The Federal Transit Administration has announced that West Virginia has obtained federal certification of its rail transit State Safety Oversight (SSO) Program, in advance of an important safety deadline.
Federal law requires states with rail transit systems to obtain FTA certification of their SSO Programs by April 15, 2019. In West Virginia, the Department of Transportation is responsible for providing safety oversight of the Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit system.
Thirty states must obtain FTA certification of their SSO Programs by April 15, 2019. With the announcement, 12 states have now achieved SSO Program certification. By federal law, the deadline cannot be waived or extended.
If a state fails to meet the deadline, FTA is prohibited by law from awarding any new federal transit funds to transit agencies within the state until certification is achieved.
