Beginning in May 2023, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) conducted a Best Practices Review of Transit Asset Management (TAM) plans from nine agencies, including Metrolink. The pilot program promotes exemplary methods and best practices for TAM plans and focuses on the four pillars of asset management: organization, data, process, and technology.
Participating agencies voluntarily applied for consideration and were selected by FTA. They submitted documentation and underwent interviews about their TAM Plan implementation. FTA provided a set of 89 questions to guide interviews based on different responsibilities.
The review revealed that Metrolink possesses a mature asset management system, with strong executive involvement and is a dedicated “Asset Management Champion.” The review indicated Metrolink maintains robust governance and partnerships, fosters effective communication, and aligns its asset management strategy with broader objectives.
Recommendations include further enhancement of the asset management system, improving asset data accuracy, developing standards and procedures, and implementing formal training. Metrolink aims to address these recommendations as part of its ongoing Asset Management Optimization.
The review is a part of the Asset Management Optimization project that Metrolink has been implementing since October 2021. This project consists of the optimization and build out of our Enterprise Asset Management system across several functional departments in the Agency including Equipment, Facilities, Track, Signal, Structures and Communications. This effort will allow the agency to have a single repository to manage and inspect assets.