Mass Transit: Needs Projections Could Better Reflect Future Costs
RCED-93-61
Published: Mar 09, 1993. Publicly Released: Mar 09, 1993.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed transit needs projections by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and two transit associations, focusing on: (1) why their transit needs projections varied; (2) other factors affecting future projections' accuracy; and (3) opportunities for improving future transit needs projections.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Transportation | To better assist Congress and others in the transportation community, the Secretary of Transportation should improve future FTA transit needs reports required by 49 U.S.C. section 308 by including operating needs (current as well as expanded system) for the nation's transit systems. |
Closed – Not Implemented
The joint FHwA/FTA report to Congress on "Highways and Transit Conditions, Needs, and Performance", was issued on October 27, 1995. It incorporated three of GAO's recommendations designed to enhance the needs projections addressed in the report, but did not incorporate this recommendation.
|
| Department of Transportation | To better assist Congress and others in the transportation community, the Secretary of Transportation should improve future FTA transit needs reports required by 49 U.S.C. section 308 by including vehicle replacement needs for the entire human service operator fleet, not just the vehicles DOT has funded. |
Closed – Implemented
The joint FHwA/FTA report to Congress on "Highways and Transit Conditions, Needs, and Performance", was issued on October 27, 1995. It incorporated three of GAO's recommendations designed to enhance the needs projections addressed in the report. Specifically, FTA: (1) included in its calculation of replacement needs, the entire human service operator fleet and not just the vehicles DOT had funded; (2) included transit operators' cost estimates for ADA compliance throughout the report and also included the cost to address other federal mandates, such as the Clean Air Act and the Energy Policy Act of 1992; and (3) incorporated projects made at the local level which are more reflective of the potential costs of expanded ridership which would use rail instead of bus transportation. Based on these actions, the FTA's transit needs report reflects more reliable data on which to base major investment decisions.
|
| Department of Transportation | To better assist Congress and others in the transportation community, the Secretary of Transportation should improve future FTA transit needs reports required by 49 U.S.C. section 308 by including transit operators' cost estimates for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance as reported to FTA under 49 C.F.R. parts 27, 37, and 38. |
Closed – Implemented
The joint FHwA/FTA report to Congress on "Highways and Transit Conditions, Needs, and Performance", was issued on October 27, 1995. It incorporated three of GAO's recommendations designed to enhance the needs projections addressed in the report. Specifically, FTA: (1) included in its calculation of replacement needs, the entire human service operator fleet and not just the vehicles DOT had funded; (2) included transit operators' cost estimates for ADA compliance throughout the report and also included the cost to address other federal mandates, such as the Clean Air Act and the Energy Policy Act of 1992; and (3) incorporated projects made at the local level which are more reflective of the potential costs of expanded ridership which would use rail instead of bus transportation. Based on these actions, the FTA's transit needs report reflects more reliable data on which to base major investment decisions.
|
| Department of Transportation | To better assist Congress and others in the transportation community, the Secretary of Transportation should improve future FTA transit needs reports required by 49 U.S.C. section 308 by developing new needs projection methods that are more reflective of potential costs, such as estimating the proportion of expanded ridership that will use rail versus bus service and projecting costs accordingly, and including costs to address Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and the Energy Policy Act of 1992. |
Closed – Implemented
The joint FHwA/FTA report to Congress on "Highways and Transit Conditions, Needs, and Performance", was issued on October 27, 1995. It incorporated three of GAO's recommendations designed to enhance the needs projections addressed in the report. Specifically, FTA: (1) included in its calculation of replacement needs, the entire human service operator fleet and not just the vehicles DOT had funded; (2) included transit operators' cost estimates for ADA compliance throughout the report and also included the cost to address other federal mandates, such as the Clean Air Act and the Energy Policy Act of 1992; and (3) incorporated projects made at the local level which are more reflective of the potential costs of expanded ridership which would use rail instead of bus transportation. Based on these actions, the FTA's transit needs report reflects more reliable data on which to base major investment decisions.
|
| Department of Transportation | To better assist Congress and others in the transportation community, the Secretary of Transportation should improve future FTA transit needs reports required by 49 U.S.C. section 308 by ensuring that standard data requirements for transit needs projections, such as planned transit expansions and transit systems' condition and maintenance information, are included in the new Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 transportation planning and management system regulations that are currently under development. |
Closed – Not Implemented
The joint FHwA/FTA report to Congress on "Highways and Transit Conditions, Needs, and Performance", was issued on October 27, 1995. It incorporated three of GAO's recommendations designed to enhance the needs projections addressed in the report, but did not incorporate this recommendation.
|
| Department of Transportation | To better assist Congress and others in the transportation community, the Secretary of Transportation should improve future FTA transit needs reports required by 49 U.S.C. section 308 by considering transit needs data requirements, such as variables that influence the selection of transit over other alternative modes, when determining the Bureau of Transportation Statistics' future activities. |
Closed – Not Implemented
The joint FHwA/FTA report to Congress on "Highways and Transit Conditions, Needs, and Performance", was issued on October 27, 1995. It incorporated three of GAO's recommendations designed to enhance the needs projections addressed in the report, but did not incorporate this recommendation.
|
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