FTA Safety Bulletin on Worker Fatigue Across the Public Transit Industry
4/13/2026
FTA has issued a new safety bulletin with recommendations to public transit agencies on how they can improve safety for workers and the public—an FTA priority as emphasized at APTA’s 50th Legislative Conference April 13.
FTA’s analysis of National Transit Database reporting, follow-up investigations, and media coverage identified 133 safety events since 2014 involving worker fatigue. A majority of these fatigue-related events (73) occurred from 2022-2025.
Safety Bulletin 26-01 recommends transit agencies, subject to Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan regulations, consider integrating the following practices:
- Assessing fatigue-related risks using established Safety Management System (SMS) and Safety Risk Management (SRM) procedures
- Implementing effective work scheduling practices that ensure workers have the opportunity for adequate rest between shifts
- Providing work schedule training to ensure work scheduling practices are implemented effectively
- Developing worker fatigue awareness training regarding the risks associated with fatigue
- Establishing fatigue reporting programs that are confidential/non-reprisal