Michael W. McCormick, NBTA Executive Director & COO, commented, "Corporate travel professionals are responsible for providing a valuable service to their company's travelers. This involves ensuring travel is safe, efficient and productive. For both commuting and travel, the U.S. business traveler is a heavy user of mass transit systems. While it remains an extremely safe mode of travel, NBTA is pleased to see Congress move to replace an ad hoc approach with clear and strong safety standards. Passage of this legislation will significantly enhance the safety of our transit systems and the business travelers who rely on them."

The bill would give the Federal Transit Administration authority to regulate transit safety for the first time since 1965. In addition, the bill would require transit agencies to create individual safety plans that are reviewed and updated each year. The bill would also mandate that the Department of Transportation (DOT) define "state of good repair" and objective ways to measure the condition of transit infrastructure. If transit agencies violate the new safety standards, the bill would give DOT authority to increase oversight, impose stricter reporting requirements, and, in severe cases, withhold federal funding. The legislation would also authorize $66 million over the next three years for safety activities.