 1A | 2A | 3A | 4A | ||
| B- Probable | 1B | 2B | 3B | 4B | ||
| C-Occasional | 1C | 2C | 3C | 4C | ||
| D- Remote | 1D | 2D | 3D | 4D | ||
| E- Improbable | 1E | 2E | 3E | 4E | ||
| Safety Risk Index Ranking | ||||||
| 1A, 1B, 1C, 2A, 2B | High | Unacceptable | ||||
| 1D, 2C, 3A, 3B | Serious | Undesirable – With management decision required | ||||
| 1E, 2D, 2E, 3C, 3D, 3E, 4A, 4B, | Medium | Acceptable – with review by management | ||||
| 4C, 4D, 4E | Low | Acceptable – without review | ||||
A table that records the history of revisions made to the agency’s PTASP is contained in the table that follows. The history of the changes was placed in this appendix to help preserve the page numbering to the extent possible.
| Version | Date Adopted | Sections Revised | Reason | Date Issued |
| 1.0 | 9/8/2020 | N/A | Original – Adopted by Gardena City Council | |
| 2.0 | 9/27/2022 | Pages 2, 3, 5 | Annual Update | 9/28/2021 |
| 3.0 | Pages 2, 3, 9, 12, 13, 14 | Annual Update Incorporate PTASP Infrastructure Law Changes | 9/27/2022 | |
| 4.0 | 12/17/2024 | Page 1 | Include names of Accountable Executive & Training & Safety Manager and Person who Prepared the Plan; and DAR areas of service. | 1/06/2025 |
| Page 2 | Included Accountable Executive City title; Updated Self Certification language; Inserted date before City Council. | |||
| Page 3 | Updated language regarding PTASP Renamed PTASP Committee to Policy and identified members | |||
| Page 4 | Revised annual review timeline; Included Executive Summary & Authority sections | |||
| Page 5 | Included Safety Management System and Components; and Chief Safety Officer authorization; Annual information updated | |||
| Page 6 | Annual Update | |||
| Page 7 – 11 | Annual Update | |||
| Page 12-14 | Redefine Safety Committee members and duties according to Regulations; Annual Update | |||
| Page 20 | PTASP Committee changed to Policy Committee; Annual Update | |||
| Page 13, 14 | Annual Update of Safety Committee | |||
| Page 17 | Included Updated actions implemented or scheduled | |||
| Page 17 – 18 | Update of Safety Risk definition | |||
| Page 19 | Annual Update | |||
| Page 22 | Annual Update of Glossary |
[1] The thresholds for “reportable” fatalities, injuries, and safety events are defined in the NTD Safety and Security Reporting Manual.
*=Revised to reflect title change.