Technical Assistance and Oversight
The agency provides technical assistance and oversight for its subrecipients of Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Our focus is on working collaboratively to provide technical support to help our partners meet requirements, so that agencies can continue getting their clients where they need to be. This page provides our partners with information about the oversight program, federal regulations, and other helpful links.
If you have questions about Transit Technical Assistance and Oversight, contact transit_ops@nctcog.org or your project manager.
In 2026, the reviewed categories were the Americans with Disabilities Act sections (General and Complementary Paratransit), Drug and Alcohol, and Public Transit Agency Safety Plans (PTASP).
Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP)
On July 19, 2019, the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) Final Rule↗️ (this link opens in a new tab) became effective, which requires certain operators of public transportation systems that receive federal funds to develop safety plans that include the processes and procedures to implement Safety Management Systems (SMS). The plans must also include safety performance targets. Transit operators must certify they have safety plans in place meeting the requirements of the rule by July 21, 2021, and the plans must be updated and certified by the transit agencies annually.
The rule applies to all operators of public transportation systems that are recipients and sub-recipients of federal financial assistance under the Urbanized Area Formula Program (49 U.S.C. § 5307). However, FTA is deferring applicability of this requirement for operators that only receive funds through FTA’s Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Formula Program (Section 5310) and/or Rural Area Formula Program (Section 5311).
FTA’s PTASP Technical Assistance Center↗️ (this link opens in a new tab) has in-depth resources for transit providers and offers review of agency safety plans to assist in the process.
NCTCOG's Transit Safety page includes information and resources related to the PTASP performance targets adopted by the Regional Transportation Council (RTC).
As the direct recipient, we are responsible to step into the shoes of FTA to provide technical assistance and oversight for subrecipients. Our compliance program is organized into sections mirroring those covered during an FTA Comprehensive Review and described in the FTA Contractor's Manual. Over a three-year cycle, every applicable section is covered. Below, you will find the checklists used to evaluate recently reviewed sections. This page will be continuously updated with new resources.
| Compliance Checklists |
|---|
| Americans with Disabilities Act - General (Word file) |
| Americans with Disabilities Act - Complementary Paratransit (Word file) |
| Drug and Alcohol (Word file) |
| Public Transit Agency Safety Plans (Word file) |
| Section 5307 (Word file) |
| Section 5310 (Word file) |
Comprehensive Review Contractor’s Manual↗️ (this link opens in a new tab) – This manual is provided for FTA’s oversight contractors for assessing compliance of FTA recipients during a Comprehensive Review (formerly Triennial Review). It provides a basis for NCTCOG’s compliance program and is an excellent resource for understanding basic requirements and finding information about underlying regulations.
FTA Circulars↗️ (this link opens in a new tab) – This FTA issues guidance in the form of circulars to provide grantees with direction on program specific issues and statutory requirements. They are arranged by topic.
NCTCOG can also provide technical assistance in the form of maps (i.e., service area maps) through our GIS/Data Solutions team. Please reach out to your project manager for more details.
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