WASHINGTON — Transit agencies could be relieved from internal disputes that disrupt public safety by placing authority under the agency’s top executive, according to a new bill being pushed by Utah Sen. Mike Lee.
The Safe Transit Accountability Act, co-introduced by Utah Rep. Burgess Owens in the House, would ensure public transit agencies can implement safety plans without delay caused by internal disagreements or deadlocks within safety committees. In essence, it would clarify the chain of command within local transit agencies to resolve disputes as quickly as possible to ensure riders and transit employees are safe.
“American families deserve to have safe, reliable public transit,” Lee told the Deseret News in a statement. “Under President Biden, labor unions were given a veto over public transit agency safety plans, allowing them to stall projects and interfere with federal funding for safe transit. Just last year, such obstruction threatened resources for the Utah Transit Authority. The Safe Transit Accountability Act ensures that these disputes can be resolved by the executive authority responsible for rider and operator safety.”
Under current law, transit agencies must establish safety committees with management and labor representatives to develop safety plans in order to be eligible for funding from the Federal Transit Administration. However, if those committees encounter internal disagreements on policies, there is no clear hierarchy on which representatives have final say.
Under Lee’s bill, first obtained by the Deseret News, authority would be given to the top official of the specific transit agency — for example, the executive director of the Utah Transit Authority — to make final decisions on safety issues.
The legislation has been endorsed by the UTA, with officials calling it “an important step” toward strengthening public transit safety nationwide.
“This legislation ensures efficient compliance with federal safety standards while empowering transit systems to best protect our riders and employees,” Carlton Christensen, chairman of the UTA Board of Trustees, said in a statement. “UTA thanks Senator Lee for his leadership in introducing this important bill in the Senate.”