Government Accountability Office Archives

GAO reviewed eight projects funded by FTA’s Capital Investment Grants program. Two reported that actual ridership was about 30% lower than predicted “due to overly optimistic travel model assumptions.” According to all eight project sponsors, “transit ridership declined precipitously at the start of the pandemic. In most cases, recovery has been slow. Sponsors said they expect ridership to continue to be lower than pre-pandemic levels, given the current trend of remote work.”

April 13, 2023
Regulatory

Pandemic Complicates Transit Project Ridership Predictions, GAO

For projects funded through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Capital Investment Grants program, predicting ridership has been complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).

January 07, 2016
High Performance

GAO study targets improvements at Amtrak

A U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) study released Jan. 6, 2016, “Amtrak: Better Reporting, Planning, and Improved Financial Information Could Enhance Decision Making,” recommends that Amtrak take certain steps to improve its performance.

September 16, 2015
C&S/IT

GAO report confirms need for PTC deadline extension

A new report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds that most U.S. railroads will not be able to implement Positive Train Control (PTC) technology by the current Dec. 31, 2015 deadline, and that legislation extending the deadline is necessary.