San Diego - It happened again. For the fourth consecutive time the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) received a perfect score from the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Triennial Review of the agency. That means for the last 12 years the FTA has found no deficiencies in MTS’ management of FTA funds management and program implementation.
“The Triennial Review focused on MTS’s compliance in 20 areas. No deficiencies were found with the FTA requirements in all 20 areas,” wrote FTA Acting Regional Administrator Edward Carranza in an Aug. 20 letter to MTS Board Chair Georgette Gómez.
“The Triennial Review is a demanding process that looks into every aspect of the MTS operation,” said Paul Jablonski, MTS Chief Executive Officer. “Continuing a track record of perfect scores is a testament to the effort our staff puts into the everyday operations and to the attention to detail. But none of this is accomplished without our employees who are dedicated to excellence. This achievement is a reflection of the way the entire MTS operation is managed.”
The purpose of the FTA’s Triennial Review is to ensure compliance with regulations and also provide a forward-looking assessment of each agency’s risk in the management and implementation of FTA grant programs. Mandated by Congress in 1982, the Triennial Review examines how recipients of Urbanized Area Formula Program funds meet statutory and administrative requirements. These formula funds represent approximately 36 percent of all grant funds awarded by FTA each year.
Key categories for the review include:
- Financial management
- Maintenance
- ADA compliance
- Title VI
- Procurement
- Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
- Legal
- Public participation requirements
- Safety and security
- Equal employment opportunities
The preparation process started even before MTS received the notice from the FTA in November 2017. Staff formed a Triennial team to cover all core areas – Legal, Finance and Procurement.
Triennial Review Team Photo (From L to R): Finance Analyst Gordon Meyer, Capital Grants Supervisor Eric Cheng, Chief Executive Office Paul Jablonski, Staff Attorney Samantha Leslie, Manager of Procurement Sam Elmer
A core element for MTS’ preparation for the review is a new asset tracking system. In 2016, MTS migrated from multiple financial and asset tracking systems into one Transit Asset Management Program called the SAP Enterprise Resource Planning system. SAP was a major step forward in terms of providing a single program acting as a window into all of the finance and other enterprise functions. In addition to adding SAP, other key points in the MTS history of success in FTA triennial reviews include:
Preparation: Since the Triennial Review is like an open book test, make sure to go over the questions in all 20 areas of the Triennial Review guide and take corrective action when deficiency is spotted prior to on-site review of FTA officials
Team Building: Create a Triennial Review working group with various backgrounds (e.g. Legal, Financial & Procurement) to oversee the Triennial Review preparation and response
Professional Development: Attend the annual FTA Triennial Review Workshop, every year and not just the year of your Triennial Review, as a way to keep up with changes in FTA requirements as they are implemented.
“Earning perfect scores over the last 12 years really says a lot about an organization,” added Jablonski. “It shows to your Board of Directors and to the public at large that you are a tightly run ship. And that can provide huge dividends as agencies work to advance transit initiatives.”
MTS operates 95 bus routes and three Trolley lines on 53 miles of double-tracked railway. Every weekday 300,000 passenger trips are taken on MTS bus and Trolley services in 10 cities and unincorporated areas of the county. In FY 2017, MTS served nearly 86 million riders. For more information on how you can use public transportation and save money, go to www.sdmts.com.
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