On September 25, 2024, FTA issued General Directive 24-1: Required Actions Regarding Assaults on Transit Workers (PDF Download). The General Directive required transit agencies subject to FTA's Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans (PTASP) regulation to conduct a safety risk assessment, identify safety risk mitigations or strategies and provide information to FTA via SMS Report on how they are assessing, mitigating and monitoring the safety risk associated with assaults on transit workers.

On January 16, 2025, FTA published Responses to General Directive 24-1. FTA's initial analysis of agency responses shows more than two-thirds of transit agencies determined that safety risk mitigations are necessary to reduce the risk of assaults on transit workers, and these agencies are working to roll out a variety of mitigation measures.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the definition of “assault on a transit worker” used in the General Directive 24-1? Does it include non-physical assaults? 

General Directive 24-1 uses the same definition of “assault on a transit worker” that is used for purposes of the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans (PTASP) regulation, the National Public Transportation Safety Plan, and National Transit Database (NTD) reporting. This is consistent with the statutory definition in 49 U.S.C 5302. The definition includes non-physical assaults.

Assault on a transit worker means, as defined under 49 U.S.C. 5302, a circumstance in which an individual knowingly, without lawful authority or permission, and with intent to endanger the safety of any individual, or with a reckless disregard for the safety of human life, interferes with, disables, or incapacitates a transit worker while the transit worker is performing the duties of the transit worker.

How should our transit agency conduct the required safety risk assessment? 

A transit agency must use the Safety Risk Management process documented in their Agency Safety Plan (ASP), as defined at 49 CFR 673.25(c), to conduct the required risk assessment. 

FTA provides significant flexibility to transit agencies in developing and deploying safety risk assessment processes. Agencies may decide to use tools, such as a safety risk matrix, to facilitate risk-based prioritization. This approach combines the assessed likelihood and severity of a hazard’s potential consequences into one visual, which can help decision-makers understand when actions are necessary to reduce or mitigate safety risk. This tool is most useful when customized to an agency’s size and complexity of operations. 

FTA has published in the PTASP TAC Resource Library the following resources to assist transit agencies in developing their safety risk assessment processes and conducting safety risk assessments: 

• Webinars 
  • Implementing Safety Risk Assessment Approaches 
  • Safety Risk Assessment in Practice 
  • Addressing Operator Assault through Your Agency’s SMS 
• Fact Sheets 
  • Guide to Developing the Safety Risk Management Component of a PTASP 
  • How to Assess Risk Using a Safety Risk Register 
  • The Role of Data in Safety Risk Assessment 
• Tools 
  • Sample Safety Risk Assessment Matrices for Bus Transit Agencies 
  • Sample Safety Risk Register for Bus Transit Agencies 
  • Guide to the Sample Safety Risk Register for Bus Transit Agencies 

What role does the joint labor-management Safety Committee have in General Directive 24-1? 

As required by 49 CFR 673.25(d)(1), each transit agency serving a large urbanized area must involve the joint labor-management Safety Committee when identifying safety risk mitigations to reduce the likelihood and severity of consequences identified through the agency's safety risk assessment. 

General Directive 24-1 does not create a new role or requirements for the Safety Committee and relies on the Safety Committee and SMS requirements of 49 CFR part 673 that agencies subject to the PTASP Final Rule are already required to implement.

Can our transit agency use the results of a safety risk assessment completed prior to publication of General Directive 24-1? 

If a transit agency has completed a safety risk assessment for assaults on transit workers in the 12 months preceding the September 25, 2024, date of publication of General Directive 24-1, and if the transit agency continues to believe that the results of that safety risk assessment are relevant, the transit agency need not conduct a new safety risk assessment for the purposes of the General Directive.  

In these situations, the General Directive submission should contain information on the results of the assessment and on the implementation and effectiveness of any mitigations identified through the safety risk assessment. 

This exemption applies only to a safety risk assessment conducted using the processes established under 49 CFR 673.25(c) and defined in a transit agency's Agency Safety Plan (ASP). 

Our transit agency uses a different risk matrix than the one provided in General Directive 24-1. How should we report our risk rating? 

General Directive 24-1 does not prescribe a risk matrix for purposes of conducting the required safety risk assessment. Transit agencies should use the matrix or matrices they have adopted as part of their safety risk assessment process documented in their Agency Safety Plan (ASP).  

However, when agencies submit information in response to General Directive 24-1, FTA is asking the transit industry to normalize their assessment results according to the scales in the matrix presented in General Directive 24-1. 

Our transit agency’s Safety Management System (SMS) processes specify that safety risk assessments are conducted by mode. Are we required to report the results of our safety risk assessments by mode? 

No. General Directive 24-1 requires transit agencies to conduct safety risk assessments using the safety risk assessment processes defined in their Agency Safety Plan (ASP). Transit agencies may take into account multiple safety risk assessments of the risk associated with assaults on transit workers by mode when calculating their overall risk rating. For purposes of reporting, agencies will need to enter their overall risk rating into the SMS Report tool for submitting required responses to General Directive 24-1. 

