A Case Study: The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works
February 4, 1992
Amy Ho & Jacki Stewart
Commuter Transportation Services, Inc.
Los Angeles, CA

The compressed work week is often promoted as a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategy. It is assumed that employees who work fewer days per week will make fewer trips per week, thus reducing demand on transportation infrastructure. A before and after case study by Commuter Transportation Services, Inc. (CTS) examines the effects of this strategy on travel behavior by analyzing travel logs completed by employees at a Los Angeles County worksite, prior to and following the implementation of a 4/40 compressed work week schedule (four, 10-hour days per week).

Results show that employees actually made more trips on their compressed work day-off than they did on any other day. However, employees, made fewer trips per week and traveled fewer miles than when working a traditional 5/40 schedule (five, 8-hour days per week). In addition, the trips made on the day off are typically short errand trips and were usually made during non-peak periods, late morning or early afternoon. Further, the findings show that a larger percentage of the trips were being made consecutively rather than returning home between trips (trip-chaining), indicating a reduction in the number of cold starts.

The study concluded that a 4/40 compressed work week program can reduce the average number of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and thus, can reduce levels of mobile source pollutants entering the atmosphere. The average reduction in VMT per week for respondents of this study, 46 miles, equates to a $850 annual savings in user costs and to an average reduction of 2,300 pounds of carbon dioxide and pollutants.