EVALUATION OF IMPLEMENTING TRANSIT PERFORMANCE AUDITS

Since July 1, 1980 and triennially thereafter, all California transportation planning agencies, county transportation commissions, transit development bords, and transit operators that receive Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds are required to have performance audits conducted of their activities. The objective of this study is to evaluate the first triennial cycle (FY 1979/80, 1980/81, and 1981/82) of the TDA transit performance audit program. The program was designed to minimize operational deficits, to evalute the efficiency of the system and the adequacy of fiscal and management audit requirements of all TDA funds expended. Operational and financial data from 20 public transit systems were analyzed for efficiciency, effectiveness, and economy of operational performance. Evaluation of program management resulted from personal interviews with transportation representatives, review of performance audit reports, planning documents, and transportation grant fund applications for each transit system in the sample and their Transportation Planning Agencies. This report provides the findings for both management and operations as well as recommendations for improvements. The report concludes that implementation of transit performance audits is beneficial to the public transportation industry and that the true value gained comes not from the data produced but from the procedures that force all transportation systems to think and act in a more business-like manner.

• Corporate Authors:

  California Department of Transportation

  1120 N Street
  Sacramento, CA  United States  95814

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Freese, D L
• Publication Date: 1984-7

Media Info

• Pagination: 90 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Analysis; Auditing; Management; Operating costs; Performance; Productivity; Transit operating agencies
• Uncontrolled Terms: Performance indicators
• Geographic Terms: California
• Old TRIS Terms: Analytical method; Umta section 8
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00395233
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: UMTA-CA-09-8010-84-1Final Rpt., UMTA-MT-7-84-128
• Contract Numbers: UMTA-CA-09-8010
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: May 31 1985 12:00AM