APTA Holds Thought-Provoking Safety & Risk Management Seminar

APTA held its 2025 Safety & Risk Management Seminar Dec. 7-10 in San Diego, CA, where a record number of more than 300 practitioners gathered to explore safety and risk management issues as well as network and learn from federal and state partners about recently passed rules and regulations, federal oversight, and technical assistance programs.

APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas provided opening remarks, followed by a welcome address from Sharon Cooney, CEO of host agency San Diego MTS.

Brian Riley, COO, San Diego MTS, and Shawn Donaghy, CEO, North County Transit – San Diego Railroad, were special keynote luncheon speakers.

MTS also led three informative tours of its battery-electric bus infrastructure, the Mid-Coast Trolley 11-mile extension of its Blue Line, and the agency’s operations control center.

Sessions included zero-emission bus / battery-electric bus safety, artificial intelligence technology and the impact on safety and risk management, human trafficking, transit worker assaults, emergency management and first responder resilience, SMS and data management, rail grade crossing / trespassing safety and suicide prevention, an insurance market update, FRA safety updates, and more.

The Aon public transit liability benchmark analysis, conducted in conjunction with APTA, examined ridership and operation claims for rail and bus transit agencies. A special session discussed ways attendees can use the survey at their agencies.

The seminar also included meetings of APTA’s Bus Safety, Rail Safety, and Risk Management committees, and the Commuter Rail Safety & Security Subcommittee.