We contract out services across several modes. Who is responsible for submitting the required information to FTA – the transit agency or the contractor? 

The transit agency subject to the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans (PTASP) regulation is responsible for complying with General Directive 24-1 and is responsible for providing information to FTA on how they are assessing, mitigating and monitoring the safety risk associated with assaults on transit workers. 

How should a transit agency calculate the implementation status of safety risk mitigations as a percentage? 

Transit agencies must report the approximate percentage of completion for mitigations that are in progress. For example, this could include the percentage of a transit agency’s fleet equipped with a mitigation, or the percentage of transit workers trained on a mitigation. FTA does not equate 100% mitigation implementation with 100% prevention of assaults on transit workers. 

How should our transit agency report the start and completion dates for safety risk mitigations? 

When a transit agency reports information about safety risk mitigations in response to General Directive 24-1, the SMS Report application asks for the implementation status of each mitigation. FTA uses the term implementation status to refer to the activities necessary to implement the mitigation, because the effect of a mitigation in reducing safety risk is ongoing. 

SMS Report offers three options to report implementation status: Planned, In Progress, or Complete.  

• If you select Planned SMS Report will ask for the Projected Start Date and Projected Completion Date. 
• If you select In Progress, SMS Report will ask for the Actual Start Date and Projected Completion Date. 
• If you select Complete, SMS Report will ask for the Actual Start Date and Actual Completion Date. 

If a mitigation was implemented prior to the required safety risk assessment and is still considered by the transit agency and its Safety Committee to be a mitigation recommended based on the results of the safety risk assessment, your agency must include that mitigation in your required reporting for General Directive 24-1. If an agency is unsure of the exact start date for implementation, (e.g. because the mitigation may be in place for several years), please report your best estimate of the start date. 

If our transit agency’s safety risk assessment indicates that mitigations are unnecessary, how should we report this in SMS Report? 

General Directive 24-1 requires transit agencies to report information about mitigations that a transit agency and/or its Safety Committee identified as a result of the required safety risk assessment. The agency must report information about such measures to FTA through Questions 8-17 of the General Directive. 

Conversely, if a transit agency and/or its Safety Committee determines that mitigation is unnecessary, the agency is not required to respond to Questions 8-17. However, in such cases an agency could consider voluntarily sharing details with FTA about the assault prevention measures the agency is implementing by answering those questions. 

Are we required to report information about mitigations that were already in place prior to the required safety risk assessment? 

Per the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans (PTASP) regulation, a transit agency’s safety risk assessment process must take into account existing safety risk mitigations (49 CFR 673.25(c)(2)).  

If a mitigation was implemented prior to the required safety risk assessment and is still considered by the transit agency and its Safety Committee to be a mitigation recommended based on the results of the safety risk assessment, your agency must include that mitigation in your required reporting for General Directive 24-1. If an agency is unsure of the exact start date for implementation, (e.g. because the mitigation may be in place for several years), please report your best estimate of the start date. 

How often does the SMS Report need to be submitted?  Is it a one-time submittal, or is this an ongoing reporting requirement? 

The General Directive does not require reporting on an ongoing basis after the December 26, 2024 due date. 

Does General Directive 24-1 require changes to an agency's current Agency Safety Plan (ASP)? 

No. General Directive 24-1 does not require any changes to ASPs. Rather, the General Directive relies on a transit agency's established Safety Management System (SMS) processes in its Agency Safety Plan (ASP), as required by the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans (PTASP) regulation, to understand the risk related to assaults on transit workers, and to identify appropriate safety risk mitigations. General Directive 24-1 does not establish any new requirement for safety performance target setting. 

The PTASP regulation at § 673.31 requires that transit agencies maintain documents that set forth their ASP, including those related to the implementation of their SMS and results from SMS processes and activities, such as those carried out to comply with General Directive 24-1. These documents must be maintained for a minimum of three years after they are created. Transit agencies should be prepared to demonstrate compliance with the PTASP regulation during FTA’s Triennial Reviews or upon FTA request. 

Does General Directive 24-1 replace the current National Transit Database (NTD) requirements for reporting assaults on transit workers? 

No. The General Directive does not change any existing NTD reporting requirements. 

What role do State Safety Oversight Agencies (SSOAs) have in overseeing compliance with General Directive 24-1 for Rail Transit Agencies (RTAs) under their jurisdiction? 

General Directive 24-1 does not establish any new oversight requirements for SSOAs. For informational purposes, SMS Report, FTA's tool to collect responses required by General Directive 24-1, provides SSOAs with read-only access to General Directive 24-1 submissions made by the transit agencies they oversee under the State Safety Oversight Program, in order to support ongoing SSOA oversight activities. 

Are there any FTA funding sources that my transit agency can use to develop and implement safety risk mitigations identified based on the safety risk assessment required by General Directive 24-1? 

