TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
Bus Operator Workforce Management
PRACTITIONER’S GUIDE
Robert Puentes
Philip Plotch
Brianne Eby
Paul Lewis
ENO CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION
Washington, DC
Karitsa Holdzkom
Xinge Wang
Douglas Nevins
Kenyon Corbett
INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORTATION LEARNING CENTER
Silver Spring, MD
Melissa Huber
HUBER AND ASSOCIATES, INC.
Jefferson City, MO
Subject Areas
Public Transportation • Administration and Management
Research sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration in cooperation with the American Public Transportation Association
TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
The nation’s growth and the need to meet mobility, environmental, and energy objectives place demands on public transit systems. Current systems, some of which are old and in need of upgrading, must expand service area, increase service frequency, and improve efficiency to serve these demands. Research is necessary to solve operating problems, adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and introduce innovations into the transit industry. The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the transit industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it.
The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special Report 213—Research for Public Transit: New Directions, published in 1987 and based on a study sponsored by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration—now the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Transportation 2000, also recognized the need for local, problem-solving research. TCRP, modeled after the successful National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), undertakes research and other technical activities in response to the needs of transit service providers. The scope of TCRP includes various transit research fields including planning, service configuration, equipment, facilities, operations, human resources, maintenance, policy, and administrative practices.
TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992. Proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was authorized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). On May 13, 1992, a memorandum agreement outlining TCRP operating procedures was executed by the three cooperating organizations: FTA; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, acting through the Transportation Research Board (TRB); and APTA. APTA is responsible for forming the independent governing board, designated as the TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Commission.
Research problem statements for TCRP are solicited periodically but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility of the TOPS Commission to formulate the research program by identifying the highest priority projects. As part of the evaluation, the TOPS Commission defines funding levels and expected products.
Once selected, each project is assigned to an expert panel appointed by TRB. The panels prepare project statements (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process for developing research problem statements and selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative research programs since 1962. As in other TRB activities, TCRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation.
Because research cannot have the desired effect if products fail to reach the intended audience, special emphasis is placed on disseminating TCRP results to the intended users of the research: transit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. TRB provides a series of research reports, syntheses of transit practice, and other supporting material developed by TCRP research. APTA will arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure that results are implemented by urban and rural transit industry practitioners.
TCRP provides a forum where transit agencies can cooperatively address common operational problems. TCRP results support and complement other ongoing transit research and training programs.
TCRP RESEARCH REPORT 240
Project F-28
ISSN 2572-3782
ISBN 978-0-309-69894-8
© 2023 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the graphical logo are trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein.
Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, APTA, FAA, FHWA, FTA, GHSA, or NHTSA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP.
Cover photo credits:
At top left: Photo courtesy of IndyGo, Indianapolis, IN.
At top right: Photo courtesy of Senior Transportation Connection, Cleveland OH.
At bottom left: Photo courtesy of Tri-County Action Program, Waite Park, MN.
At bottom right: Photo by Drew Kerr, Metro Transit, Minneapolis, MN.
NOTICE
The research report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; or the program sponsors.
The Transportation Research Board does not develop, issue, or publish standards or specifications. The Transportation Research Board manages applied research projects which provide the scientific foundation that may be used by Transportation Research Board sponsors, industry associations, or other organizations as the basis for revised practices, procedures, or specifications.
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TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
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COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CRP STAFF FOR TCRP RESEARCH REPORT 240
Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Gwen Chisholm Smith, Manager, Transit Cooperative Research Program
Dianne S. Schwager, Senior Program Officer
Dajaih Bias-Johnson, Senior Program Assistant
Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications
Heather DiAngelis, Associate Director of Publications
Sreyashi Roy, Editor
TCRP PROJECT F-28 PANEL
Field of Human Resources
Lora A. Francis, TriMet, Portland, OR (Chair)
Barbara K. Cline, Prairie Hills Transit, Spearfish, SD
Kesi Dorner, Transdev North America, Lombard, IL
David A. Lee, First Transit, West Hartford, CT
Monty Scott Neeley, RATP DEV, Fort Worth, TX
Raymond A. Santiago, Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, San Rafael, CA
Steven Silkunas, ispe, Fernandina Beach, FL
Edward F. Watt, WattADR, Rockaway Park, NY
Betty F. Jackson, FTA Liaison
Joseph W. Niegoski, APTA Liaison
AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to acknowledge the people who completed the survey, participated in the focus group, and were interviewed for this study, including staff from transit agencies, local union representatives, and industry experts. The authors thank the transit agencies selected for the case studies and their local unions for their generous support. They are Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1338 in Texas; Fairmont-Marion County Transit Authority (FMCTA) in West Virginia; Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) and ATU Local 268 in Ohio; NJ TRANSIT and the ATU New Jersey State Council in New Jersey; Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) in Florida; River Cities Public Transit (RCPT) in South Dakota; and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and ATU Local 265 in California.
FOREWORD
By Dianne S. Schwager
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board
This report is a guide for practitioners that provides recommendations and resources to help transit agencies to assess, plan, and implement their bus operator workforce management programs. The report will be of immediate use to transit agencies throughout the United States since bus operators comprise more than 60 percent of the public transit workforce, and transit agencies must continually carry out the various elements of bus operator workforce management.
