Transportation Contingency Plans for Future Gas Shortages Will Not Meet Commuter Needs

Highlights

GAO reviewed transportation contingency planning and discussed the need for new efforts to ensure that all areas of the country will be adequately prepared to maintain mobility during gasoline shortages.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
Department of Transportation	The Secretary of Transportation should provide guidance on the relationship between contingency plans and state emergency energy conservation plans.	Closed Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
Department of Transportation	The Secretary of Transportation should develop specific criteria on what regional contingency plans should contain, what types of strategies are appropriate for each level of energy shortfall, and the acceptable periods of time needed to implement contingency actions.	Closed Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
Department of Transportation	The Secretary of Transportation should work with the Department of Energy to develop specific information on potential shortfalls of petroleum supplies and the impact of shortfalls on the availability of gasoline to motorists, and provide more information to local planners on the ranges of shortfalls for which they should be developing contingency actions and federal actions that could be expected for given shortages.	Closed Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
Department of Transportation	The Secretary of Transportation should establish a required review process for all contingency plans developed using DOT funding and develop procedures to inform metropolitan planning organizations of inadequacies and assist them in correcting their planned strategies.	Closed Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.

Full Report

Full Report (58 pages)

Media Inquiries

Sarah Kaczmarek

Managing Director

Office of Public Affairs

media@gao.gov

Public Inquiries

Topics

Energy

Contingency plansEnergy shortagesstate relationsFlexible work schedulesFuel suppliesGasolineProgram evaluationTransportation planningUrban transportationMotor vehicles