APTA Announces 2024 Rail Safety, Security and Emergency Management Winners (UPDATED 6/7)
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
The MARTA Police Department was awarded the APTA 2024 Rail Emergency Management Gold Award for heavy rail stations for its Unmanned Aircraft (drone) System Program. (MARTA photo)
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) on June 4 honored six public transportation providers from California, Georgia, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., with the 2024 Rail Safety, Security and Emergency Management Awards.
“These awards celebrate the commitment and efforts of public transit agencies and their employees who are dedicated to safeguarding the welfare of passengers, employees, and the communities they serve every single day,” said APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas. “I extend my congratulations to the public transit agencies recognized today for their outstanding accomplishments in safety, security, and emergency management. They serve as shining examples within the industry, inspiring others to strive for excellence.”
According to APTA, nominations are evaluated on four criteria: effectiveness, benefit level, innovation, and transferability. The top honor is the Gold Award, which is presented to organizations with the best example of a safety, security, or emergency management program. A Certificate of Merit is given to organizations in recognition of exceptional achievement in safety, security, or emergency management.
The 2024 Rail Safety, Security and Emergency Management Award winners are awarded in categories of Commuter/Intercity Rail, Light Rail/Streetcar, and Heavy Rail. The 2024 winners are:
RAIL SAFETY AWARD
Gold Winners
- MTA Metro-North Railroad, New York, New York – Commuter/Intercity Rail
- Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Washington, D.C. – Heavy Rail
Certificate of Merit Winners
- MTA Long Island Railroad, New York, New York – Commuter/Intercity Rail
- Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA), Los Angeles, California – Commuter/Intercity Rail
RAIL SECURITY AWARD
Gold Winners
- Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Heavy Rail
- Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet), Portland, Oregon – Light Rail/Streetcar
Certificate of Merit Winner
- MTA New York City Transit, New York, New York – Heavy Rail
- Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA), Los Angeles, California –Commuter/Intercity Rail
RAIL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AWARD
Gold Winners
- Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), Atlanta, Georgia – Heavy Rail
- MTA Metro-North Railroad, New York, New York – Commuter/Intercity Rail
Certificate of Merit Winner
- Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA), Los Angeles, California –Commuter/Intercity Rail
MARTA’s Police Department (MPD) was awarded the APTA 2024 Rail Emergency Management Gold Award for heavy rail stations for its Unmanned Aircraft (drone) System Program. The Gold Award, the agency says, “recognizes MPD’s demonstration of a forward-thinking approach to enhancing event preparedness and security in rail transportation.”
MPD’s Unmanned Aircraft System Program was created in 2022 and has “greatly increased the ability to enhance situational awareness by allowing for proactive surveillance and early detection of security threats,” according to MARTA. The Unmanned Aircraft System flight crewmembers have conducted more than 355 flights and accumulated over 30 hours of flight time including training sessions and missions.
“It is an honor to receive this award and for the MARTA Police Department to be used as an industry benchmark,” said Chief Scott Kreher. “In light of the major events happening in Atlanta in the coming years, it is imperative that MPD employs the most cutting-edge technologies and practices to ensure MARTA’s patrons and employees are safe and secure on the MARTA system.”
“The most important responsibility as a transit agency and our number one priority is keeping our customers and employees safe,” said MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood. “To see Chief Kreher and MPD recognized for their efforts on a national stage is further proof that the MARTA Police Department is one of the top law enforcement agencies in the state.”
MPD accepted the award at the APTA Rail Conference in Cleveland, Ohio on June 4.
WMATA (Metro) was awarded the Gold Safety Award for Heavy Rail Systems for its Station Overrun/Just Culture Pilot program. “In 2023, Metro’s Station Overrun/Just Culture Pilot established new processes in which safety events are examined fully for all underlying causes, such as flawed procedures, training, or contributing environmental conditions,” WMATA reported. “An operator’s choices are closely examined to determine if they acted deliberately or not. The process provides managers with a standardized, consistent, and transparent approach to determine when discipline is appropriate or when alternative responses such as coaching, training, or process improvements would be more effective in preventing future incidents. This approach aims to hold individuals accountable while recognizing that humans are not perfect.”
“The Station Overrun/Just Culture Pilot modified our investigative approach, procedures, and communication to ensure increased awareness and responsiveness between safety and operations,” WMATA Executive Vice President and CEO Brian Dwyer said. “These adjustments are not only adaptable to any sized rail transportation agency, but we hope that they provide best practices and lessons learned that could be useful for any public transportation agency.”
More information on the winning programs is available here.
