Spreading Commuter Work Hours Could Reduce Transit Costs
RCED-83-17
Published: Mar 17, 1983. Publicly Released: Mar 17, 1983.
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Highlights
GAO examined six subway, streetcar, and bus routes in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to see whether peak transit demand could be relieved by spreading commuter work-hours. GAO undertook this study because transit authorities are experiencing a financial drain during peak period service and there have been initiatives to change employee work-hours.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Transportation | The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator of UMTA to require areas that can benefit by spreading work hours to address variable work-hours programs in their transportation improvement plans. |
Closed – Not Implemented
Transportation believes that its section 8 planning program adequately fosters consideration of staggered or variable work hours. It believes that requiring transit systems to address this issue in its planning process would be inconsistent with the policy of giving greater flexibility to state and local areas to plan and develop their own transportation programs. No action is planned.
|
| Department of Transportation | The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator of UMTA to determine which urban areas have a peaking problem that can be alleviated by additional spreading of employee work-hours. |
Closed – Not Implemented
No action is planned. Transportation believes that its research and development program adequately addresses this issue.
|
| Department of Transportation | The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator of UMTA to establish guidance for local transit authorities, planning organizations, employers, and others to use in establishing and operating variable work-hours programs. |
Closed – Not Implemented
No action is planned. Transportation believes that its research, demonstration, and planning programs already address this issue adequately.
|
| Department of Transportation | The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator of UMTA to give preference in receiving discretionary funds for purchases of vehicles to urban areas that have established variable work-hours programs in which the transit authority is an active participant and to those urban areas that tried to establish a program but were unable to do so. Transportation authorities that do not participate in variable work-hours programs should be required to demonstrate acceptable reasons for not participating before they receive grants to purchase vehicles. |
Closed – Not Implemented
No action is planned. Transportation believes this would be inconsistent with its policy of providing greater flexibility to state and local jursidictions to plan and develop transportation programs best suited to their needs. It said that the programmed reduction of fFederal operating assistance gives transit operators an incentive to maximize captial and operating resources.
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Topics
Cost controlCost effectiveness analysisFederal aid to localitiesFlexible work schedulesLabor costsMotor vehiclesUrban transportationStreetcarsSubway trainsCommuter transportation