Bus Operator Workforce Management: Practitioner's Guide (2023)

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© 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. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The research for this document was conducted through one or more programs administered by the Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: • Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) research is sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). • Behavioral Traffic Safety Cooperative Research Program (BTSCRP) research is sponsored by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). • National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) research is sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). • Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) research is sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in cooperation with the Transit Development Corporation. 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 endorsement by TRB and any of its program sponsors 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. DISCLAIMER To facilitate more timely dissemination of research findings, this pre-publication document is taken directly from the submission of the research agency. The material has not been edited by TRB. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this document are those of the researchers who performed the research. They 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. The Transportation Research Board, the National Academies, and the sponsors of the Transit Cooperative Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report. This pre-publication document IS NOT an official publication of the Cooperative Research Programs; the Transportation Research Board; or the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Recommended citation: Robert Puentes, R., P. Plotch, B. Eby, P. Lewis, K. Holdzkom, X. Wang, D. Nevins, K. Corbett, and M. Huber. 2022. Bus Operator Workforce Management: Practitioner’s Guide. Pre- publication draft of TCRP Research Report 240. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.

ii Acknowledgments This report was authored by: The Eno Center for Transportation: Robert Puentes, President and CEO Philip Plotch, Principal Researcher Brianne Eby, Senior Policy Analyst Paul Lewis, Chief Finance Officer and Policy Director International Transportation Learning Center: Karitsa Holdzkom, Senior Policy Analyst Xinge Wang, Deputy Director Douglas Nevins, Researcher Kenyon Corbett, Senior Program Associate Melissa Huber of Huber & Associates The authors wish to acknowledge the people who took the time to complete the survey, participate in the focus group and be interviewed for this study, including staff from transit agencies, local union representatives, and industry experts. In particular, the seven transit agencies selected for the case studies and their local unions offered generous support. They are: Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and 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.

iii Table of Contents Summary ................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 7 1.1 Background ................................................................................................................................ 7 1.2 Defining bus operators ............................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Major factors that affect the bus operator workforce............................................................... 11 1.3.1 Technology ................................................................................................................................................ 11 1.3.2 Transit Ridership ....................................................................................................................................... 12 1.3.3 New Service Models .................................................................................................................................. 12 1.3.4 Labor Market ............................................................................................................................................. 13 1.3.5 Social and Political Factors ........................................................................................................................ 14 1.4 Research Scope ........................................................................................................................ 15 About this Practitioner’s Guide ...................................................................................................... 16 2.0 Bus Operator Workforce Needs Assessment .................................................................... 18 2.1 Workforce needs assessment themes ......................................................................................................... 19 2.2 Forward-thinking approaches ...................................................................................................................... 23 2.3 Resources ..................................................................................................................................................... 24 3.0 Bus Operator Recruitment ............................................................................................... 25 3.1 Recruitment themes .................................................................................................................................... 25 3.2 Forward-thinking approaches ...................................................................................................................... 34 3.3 Resources ..................................................................................................................................................... 38 4.0 Bus Operator Compensation ............................................................................................ 39 4.1 Compensation themes ................................................................................................................................. 39 4.2 Forward-thinking approaches ...................................................................................................................... 48 4.3 Resources ..................................................................................................................................................... 49 5.0 Bus Operator Hiring Processes ......................................................................................... 50 5.1 Hiring process themes .................................................................................................................................. 50 5.2 Forward-thinking approaches ...................................................................................................................... 54 5.3 Resources ..................................................................................................................................................... 58 6.0 Bus Operator Training ...................................................................................................... 59 6.1 Training and development themes .............................................................................................................. 59 6.2 Forward-thinking approaches ...................................................................................................................... 67 6.3 Resources ..................................................................................................................................................... 69 7.0 Bus Operator Safety, Health, and Working Conditions ..................................................... 70 7.2 Forward-thinking approaches ...................................................................................................................... 79 7.3 Resources ..................................................................................................................................................... 82 8.0 Bus Operator Retention and Motivation .......................................................................... 83 8.1 Retention themes ......................................................................................................................................... 84 8.2 Forward-thinking approaches ...................................................................................................................... 87 8.3 Resources ..................................................................................................................................................... 91

iv 9.0 Overcoming Challenges ................................................................................................... 92 Research Conducted and Key Findings ........................................................................................... 92 Workforce Needs Assessment ........................................................................................................................... 93 Recruitment ....................................................................................................................................................... 93 Compensation .................................................................................................................................................... 94 Hiring and Onboarding ....................................................................................................................................... 95 Training .............................................................................................................................................................. 96 Health, Safety and Working Conditions ............................................................................................................. 96 Motivation and retention ................................................................................................................................... 98 The Challenges ............................................................................................................................. 101 Research Limitations and Further Research .................................................................................. 102 Appendix 1: Case Studies ..................................................................................................... 103 Dallas Area Rapid Transit, TX ....................................................................................................... 104 Fairmont-Marion County Transit Authority, WV ........................................................................... 111 Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Case Study ............................................................. 115 New Jersey Transit, NJ ................................................................................................................. 121 Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, FL ......................................................................................... 128 River Cities Public Transit, SD ....................................................................................................... 137 Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, Santa Clara, CA ....................................................... 140 Appendix 2: Methodology ................................................................................................... 146 (a) Literature Review ................................................................................................................... 146 (b) Stakeholders and Industry Experts .......................................................................................... 146 (c) Focus Group ............................................................................................................................ 146 (d) Industry Survey ...................................................................................................................... 147 (e) Case Studies ........................................................................................................................... 149 Appendix 3. Additional Methodology Materials .................................................................. 151 Appendix 3.1. Interview Guide for Stakeholders and Industry Experts ......................................... 151 Appendix 3.2. Industry Survey Questions ..................................................................................... 153 Appendix 3.3. Case Study Selection Criteria ................................................................................. 173 Appendix 3.4. Case Study Interview Guide ................................................................................... 175 Endnotes ............................................................................................................................. 178