Under TCRP Project F-28, “Practitioner’s Guide to Bus Operator Workforce Management,” the Eno Center for Transportation was asked to develop a comprehensive, evidence-based guide for bus operator workforce management from pre-employment through retirement. The research approach included a literature review, stakeholder interviews, a focus group, an industry survey, and case studies. Based on quantitative and qualitative analysis, the research team identified best practices, novel approaches, and effective programs to address common and unique challenges transit operations are facing regarding bus operator workforce management. The guide addresses workforce concerns for bus operators who provide fixed-route, flexible-route, and on-demand services.
TCRP Research Report 240 is structured around seven elements of bus operator workforce management: workforce needs assessment; recruitment; compensation; hiring processes; training; safety, health, and working conditions; and retention and motivation. Each element is the focus of a chapter of the guide (Chapters 2 to 8). Within each of these chapters are themes and forward-thinking approaches (i.e., examples of industry best practices) identified by the researchers. The final chapter of the report addresses key challenges related to bus operator management facing public transit agencies and how these challenges can be overcome. Three appendices document key elements of the research—Appendix A: Case Studies, Appendix B: Methodology, and Appendix C: Additional Methodology Materials.
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CONTENTS
1.3 Major Factors That Affect the Bus Operator Workforce
Chapter 2 Bus Operator Workforce Needs Assessment
Integrating Workforce Development into Strategic Plans and Broader Service Goals
Data on Current and Past Workforce and Service Patterns
Forecasting Workforce Needs in the COVID-19 Era
Addressing Transit-Agency-Wide Priorities Across Multiple Departments
Union Involvement in Workforce Development Priorities
2.2 Forward-Thinking Approaches
Assess Current Situation to Determine Staffing Needs
Develop Workforce Staffing Models
Determine Optimal Workforce with Forecasting
Chapter 3 Bus Operator Recruitment
Changes in Recruitment Strategies Over Time
Choosing to Hire Part-Time versus Full-Time Bus Operators
Pre-employment Outreach and Educational Opportunities
Dedicating Resources to Marketing for Vacant Positions
Competition with Other Industries
COVID-19 Effects on Recruitment
Union Involvement in Recruitment
3.2 Forward-Thinking Approaches
Target Recruitment Efforts at Younger Candidates
Engage in Outreach to Non-English-Speaking Communities
Offer Sign-On Bonuses Strategically
Offer Special Incentives for Applicants with a CDL
Increase Compensation to Remain Competitive
Use Technology to Attract Diverse Candidates and Provide Well-Developed Websites
Have High Visibility at Public Events with Buses and Current Bus Operators On-Site
Remove Barriers and Leverage Partnerships to Provide Support Services as Part of Recruitment
Use Common Language to Describe Positions
Chapter 4 Bus Operator Compensation
Recruitment and Retention Implications for Bus Operator Wages
Competition with Other Industries
4.2 Forward-Thinking Approaches
Offer Incentives for Employees Who Opt Out of Healthcare Programs
Provide Higher Wage Scales to Senior Employees for Undesirable Shifts
Tie Shorter Wage Progression Periods to Incentives or Shorten Wage Progression Periods Outright
Provide Payment for Unused Vacation Days and Bonuses
Chapter 5 Bus Operator Hiring Processes
Many Applicants Lack an Understanding of the Bus Operator Role
Use of Technology to Improve the Application Process
Selection Test and Interview Challenges
Onboarding Does Not Adequately Prepare New Employees for Their First Assignments
5.2 Forward-Thinking Approaches
Conduct Pre-hire Assessments and Additional Screening of Applicants
Provide Technology Support for Applicants
Use Behavior-Based Protocols to Screen and Interview Applicants
Design Candidate Interviews to Improve Retention of New Hires
Offer CDL Permit Study Sessions
Shorten the Application Process and Make It More Flexible
Adjust Bus Operator Qualifications and Respective Training to Broaden the Applicant Pool
Prevent the Loss of New Hires Waiting for Paid Training to Begin
Chapter 6 Bus Operator Training
Types of Training Available to Bus Operators
Joint Labor–Management Partnerships
Mentorship and Apprenticeship Programs
Developing Career Ladders for Upward Mobility
Career Opportunities for Diverse Populations
Balancing Service and Training
6.2 Forward-Thinking Approaches
Offer Training Opportunities in a Variety of Formats
Utilize Experienced Drivers as On-the-Job Training Providers
Include a Union Role in Training
Use Data to Inform Training Process
Leverage Partnership Opportunities Between the Transit Agency, Labor, and Other Community Partners
Create Formalized Mentorship Programs
Register an Apprenticeship Program
Chapter 7 Bus Operator Safety, Health, and Working Conditions
7.2 Forward-Thinking Approaches
Form Labor–Management Partnership on Safety and Working Conditions
Use Shields for Bus Operator Compartment
Review the Role of Bus Operators in Enforcement of Fare Policy
Allow Bus Operator Input in Bus Procurement
Use Transit Operations Decision Support System Technologies
Review and Revise Rules That Allow Seniority to Determine Assignment to the Easiest Routes
Provide High-End Portable Bathrooms
Create Contracts with Local Business Owners for On-Route Restroom Facility Access
Chapter 8 Bus Operator Retention and Motivation
Operator Engagement and Recognition Programs
8.2 Forward-Thinking Approaches
Attend Industry Events and Competitions
Create Apprenticeship Programs
Develop Existing Employees Through Career Ladder Programs
Monitor Reasons for Retention Issues
Consider the Length of New Bus Operator Training and Onboarding
Chapter 9 Overcoming Challenges
9.1 Research Conducted and Key Findings
Health, Safety, and Working Conditions
9.3 Research Limitations and Further Research
