FTA’s Bus Testing Program Misses the Real Crisis

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently advanced its Bus Testing Program for approval without changes, opening a short window for public comment under federal rules.

On paper, the program ensures buses meet standards for braking, durability, and performance before federal funds can be used. All of this is in the name of safety but in reality, it continues to ignore the most urgent safety issue facing transit today: operator assaults.

In its formal comments, SMART-TD noted that this program may check mechanical boxes, but it fails to factor in safety when it comes to protecting the worker behind the wheel.

What Is the FTA Bus Testing Program, and Why Should Operators Care?

The Bus Testing Program is the federal gatekeeper for bus design. If a model passes testing, agencies can buy it using their federal grant dollars. If it fails, it’s off the table. For most transit agencies, that means they won’t even consider that bus model since they would have to pay for it completely out of pocket.

That makes this program one of the most powerful tools shaping the safety mechanisms in the buses our members operate every day.

But here’s the problem. A bus can pass “safety” testing today without any meaningful operator protection built in. The FTA is operating this program based on pre-COVID-19 and Transit Violence epidemic logic. No requirement for assault mitigation. No evaluation of barriers. No standard for shielding operators from violence.

That’s not a gap; that’s a failure of priorities, and a failure to keep up with the times. That is where your union comes in. We hear you, we know your priorities, and we are making sure the FTA does, too.

Outdated Standards Ignore the Surge in Operator Assaults

The rise in assaults since the pandemic is not a blip on the radar. It’s a sustained, nationwide trend involving physical attacks, weapons, and direct interference with vehicle operation.

Yet the FTA is attempting to extend the current safety program “without change.”

That means federal safety standards still treat bus safety as solely a mechanical issue while ignoring the human being operating the vehicle. No one on a bus is safe if the operator isn’t safe. Period.

SMART-TD Demands Real Safety: Barriers, Visibility, and Accountability

The union’s public comments lay out a clear path forward grounded in our members’ real-world experience from the job:

• Fully enclosed, bullet-resistant operator barriers must become standard, not optional upgrades.
• Barrier performance must be tested, including durability and ballistic resistance.
• Visibility matters: barriers cannot introduce glare, blind spots, or unsafe sightlines.
• Operator feedback must be part of testing, not an afterthought.
• Safety systems must be factory-installed, not left to piecemeal retrofits.

These aren’t wish list items. They are proven, deployable solutions already in use in some areas of the country.

Why This Fight Matters for Every Bus Operator

The Bus Testing Program dictates what equipment shows up in your yard. If operator protection isn’t required at the federal level, agencies will continue buying buses that leave operators exposed.

SMART-TD’s position is simple: federal dollars should not fund unsafe buses.

By forcing operator protection into the testing and reporting process, the union is pushing to:

• Raise national safety standards
• Give agencies real data for procurement decisions
• Create consistency across fleets
• Reduce assaults and improve quality of life

This is about changing the baseline, not negotiating exceptions.

The Bottom Line: Safety Standards Must Catch Up to OUR Reality

The FTA has an opportunity right now to modernize one of the most influential programs in transit. Extending it without change sends the wrong message to operators facing daily threats on the job.

SMART-TD has made it clear: operator protection is not optional. It is fundamental to a safe transit system.

The industry has the technology. The data is there. What’s missing is the will to act. Our Bus Operators cannot be asked to wait another 3 years for this problem to be fixed the next time the FTA Bus Testing Program comes up for an evaluation!