**GAO-13-824SP**                      Published: Sep 26, 2013. Publicly Released: Sep 26, 2013.                  

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## Highlights

This is an E-supplement to GAO-13-782. This E-supplement presents the results of GAO's web-based survey of transit contracting. The survey asks transit agency officials for their views on questions about the extent transit agencies contract public transit operations and other services, the factors they consider when deciding to contract, and the methods used to select and oversee contractors.

The survey was administered to 637 transit agencies that reported to the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) National Transit Database in 2011 and operate fixed-route bus; demand response; ADA (Americans with Disability Act) paratransit; and heavy, light, or commuter rail services. We excluded transit agencies that received a reporting waiver. We received responses from 463 transit agencies for a response rate of 73 percent. Estimates and responses to survey questions in this product refer only to the views of the respondents. The survey was a census survey and GAO did not try to extrapolate the findings to the transit agencies who chose not to respond. Responses to open-ended questions requiring a narrative response are not included in this document.

We administered the survey from March 4, 2013 to April 23, 2013 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. A more detailed discussion of our objectives, scope, methodology, and agency comments on the draft report are contained in our report entitled Public Transit: Transit Agencies' Use of Contracting to Provide Service (GAO-13-782) (Washington, D.C.: September 2013).

## Supplemental Material

### Background

This e-supplement presents the results of GAO's web-based survey of transit contracting. The survey asks transit agency officials for their views on questions about the extent transit agencies contract public transit operations and other services, the factors they consider when deciding to contract, and the methods used to select and oversee contractors.

The survey was administered to 637 transit agencies that reported to the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) National Transit Database in 2011 and operate fixed-route bus; demand response; ADA (Americans with Disability Act) paratransit; and heavy, light, or commuter rail services. We excluded transit agencies that received a reporting waiver. We received responses from 463 transit agencies for a response rate of 73 percent. Estimates and responses to survey questions in this product refer only to the views of the respondents. The survey was a census survey and GAO did not try to extrapolate the findings to the transit agencies who chose not to respond. Responses to open-ended questions requiring a narrative response are not included in this document.

We administered the survey from March 4, 2013 to April 23, 2013 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. A more detailed discussion of our objectives, scope, methodology, and agency comments on the draft report are contained in our report entitled Public Transit: Transit Agencies' Use of Contracting to Provide Service (GAO-13-782) (Washington, D.C.: September 2013).

### Contents

 

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### Copyright

This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. The published product may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without further permission from GAO. However, because this work may contain copyrighted images or other material, permission from the copyright holder may be necessary if you wish to reproduce this material separately.

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David Wise
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kaczmareks@gao.gov

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## Topics

Transportation

Collective bargaining agreementsCommuter railContract administrationContract authorityContract performanceContractsCost controlLabor unionsMaintenance services contractsManagement and operating contractsMass transitMass transit fundingProductivity in governmentSurveysTransportation contractsTransportation costs