Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Practices. Topic SA-66. Measuring and Mitigating Risk in Transit Automation Testing and Implementation

Public transit agencies are increasingly deploying automation and artificial intelligence (AI) across customer-facing services, operations and management functions, and safety systems, with varying levels of technological sophistication. These technologies shift traditional human responsibilities to including monitoring, decision-making, and control, to systems operating within defined safety and operational boundaries. However, agency approaches to evaluating and mitigating risk vary widely, particularly in areas such as false positives and negatives, regulatory compliance, system validation and testing, and stakeholder coordination, creating challenges for consistent and safe implementation across the industry. The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) has begun examining automation and AI adoption through several efforts, including TCRP J-11/Task 27 on low-speed automated vehicles and TCRP Research Report 232 on workforce impacts, with additional studies underway. Despite this growing body of work, no research currently provides a comprehensive roadmap to guide transit agencies through procurement, testing, validation, deployment, and ongoing management of these systems. As agencies move from pilot projects to broader implementation, this gap represents a critical need within current TCRP research. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this synthesis is to document current practices used by public transit agencies to evaluate and mitigate safety and operational risks associated with automation and artificial intelligence (AI). This includes approaches to risk profiling, testing and validation, and balancing innovation with regulatory and safety requirements. The primary audience for this synthesis is public transit agency staff responsible for the planning, procurement, implementation, and oversight of automation and AI systems, as well as technology vendors.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5929

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $75,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  Project J-07, Topic SA-66

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Transit Cooperative Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001

  Federal Transit Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Schoby, Jamaal

• Start Date: 20260501
• Expected Completion Date: 20270430
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Artificial intelligence; Automation; Compliance; Public transit; Test procedures; Transit authorities; Transit safety
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01960818
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project J-07, Topic SA-66
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Jul 16 2025 1:59PM