TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Synthesis 108: Transit Bus Operator Distraction Policies is designed to help transit agencies develop policies and programs to address and prevent distracted driving incidents.

This synthesis addresses the practices and experiences of public transit agencies in applying both corrective actions and rewards to recognize, motivate, and reinforce a safety culture within their organizations.

This report identifies potential best practices for all of the elements of a comprehensive approach to safety-related rules compliance. The categories of best practices, which correspond to the elements of a safety-related rules compliance program, include screening and selecting employees, training and testing, communication, monitoring rules compliance, responding to noncompliance, and safety management. This report also outlines the features of a prototype safety reporting system for public transportation.

This digest highlights the legal requirements that are relevant to the transit procurement process of balancing the competing needs of open government and public security. The report explores federal and state requirements concerning record retention and disclosure, as well as practices transit agencies have adopted to meet their responsibilities in balancing these competing public policy interests.

This report explores how performance measurements are used to achieve organizational goals and enhance quality of service at public transport planning, funding, and operating agencies in Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China; in the city-state of Singapore; in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and in Taipei, Taiwan

This report explores preventive maintenance measures taken by a sampling of transit agencies to ensure buses are on time, protect taxpayer investments, and promote passenger satisfaction and public safety.

This report explores legal issues associated with the U.S. Federal Transit Administration’s New Starts process.

This report explores two guard rail installation philosophies and the effects of vehicle types, wheel flange angle, wheel/rail friction coefficient, curve radius, cant deficiency, and track perturbation on flange climb derailments.

This report is a digest of the progress and status of TCRP Project J-7,  Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Problems, for which the Transportation Research Board is the agency conducting the research.

This report examines pedestrian and motorist behaviors contributing to light rail transit (LRT) safety and explores mitigating measures available designed to improve safety along LRT alignments. The report also includes suggestions to facilitate the compilation of accident data in a coordinated and homogeneous manner across LRT systems. Finally, the report provides a catalog of existing and innovative safety devices, safety treatments, and practices along LRT alignments. Appendices B through E of TCRP Report 137 were published as TCRP Web-Only Document 42.

Transit agencies face numerous challenges in providing passengers with a safe and efficient means of travel while respecting the freedom of expression protected by the First Amendment. In May 1998, the Transportation Research Board published Transit Cooperative Research Program Legal Research Digest (LRD) 10, Restrictions on Speech and Expressive Activities in Transit Terminals and Facilities ("LRD 10"), a survey of the relevant law and its development up to the time of publication. This digest supplements LRD No. 10, summarizing and analyzing the status of this important area of the law in light of court decisions and other developments that have arisen in subsequent years.

This synthesis explores transit-related counterterrorism and anti-crime security measures and practices; examines crime and security incident trends; and highlights other related topics, including major issues and obstacles to security and policing management.  The report is an update to TCRP Synthesis of Transit Practice 21: Improving Transit Security, which did not address terrorism.

This report examines a business case for the shared use of non-Federal Railroad Administration-compliant public transit rail vehicles (e.g., light rail vehicles) with freight operations and highlights a business model for such shared-use operations.  This report also explores potential advantages and disadvantages of shared-use operations and the issues and barriers that can arise in the course of implementation.

This report presents the mitigation methods tested and used by transit agencies to reduce collisions between light rail vehicles (LRVs) and motor vehicles where light rail transit (LRT) runs through or adjacent to highway intersections controlled by conventional traffic signals.  A particular focus is placed on collisions occurring between LRVs and vehicles making left-hand turns at these intersections.  This report offers success stories and specific actions to achieve positive results, as well as examples of unsuccessful actions.  The issues addressed include a range of LRT operations and environments such as median-running, side-running, contra-flow, and mixed-use LRT alignments; urban and suburban setting; and a variety of U.S. geographic regions.

This publication examines basic privacy issues associated with the acquisition and storage of financial and trip data associated with the use of a transit smart card.  The report explores who can access the data collected, what data may be accessed and under what conditions, and how the information can be used.

This digest notes the progress and status of J-7, "Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Problems" for which the Transportation Research Board is the agency conducting the research.

This report will assist public transportation agency senior staff, law enforcement, and security service providers in assessing the advantages and disadvantages of establishing a passenger security inspection program. The objective is to provide guidance that a public transportation agency may use when considering whether, where, when, and how to introduce a passenger security inspection program into its operations. This volume identifies the most promising types of screening technologies and methods currently in use or being tested, the operational considerations for the deployment of these technologies in land-based systems, the legal precedent that either applies or that should be contemplated in connection with passenger screening activities, and a passenger security inspection policy decision-making model.

