Railroad Competitiveness:
Federal Laws and Policies Affect Railroad Competitiveness
RCED-92-16: Published: Nov 5, 1991. Publicly Released: Dec 9, 1991.
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Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the principal factors affecting the railroad industry's ability to compete with other transportation modes for intercity freight, focusing on how federal laws: (1) affect railroad labor costs; and (2) influence the railroads' competitive position.
GAO found that: (1) reduced federal regulation has given railroads greater freedom to competitively price their services, but as the railroads have become more competitive, so have their competitors in the trucking and barge industries; (2) the Railroad Retirement Act of 1937, the Federal Employers' Liability Act, and the Railway Labor Act of 1926, which govern railroad employee benefits and labor relations, have resulted in higher overall labor costs; (3) if railroads could reduce their labor costs, they would be in a better position to competitively price their services and compete for intercity freight; (4) publicly financed interstate highways and waterways give the trucking and barge industries a competitive price advantage over railroads, since freight railroads maintain their own rights of way with minimal federal assistance, while trucks and barges use rights of way that the public helps to fund; and (5) rail rates could become increasingly attractive compared with truck or barge rates, if all modes operated under the same labor laws and were equally responsible for their rights of way.
Jan 7, 2021
Aircraft Noise:
Better Information Sharing Could Improve Responses to Washington, D.C. Area Helicopter Noise ConcernsGAO-21-200: Published: Jan 7, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 7, 2021.
Dec 18, 2020
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Automated Technologies:
DOT Should Take Steps to Ensure Its Workforce Has Skills Needed to Oversee SafetyGAO-21-197: Published: Dec 18, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 18, 2020.
Dec 17, 2020
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Emergency Responder Safety:
States and DOT Are Implementing Actions to Reduce Roadside CrashesGAO-21-166: Published: Dec 17, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 17, 2020.
Nov 24, 2020
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Reagan National Airport:
Information on Effects of Federal Statute Limiting Long-Distance FlightsGAO-21-176: Published: Nov 24, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 24, 2020.
Nov 19, 2020
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Federal-Aid Highways:
States and Local Governments Reported Benefits to Federal Highway Fund Swapping, but Impacts Cannot be Definitively DeterminedGAO-21-88: Published: Oct 20, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 19, 2020.
Nov 16, 2020
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Aviation Certification:
FAA Needs to Strengthen Its Design Review Process for Small AirplanesGAO-21-85: Published: Nov 16, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 16, 2020.
Nov 9, 2020
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Aviation Safety:
FAA's Office of Aviation Safety Should Take Additional Actions to Ensure Its Workforce Has Needed SkillsGAO-21-94: Published: Nov 9, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 9, 2020.
Oct 29, 2020
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Puerto Rico:
Perspectives on the Potential to Expand Air Cargo OperationsGAO-21-21: Published: Oct 29, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 29, 2020.
Sep 30, 2020
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Supplemental Material For GAO-20-686:
Transit Asset Management: Survey of TAM Program ParticipantsGAO-20-687SP: Published: Sep 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 30, 2020. -
Transit Asset Management:
FTA Should Clarify Performance Data and Develop a Plan to Guide Future Program ImprovementsGAO-20-686: Published: Sep 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 30, 2020.
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