Safe Transit Accountability Act

This bill would make one person at each public transit agency clearly in charge of safety decisions. It says the agency’s “accountable executive” must decide whether to put in place the safety fixes recommended by the Safety Committee, and that this person is the tie-breaker if the Safety Committee can’t agree. It also defines this executive as the single person responsible for the agency’s safety plan and asset management plan, with control over the people and money needed to carry them out.

What this means in everyday life: transit agencies would have a clear final decision-maker for safety steps. This could speed up action after safety concerns are raised and make it easier to know who is responsible if problems aren’t fixed.

• Who is affected: public transit agencies, their workers, and riders.
• What changes: the top executive becomes the tie-breaker and final decider on Safety Committee recommendations; their role and responsibilities are clearly defined in law.
• When: the bill proposes these changes; timing would depend on it becoming law.