This digest discuss the investigated portable track geometry measurement systems, their applicability to transit operations, and developed performance guidelines and testing requirements for use by transit agencies in evaluating and selecting a portable track geometry system.

This digest provides guidelines for the application of guard/girder/restraining rails by transit systems to improve vehicle curving performance,  reduce risk of flange climb derailment, and to control wheel/rail wear.

This reports suggests selected engineering treatments to improve safety for pedistrains crossing-high-volume, high-speed roadways at unsignalized intersections, in particular those served by public transportation; and recommends modifications to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, pedestrian traffic signal warrant.   The guidelines for use in selecting pedestrian crossing treatments for unsignalized intersections and midblock locations is located as Appendix A in the report.

This report will assist U.S. ferry system operators in evaluating and selecting general security measures (GSMs) for their operaitons consistent with the National Incident Management System (NIMS).  NIMS provides a consistent nationwide approach for Federal, State, territorial, tribal, and local governments to work effectively and efficiently together to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity.  This volume focus on the concerns that transportation agencies are addressing when developing programs in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the anthrax attacks that followed.

This report is designed to assist transportation agencies in developing drills and exercises in alignment with the National Incident Management System (NIMS).  The objective of this volume is to provide guidelines for use by transportation exercise coordinators.  Steps are described in the process of emergency exercise development, implementation, and evaluation.

This report will assist rural, small urban, and community-based passenger transportation agencies in creating hazards and security plans or evaluating and modifying existing plans, policies, and procedures consistent with the National Incident. Management System (NIMS)  "NIMS provides a consistent nationwide approach for Federal State, territorial, tribal, and local government to work effectively and efficiently together to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity." To excess the accompany appendices to this report and additional resources, click the link. http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/152464.aspx

This report provides information concerning the ability of public transportation systems or their agents, within the context of federal or state law, to conduct either random searches or targeted searches of passengers on public transportation vehicles or on public transportation property.

This fifth volume of TCRP Report 86: Public Transportation Security, is part of a series pertaining to specific security problems. They focus on the concerns that transit agencies are addressing when developing programs in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11. The objective of Volume 5, Security-Related Customer Communications and Training for Public Transportation Providers is to provide improved tools for security-related customer communications and training. A CRP-CD-43, accompanies this volume, which containes the entire TCRP Report 86: volume 5 contents.

This report is designed to address transit agencies' needs for evaluating and upgrading the intrusion detection systems applicable to the spectrum of their facilities (including tunnels, bridges, buildings, power stations, transfer stations, rail yards, bus yards, and parking lots) and their transit vehicles (such as buses, trains, support vehicles, and special purpose vehicles).  The Handbook provides guidance on assessing system needs; developing system designs; and estimating system costs, benefits, and risks.

Emergencies arising from terrorist threats highlight the need for transportation managers to minimize the vulnerability of passengers, employees, and physical assets through incident prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.  This volume is a part of a  series that focuses on the concerns that transit agencies are addressing when developing programs in response to the terrorist attacks of Septemer 11, 2001, and the anthrax attacks that followed. To reduce the chances that transportation vehicles and facilities will be targets or instruments of terrorists attacks, and to be prepared to respond to and recover from such possibilities, transportation agencies are simultaneously prepared to respond to natural disasters such as hurricans, floods, and wildfires, as well as human-caused events such as hazardous materials spills and other incidents.

This digest is an overview of the mission that investigated safety and security  issues at all-bus systems.  It is based on individual reports provided by the team members, and it reflects the views of the team members, who are responsible for the facts and accuracy of the date presented.  The report includes transportation information on the cities and facilities visited, lessons learned, and discussions of policies and practices that could be applied in the United States.

This is the second volume of TCRP 86: Public Transportation Security, a series in which relevant information is assembled into single, concise volumes, each pertaining to a specific security problem and closely related issues.  This volume will focus on the concern that transit agencies are addressing when developing programs in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the anthrax attacks that followed.  This report will be of interest to federal, state, and local law enforcement K9 program operators.  Trained dogs represent the best broad-spectrum, high sensitivity sensory systems.  The use of canine (K9) teams to support patrol, narcotics, and explosives-detection activities is routine in major metropolitan areas.  This information is based largely on extensive interviews with nine public transportation agencies that currently deploy K9s and four agencies that disbanded their K9 programs in the last  5 years.

