USDOT "Fast Lane" blog, 1/30:
Thomas Littleton, FTA Associate Administrator
Last November, I wrote here in the Fast Lane that the Federal Transit Administration has been working hard to establish our new safety authority and develop a framework that will allow us to better protect the nation's transit riders and transit employees.
And earlier this week, we marked another important milestone in that development as George Good, Jr., began his first day as the first full-time safety investigator for our 50-year old agency.
Day-to-day, George will support round-the-clock operations for accident investigations. He will also work closely with the transit industry and other DOT agencies to promote transit safety and develop recommended practices and procedures that can help make a safe mode of transportation even safer. And when safety issues are identified at a transit agency, George will help draft recommendations and advisories to eliminate those risks.
Most recently, Mr. Good served as the Safety Program Director for the Maryland Department of Transportation. His previous experience includes 28 years in operations safety and security for bus, heavy rail, and light rail transit systems as well as commuter rail.
While accident or defect investigation is a standard procedure in several DOT agencies, the proven skills and expertise that George Good, Jr., brings to FTA are critical assets at a time when we are beginning to establish our independent investigative safety authority as required by law.
For example, we are presently supporting the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in their investigation of a January 12 subway incident here in Washington, DC. Our Office of Safety will use the information gathered during the current Metro investigation to proactively address incidents like this in the future by sharing best practices and improving safety protocols at transit systems nationwide.
With George now on board, FTA plans to hire additional safety investigators immediately to complete our investigative team. These efforts will go a long way toward protecting the safety of transit riders across the U.S.
