This study was conceived as the first phase of a three-phase program to develop a safety data base for intracity bus transit. It involved reviewing the state of the art of general transportation safety management, examining the current intracity bus safety records systems of the federal, state, and local governments and the transit industry, and developing the basis for an intracity bus safety records system for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Definitions of motor bus traffic accidents, passenger accidents, and crime were developed data elements and codes were selected; and an accident/incident report form was designed. Guidelines for developing data files, coding, entry, editing, and data processing procedures were developed along with recommendations on the development of the last two phases of the program.