How does APTA Develop Standards?
APTA develops standards through a set of formal procedures patterned after the process required by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to certify Standards Development Organizations. Some important characteristics of the process are:
- balanced representation of interested parties
- required public comment period
- formal process to respond to comments
- availabilities of an appeal procedure
- balloting group broadly representative of the industry
- consensus defined as a super majority of the balloting group
- a formal way to respond to requests for interpretations of or changes to the standard
How are Transit Industry Standards Enforced?
The short answer is they are not. Consensus industry standards are voluntary. However, market and legal risks can accrue from not following industry standards, creating incentives for their adoption and use. They become legally enforceable only when implemented by a contract or when incorporated into an oversight agency regulation. A standing Federal Executive order urges federal regulatory agencies to adopt consensus industry standards rather than develop new regulations. Basically, standards are enforced by being widely accepted.
More than 1000 transit industry professionals have participated in these programs. APTA currently has 175 individual standards, recommended practices or guidelines available to members. In addition, APTA is taking steps to provide technical representation for the U.S. transit industry in international standards development efforts that could affect APTA members.
Additional efforts are now underway to expand the current scope of APTA’s standards program to include Security Standards and Procurement Standards programs.
How Can I Become Involved or Obtain Existing APTA Standards?
If you would like to know more about how to become involved in APTA standards development activities, contact any of the following APTA staff members:
Tom Peacock: tpeacock@apta.com or (202) 496-4805
Lurae Stuart: lstuart@apta.com or (202) 496-4844
Lou Sanders: lsanders@apta.com or (202) 496-4886
If you would like to obtain copies of existing APTA Standards, Recommended Practices or Guidelines contact:
Information Center
American Public Transportation Association
1666 K Street, N.W., Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20006-1215
(202) 496-4889
What APTA Transit Standards Do Not Do
Transit standards do not put APTA in competition with its business members. Business members write specifications, not standards. However, business members are an interested party in the development of standards and actively participate like everyone else. Standards do not:
- compromise intellectual property.
- include business terms and conditions. APTA standards cover only technical features.
- mandate standardization.
What is the Current Scope of APTA's Transit Standards Program?
APTA currently has eight separate active standards programs. They are:
- Passenger Rail Equipment Safety Standards (PRESS)
- Rail Transit Standards
- Bus Transit Standards
- Universal Transit System Fare Collection Standards
- Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Standards
- Accessibility Standards
- Procurement Standards
- Security Standards