Regular Governing Body Meeting - Last Wednesday — Wed, Aug 26, 2026 · 16.b CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION NO. 2026-____. (Councilor Alma Castro and Councilor Patricia Feghali) A Resolution Approving the Updated Santa Fe Trails Agency Safety Plan and Directing its Submission to the Federal Transit Administration. (Gabrielle Chavez, Transit Director of Administration; gnchavez@santafenm.gov) Committee Review: Governing Body (Introduced): 08/26/2026 Public Works and Utilities Committee: 08/31/2026 Quality of Life Committee: 09/02/2026 Governing Body: 09/09/2026
Memorandum Date: July 30, 2026 To: Governing Body, Public Works Committee, and Finance Committee From: Gabrielle Chavez, Transit Director of Administration Via: Sam Burnett, Public Works Director RE: Santa Fe Trails 2026 Updated Requirements for Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The proposed resolution would approve the Santa Fe Trails 2026 Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (“PTASP”). The Santa Fe Trails PTASP is a requirement of the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration (“FTA”) for public transportation systems that receive federal funding under the FTA’s Urbanized Area Formula Grant. BACKGROUND: On July 19, 2018, the Federal Transit Administration (“FTA”) published the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan’s (“PTASP”) Final Rule, which requires certain operators of public transportation systems that receive federal funds under FTA's Urbanized Area Formula Grants (49 U.S.C. § 5307) to implement Safety Management Systems (“SMS”). The PTASP rule became effective on July 19, 2019. Santa Fe Trails PTASP was approved by the Governing Body on December 9, 2020, and was subsequently submitted to FTA to fulfill this requirement. The plan was then updated in January 2023 to include changes to the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) requirements enacted under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. As a result, transit agencies that receive Section 5307 funding and serve urbanized areas with populations under 200,000 are required to develop their Agency Safety Plans (ASPs) in cooperation with frontline employee representatives. On April 9, 2024, FTA published the first major update to the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans (PTASP) regulation. These updates are a part of a continuing effort to improve transit safety performance on federally supported transit systems, and PTASP is the first rule finalized by FTA under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law requirements to make transit safer for both transit workers and passengers. The 2025 plan was reviewed by staff and the 2026 plan was updated to include new data and language revisions in full cooperation with frontline employee representatives and is intended toGabrielle Chavez Memorandum ensure compliance while continuing to prioritize the safety and well-being of transit personnel and riders. The updated plan also includes updates addressing transit worker assault, safety reporting and hazard identification, additional safety performance targets, and the consideration of infectious disease data from the CDC or state health authorities. ATTACHMENTS: Resolution Fiscal Impact Report 2026 Updated Public Transit Agency Safety Plan