A challenging problem that many light rail systems face is the "second train coming" phenomenon on double track crossings.  A second train frequently activates the grade crossing equipment within seconds after the first train has activated the grade crossing circuits, thus creating a situation in which two trains pass through the grade crossing within seconds of each other which could be very confusing and potentially dangerous to motorists and pedestrains.  This digest provides the results of two demonstrations of active sign warning systems that could increase awareness of and compliance with the conditions of the second train coming phenomenon.

This report presents a compilation of state CDL/CMV regulations, an overview summary of the federal motor carrier safety regulations, and information on the availability of state CMV and regular driver's manuals, among other information.

This digest presents findings about current methods for collecting, analyzing, and using data on transit-related crime to make decisions on personnel deployment and on allocation of security resources. The findings are based on telephone interviews and on information collected from 21 agencies. The final report, which describes the research approach and the analyses performed during the course of the project, is available as TCRP Web Document 18 on the Internet at http://www4.national-academies.org/trb/crp.nsf.

This report examine how part-time labor has affected the cost and performance of transit systems over the past 25 years and consider how part-time labor can be meaningfully incorporated into the workforce while avoiding potential negative impacts. This research reflects concern for transit system operating costs, safety, service, reliability, customer satisfaction, labor-management relations, and employee satisfaction.

This report provides documentation and presents the results of a study to improve the safety of light transit (LRT) in semi-exclusive rights-of-way where light rail vehicles (LRVs) operate at speeds greater than 35 mph through crossings with streets and pedestrians pathways. It also presents the results of field tests conducted to improve the safety of high speed LRT systems through grade crossing design. This report will be useful to LRT system designers, LRT operations and maintenance personnel, transit operations planners, traffic engineers, light rail safety officials, transit managers, and transit law enforcement officials.

This report provides guidance to transit agecny managers on whether to purchase a driving simulator and, if so, what kind.  Also, this document provides guidance on how to use simulation effectively to improve bus operator training and safety.  The guideline are designed to be used by transit-operations management, human resource management, training instructors, operations and safety personnel.

The role that operator fatigue plays in mass transit safety has become one of the central issues that U.S. bus and rail transit agencies must address. Fatigue is increasing cited as a contributing factor in bus and rail transit accidents.  The National Transportation Safety Board lists human fatigue as an area where significant improvement is needed in order to increase transportation safety.  In addition to reducing accidents, mitigating fatigue can also reduce the cost of transit operations.  Costs due to lost productivity, employee absenteeism, employee turnover rate, reduced morale, and increased wear and tear on equipment are affected by employee fatigue.

A new tool is available for assessing fuel-related hazards on transit buses. It is built on quantitative analysis (summarized in this digest) that shows where the key risks for fuel-related hazards in compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefield natural gas (LNG) are expected. The Alternative-Fuel Transit Bus Hazard Assessment Model (the model) is designed as an Excel spreedsheet tool that can be tailored to the characteristics of a particular fleet and facility after reading the "One-Page User's Guide." Download the model and its accompanying final report/user's guide from the TCRP web site at http://www4.nationalacademies.org/trb/crp.nsf/All+Projects/TCRP+C-11. The model and the final report are also available on CD-ROM as CRP-CD-4 through the American Public Transportation Association's TCRP Dissemination web site at http://www.apta.com/tcrp.

This toolkit identifies an array of management principles and techniques, for use by small urban and rural public transportation providers, to assist in managing their transportation services and resources effectively. The toolkit has two parts: a guidebook and a self-assessment tool. The guidebook introduces the idea of customer-driven transit service attributes and includes general management philosophies. Also included in the guidebook are exemplary practices and "how to" instructions for some topics. The guidebook also includes four chapters on the "cross-cutting" topics, including operations management, risk management, vehicle maintenance, and procurement. The self-assessment tool on disk, that accompanies this report, is designed to give the user a baseline or current picture of the status of the transit system.

This synthesis will be of interest to transit agency general managers, police and security, operations, training, and human resources staffs, and to local police officials. It offers information on a variety of approaches to improving transit security. The nature and extent of transit crime, effective strategies to combat problem situations, and case studies of specific control practices deemed successful by transit agency professionals (with no distinctions drawn between bus and rail modes) are discussed. It reports on the various practices, making specific recommendations where appropriate but without the detailed directions usually found in handbooks or design manuals. Nonetheless, these documents can serve similar purposes, for each is a compendium of the best knowledge available on those measures found to be successful in resolving specific problems. The extent to which these reports are useful will be tempered by the users' knowledge and experience in the particular problem areas.