Today, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) honored 9 public transportation providers at the Annual Rail Safety, Security, and Emergency Management Conference in Pittsburgh, PA.  The award winning agencies included California, Georgia, Louisiana, New York, Oregon, and Texas. 

The awards recognize transit organizations for their innovative and proactive safety and security programs. This year, APTA added a new category to honor transit agencies that excel in managing emergencies through partnerships, planning, exercises, and drills.

Nominations are evaluated on four criteria: effectiveness, benefit level, innovation, and transferability. The top honor is the Gold Award, and a Certificate of Merit is given to organizations to recognize exceptional achievement in safety, security or emergency management.

The 2023 winners are:

RAIL SAFETY AWARD

Gold Winners

• MTA Metro-North Railroad, New York, New York – Commuter/Intercity Rail
• Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet), Portland, Oregon – Light Rail/Streetcar
• Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), Oakland, California – Heavy Rail

Certificate of Merit Winners - Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink), Los Angeles, California –

Commuter/Intercity Rail - Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT), Sacramento, California – Light Rail/Streetcar

RAIL SECURITY AWARD

Gold Winners

• Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet), Portland, Oregon – Light Rail/Streetcar
• Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), Atlanta, Georgia – Heavy Rail

Certificate of Merit Winner - Niagara Frontier Transit Authority (NFTA), Buffalo, New York – Light Rail/Streetcar

RAIL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AWARD

Gold Winners

• MTA Metro-North Railroad, New York, New York – Commuter/Intercity Rail
• Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), Dallas, Texas – Light Rail/Streetcar

Certificate of Merit Winner - New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA), New Orleans, Louisiana – Light Rail/Streetcar

Congratulations to our amazing Metro Rail Team on this great achievement.