BEST PRACTICES
Operator & Passenger Safety
Positive Train Control / Mediation / Identifying Behaviors
I Jim Fox
N ORDER FOR A TRANSIT ORGANIZAtion
to be successful, safety has to be
the top priority of all of its employees
and its passengers. Th rough operational
improvements, technological advancements
and diverse internal and external
outreach programs, the Southeastern
Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
(SEPTA) has created a “Safety First” culture
for staff and customers.
Positive Train Control (PTC) has been
at the forefront of transportation industry
safety since 2008. On its Regional
(commuter) Rail, SEPTA pushed ahead to
meet PTC deadlines and, as of May 2017,
all of SEPTA lines and equipment have
been operating with PTC. Th roughout
the PTC implementation eff ort, SEPTA’s
in-house team has worked continuously
with Amtrak, freight partners, third-party
contractors and the FRA. Th e fi nal focus
is completing the task of establishing
interoperability with CSX and Norfolk
Southern, which operate along portions
of SEPTA territory. Th is phase of the
program is scheduled to be completed
by December.
SEPTA has 9,500 employees and, in
addition to commuter rail, operates two
subway/elevated lines, eight light rail
trolley lines, one interurban high speed
line and 119 bus routes. Th e Authority’s
proactive approach to safety resulted in
the 2012 launch of the “Never Too Busy
for Safety” employee-focused program. In
the spirit of Never Too Busy for Safety,
SEPTA developed its Operational Safety
Improvement Program (OSIP) in 2018.
Th e OSIP defi nes how SEPTA will continue
to enhance safety on all its operating
modes. Key stakeholders from various departments,
in conjunction with SEPTA’s
General Manager and Deputy General
Manager develop the initiatives in the plan
and monitor progress on a monthly basis.
Technology has played a signifi cant
role in the continued development and
success of SEPTA’s safety culture. Railroad
simulators give engineers the ability
to experience non-routine operating
scenarios that may not otherwise be experienced
42 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | NOVEMBER 2018
in actual operating environments,
such as slippery rail conditions.
Th e program is beginning with Regional
Rail and will be expanded to include all
rail modes.
In the field, the Roadway Worker
Protracker system is currently in use
on the Norristown High Speed Line and
is being piloted on Regional Rail. Each
railcar has an onboard sensor that communicates
with an armband worn by a
roadway worker to warn of an approaching
train. SEPTA continues to install the
Bus Alert Turn Warning, which provides
an audible alert on the outside of the
bus to warn those around the vehicle
anytime it changes lanes or is making
a turn. With over 600 installed, the
balance of SEPTA’s 1,400 buses will be
completed by 2019. SEPTA also recently
started to install bus operator protective
barriers, with all 1400 expected to be
installed by 2020. Additionally, SEPTA
is evaluating a couple of collision avoidance
systems to mitigate collisions with
privately owned vehicles, pedestrians
and fixed objects.
Th e success of SEPTA’s safety culture
relies on the buy in of its employees and
customers. Th is year the System Safety
Division developed Safety Culture surveys
for employees to voluntarily complete.
Approximately 5,000 responses
were received. Once the results of the
surveys were tabulated, System Safety
offi cers visited all of SEPTA reporting
locations on all shift s to discuss the
results, listen to their concerns and
remind them of the safety resources that
are available to them.
In the community, SEPTA regularly
interacts with its customers about safety.
In addition to monthly safety blitzes
and Operation Lifesaver presentations,
since 2013 the Authority has held an
annual System-wide “Make the Safe
Choice” Safety Day in the spring. Over
400 employee ambassadors and safety
offi cers visit stations across the service
area, distributing safety materials
and provide safety educational tips to
passengers. Over the past two years, SEPTA
has partnered with local school students
who develop safety-related posters
and messages to be distributed to riders.
One of the newest SEPTA safety
tools is the “Safety Education Bus”, a
passenger bus once slated for retirement
was overhauled by employees at the Berridge
Shop. Th e bus has been on the road
since June, being used exclusively for the
Authority’s internal and external safety
awareness events.
Assistant
General
Manager of
System Safety
Southeastern
Pennsylvania
Transportation
Authority
Philadelphia, Penn.
The Authority’s
proactive approach
to safety resulted
in the 2012 launch
of the “Never Too
Busy for Safety”
employee-focused
program.
/MassTransitmag.com