State DOT Compliance Activities During the Pandemic Liz Stutts, Public Transportation Director Bobby Westbrook, Public Transportation Deputy Director Transit Oversight: Triennial Review Responsibilities • Florida has 300+ recipients of federal and state funds • Florida requirements require reviews of 5307s and state funded providers • We perform approximately 100 triennial reviews per calendar year • We could not accommodate cancelling or rescheduling all or most reviews throughout the duration of the pandemic Pandemic Pivot: Continuation of Services • Developed virtual process • Process meets all SMP and State rule requirements • Flexibility is Key • Meet the provider where they are in regards to technology • Use of Skype, Zoom, Facetime, Teams, GoTo Meeting for interviews, review of sensitive documents, vehicle inspections, closeout meetings • Review video via screen sharing instead of ride checks • Plan for post-pandemic onsite CAP follow-up Rail Transit Oversight Requirements • Bi-monthly onsite inspections became virtual • Activities typically include: rule compliance checks, ride checks, verifying CAP implementation, station inspections, control center/dispatch observations, shop safety inspections, auditing training classes, monitoring preventative maintenance activities and observing repair work, etc • 3 rail transit/fixed guideway systems: • Jacksonville Skyway • Miami Metromover and MetroRail • Tampa Streetcar Pandemic Pivot: Challenges and Opportunities • Challenges: • Can’t assess the “feel” of an agency and its personnel • Diverse technology resources at agencies • Lack of familiarity with available technology resources • Obtaining complete documentation for desk reviews • Was a challenge prior to pandemic, but easier to remedy onsite in many cases • Opportunities: • Reduced staff travel allows additional time for “backlogged” projects • Potential post-pandemic onsite visits to monitor CAP implementation allow for more targeted technical assistance with agency personnel • Better targeted records reviews allow for better use/more streamlined use of time while onsite Lessons Learned • It’s not ideal, but it’s not impossible • We have identified safety issues virtually, and agencies have successfully demonstrated adequate mitigations virtually • Flexibility is key • The better your relationships with the agencies, the smoother the virtual reviews • Regular communication is critical! For More Information Ashley Porter 850-414-4070 [email protected].