Standards Defined
Standards are documents developed and adopted by a consensus process that contain criteria, measures of comparison, best practices and/or processes that if followed, produce an intended result.
What Do Standards Do?
Standards use collective wisdom to provide a path or paths to a desired outcome. That outcome could be:
- the design of a simple component
- the design of an entire complex system
- the definition of a process
- the steps to follow to perform a task
Two basic types of standards exist:
- A prescriptive standard defines exactly how to do something like a recipe. A prescriptive standard allows little or no flexibility. An example of a prescriptive standard would be: Grade crossing signals shall have 100 amp-hour battery back-up.
- On the other hand, performance standards define an end result, but allow total flexibility on how that result is achieved. An example of a performance standard would be: Grade crossing signals shall have back-up power for a minimum of 12 hours of operation. An important feature of either type of standard is that they include a clear way to measure success.
What Benefits do Standards Provide to APTA Members?
APTA initially got involved in standards development at the request of federal safety oversight organizations. In conducting their reviews, state and federal safety oversight organizations look first to industry safety standards to fulfill their regulatory needs. If industry standards are in place, effective and followed, no need exists for additional government safety regulations. Until APTA began a safety standards program, these standards were lacking in the transit industry. Thus, a primary benefit from standards is that the industry regulates itself.
However, widely accepted consensus transit standards can benefit APTA members several other important ways:
- improve safety of operations and services
- reduce operating and maintenance costs
- create a process where transit systems share best practices
- increase and improves transit system/supplier communication
- make development of procurement specifications easier and less costly
- make legal defense more effective in liability cases
- help states establish/improve safety oversight programs
- provide much needed guidance to new start transit systems
- create opportunities for reliability/efficiency improvements
- decrease training costs
Why has APTA become a Standards Development Organization?
APTA became a Standards Development Organization (SDO) because existing SDOs were not interested in or not capable of meeting the transit industry's need for standards. As a result, the transit industry was not achieving all the benefits that can accrue from a comprehensive consensus standards program. APTA believes this step adds a significant benefit to membership.
How Standards Are Developed...