Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Bus Testing Program Amendments

On October 5, 2009, the FTA published a final rule in the Federal Register at 74 FR 51083 amending the FTA bus testing regulation to incorporate brake performance and emissions tests into the program as required by SAFETEA-LU. The final rule addresses changes to the bus testing program with regard to the following:

1. Brake performance test procedure
2. Emissions test procedure
3. Applicability and phase-in
4. Partial testing
5. Reporting procedures
6. Service life category
7. Buses that exceed weight limits when fully loaded
8. Family of vehicles
9. Separate reporting of third-party chassis test results
10. FTA evaluation/recommendation of bus models
11. Scope

The amendments are effective January 1, 2010.

FTA contact: Marcel Belanger, Bus Testing Program Manager, Office of Research, Demonstration, and Innovation (202) 366-0725, marcel.belanger@dot.gov.

Docket reference: FTA-2007-0011

Code Amended: 49 CFR Part 665 – Bus Testing