TSA officials presented PRTC with the Gold Standard Award. From left: PRTC Executive Director Roberyt Schneider, PRTC Director of Safety and Security Byren Lloyd, TSA Deputy Assistand Administrator for Surface Operations and TSA Division Director of Surface Operations Kevin Gaddis. (TSA photo
WOODBRIDGE, Va. - The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) honored the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC) with the prestigious Gold Standard Award for security in its Virginia Railway Express commuter rail system and its OmniRide bus system last week. PRTC is one of only five transit agencies nationwide to receive this recognition this year. It is the second time that PRTC has been honored by TSA with a Gold Standard Award.
“This Gold Standard Award symbolizes PRTC’s commitment to its passengers, its adherence to core principles and its leadership in mass transit security,” said Ronald Pavlik, Jr., TSA’s Deputy Assistant Administrator for Surface Operations, who presented the award to PRTC officials. “We are proud partners with PRTC and we are pleased to recognize them for their continued commitment to transportation security.”
PRTC is comprised of six jurisdictions: Prince William, Stafford and Spotsylvania counties and the cities of Manassas, Manassas Park and Fredericksburg. All six localities play a role in Virginia Railway Express (VRE) operations, however OmniRide's mobility services are available only in Prince William, Manassas and Manassas Park. OmniRide's services include:
- OmniRide Express buses to destinations including the Mark Center, Pentagon, Rosslyn-Ballston, Tysons, Washington, D.C., and the Washington Navy Yard;
- OmniRide Metro Express buses to nearby Metro stations;
- OmniRide Local buses with routes in eastern Prince William County and the Manassas area;
- OmniRide East-West Express which connects eastern Prince William with the Manassas area;
- OmniRide Ridesharing which promotes carpools and vanpools; and
- OmniRide Employer Services which works with area businesses to create and expand incentives for people to find alternatives to commuting alone.
- In addition, PRTC administers the regional Vanpool Alliance program in partnership with NVTC and the George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC).
PRTC oversees VRE operations in cooperation with NVTC, which represents these jurisdictions: the counties of Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church.
In addition, PRTC administers the regional Vanpool Alliance program in partnership with NVTC and the George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC).
The Gold Standard Award is the highest level of recognition TSA can give to a transit agency for achieving top scores during an annual review of 17 categories of security and emergency preparedness elements. The review evaluates several aspects of a transit agency’s operations, including its security plan, security training, drills and exercise programs, public outreach efforts and background check procedures.
TSA has oversight of nearly 6,800 public transit agencies in the country. Every year, the TSA assesses a select number of transit agencies nationwide for evaluation through its Baseline Assessment for Security Enhancement (BASE) program. Just a fraction of those evaluated achieve scores high enough to receive the Gold Standard Award.
In the most recent round of BASE evaluations, TSA reviewed 58 mass transit agencies for their security posture. PRTC distinguished itself among the nation’s transit agencies to earn this Gold Standard Award.
In addition to PRTC, the other mass transit agencies that have earned this award include Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority, LYNX, in Orlando, Fla.; Charlotte Area Transit System, in Charlotte N.C.; Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation, IndyGo, in Indianapolis Ind.; and the Trans Group, LLC., EBT Inc., of Spring Valley, N.Y.