Transit agencies may use a variety of FTA funding sources for the implementation of their Agency Safety Plan (ASP) and Safety Management System (SMS) processes, including Urbanized Area Formula Grants (Section 5307), State of Good Repair Grants (Section 5337), and Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities (Section 5339). Those funding sources may be used for activities that are eligible under the applicable grant program. FTA encourages transit agencies to contact their FTA Regional Office for confirmation of specific project eligibility.

The content of this FAQ does not have the force and effect of law and is not meant to bind the public in any way. This information is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies. Recipients and subrecipients should refer to FTA's statuses and regulations for applicable requirements.

Technical Assistance

FTA has developed resources to help transit agencies conduct safety risk assessments related to assaults on transit workers and develop safety risk mitigations.

• Addressing Assaults on Transit Workers through Your Agency's SMS - Overview of how agencies can use SMS to address assaults on transit workers.
• An SMS Approach to Operator Assault - Guide to identifying hazards related to assaults on transit workers through the Safety Risk Management process.
• Safety Risk Assessment in Practice - Review of safety risk assessment process, including data inputs, risk matrices and outputs to support decision-making.
• Developing and Monitoring Safety Risk Mitigations in Response to a Safety Risk Assessment - Practices for developing safety risk mitigations, with examples.
• De-Escalation Training Resource Directory - Resources to support the transit industry in developing, implementing and updating training.

FTA Actions to Address Assaults on Transit Workers 

• General Directive 24-1: Required Actions Regarding Assaults on Transit Workers - On September 25, 2024, FTA issued General Directive 24-1 that required transit agencies subject to FTA's Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans (PTASP) regulation to conduct a safety risk assessment, identify safety risk mitigations or strategies and provide information to FTA via SMS Report on how they are assessing, mitigating and monitoring the safety risk associated with assaults on transit workers.
  • Webinar: Presentation | Recording
• FTA Technical Resources on Assaults on Transit Worker Data Reporting - FTA has published new resources that will clarify the new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) requirements for expanded reporting of assaults on transit workers to the National Transit Database (NTD). Access the resources below: 
  • Expanded Reporting Requirements Overview
  • Full Reporters Guide to Reporting Data  
  • Reduced Reporters Guide to Reporting Data
• Proposed General Directive - In 2023, FTA issued for public comment a proposed General Directive: Required Actions Regarding Assaults on Transit Workers that would require each transit agency subject to the PTASP regulation to conduct a safety risk assessment, identify safety risk mitigations or strategies and provide information to FTA on how it is assessing, mitigating and monitoring the safety risk associated with assaults on transit workers.
• Special Directives: Required Actions Regarding Transit Worker Assault - Read FTA’s Analysis of Transit Agency Responses to the Special Directives: Required Actions Regarding Transit Worker Assault. Issued in 2022 to nine transit agencies that reported 79% of all assaults on transit workers to the National Transit Database (NTD) between 2016 and 2021, the Special Directives required the agencies to provide information to FTA on how they are addressing transit worker assault risk using SMS processes.
• Transit Worker and Rider Safety Best Practices Research Project - In 2022, FTA began conducting research to identify public safety risks for transit workers and riders, determine the most effective mitigation strategies to minimize those risks, and promote the implementation of those strategies. 
• Enhanced Transit Safety and Crime Prevention Initiative - Launched in 2021 to provide information on FTA formula funding programs and training available to help transit agencies address and prevent crime on their systems and protect transit workers and riders. It includes supporting research to reduce safety hazards and improve safety for transit workers and riders, and a Funding Sources Factsheet that provides information on FTA formula funding programs available to help transit agencies address and prevent crime on their systems and protect transit workers and riders.
• Request for Information (RFI) on Transit Worker Safety - In 2021, FTA sought public input on potential FTA action in two transit worker safety areas: rail transit roadway worker protection and transit worker assault prevention. View the presentation and recording from FTA’s webinar on the RFI. 
• Bus Operator Compartment Redesign Program - FTA launched this program in 2020 to support research projects that protect operators from assault and improve their view of the road through innovative designs. 
• Protecting Public Transportation Operators From Risk of Assault - Federal Register Notice published by FTA in 2019 alerting transit agencies to the need to address the risk of transit operator assault when identified through the processes required under the PTASP regulation. 
• Review and Evaluation of Public Transportation Safety Standards - 2017 report presenting findings of a FAST Act required review and evaluation of public transportation safety standards and protocols, including rail and bus design and the workstations of rail and bus operators as it relates to protecting operators from the risk of assault. 
• National Online Dialogue on Transit Worker Assault - Convened by FTA between June-August 2016 to engage the industry and provide stakeholders an opportunity to share comments with FTA on their experiences with transit worker assaults and mitigations they have used to reduce or eliminate assaults. 
• Preventing and Mitigating Transit Worker Assaults in the Bus and Rail Transit Industry - 2015 Transit Advisory Committee for Safety (TRACS) report.