MTS Wins National Award for Bus Safety

Fort Worth, Texas –The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has selected the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) for the 2015 Bus Safety & Security Excellence Award for efforts to improve bus safety and reducing preventable accidents. The award was announced today at APTA’s annual International Bus Roadeo conference in Fort Worth.

The Safety & Security Excellence Award recognizes bus transportation systems implementing programs or projects that have achieved documented success in addressing specific safety or security program areas. MTS Bus recently created the “Safety First, Every Trip, Every Day” campaign to renew focus on driving safety. Key components to the campaign included:

• Management commitment and support to safety
• Strategic data analysis and information management
• Hazard elimination/mitigation projects
• Innovative, engaged communication and training
• Enhanced recognition of safety success

“The safety of our customers and employees are the top priority at MTS. This award speaks volumes about the commitment to safety by the MTS Bus operations and maintenance teams,” said MTS Chief Executive Officer Paul Jablonski. “Such a comprehensive improvement across the board with our bus safety numbers is a testament to their capabilities, professionalism and commitment to our agency.”

After just the first year, the new program exceeded expectations, including:

• 24% reduction in preventable accidents compared to previous five year average
• 18% reduction in preventable accidents by veteran operators compared to 2013
• 22% reduction in preventable accidents by new operators compared to 2013
• 50% increase in the total number of customer compliments for safe operation
• 61% lower accident rate on the new Rapid Express Service
• Set a six-year record, achieving 0.60 preventable accidents per/ 100k miles in December

MTS operates 95 bus routes and three Trolley lines on 53 miles of double-tracked railway. Every weekday more than 300,000 passenger trips are taken on MTS bus and Trolley services. For more information on how you can use public transportation and save money, go to www.sdmts.com.

Watch the “Safety First, Every Trip, Every Day” campaign video here:https://youtu.be/HHXaMRiVnWY