This study was initiated as a result the approval of the Austin Metropolitan Area Transportation Plan (AMATP) including federal ISTEA funding, which has essentially no consideration for telecommuting over its 25 year timeframe. The plan has a budget of $7.5B!

As a result of a motion by Texas State Representative Susan Combs to Texas Senator Gonzalo Barrientos, the chairman of the Austin Transportation Study Policy Advisory Committee (ATS PAC), the Austin Software Council (ASC) was requested to conduct a telecommuting study for the Austin area. The ASC was formed by the IC2 (Innovation, Creativity and Capital) Institute of the University of Texas, and currently has about 250 members who are associated with computer related businesses in the Austin area. Gene Crick gcrick@tpoint.net is heading this ASC study.

The ASC study report is scheduled to be presented at the ATS PAC meeting in September 11, 1995 at which time it is hoped it will be able to show enough evidence to initiate a formal (funded) study by the various governmental transportation agencies at the local and state levels. The overall goal is to determine the appropriate tradeoffs between physical communications (transportation) and non-physical communications (telecommuting) over the AMATP's 25 year timeframe.

This study will include a projection of the computer hardware and software that are expected to become available in order to develop competitive products in a distributed development environment for global markets. In addition, information is being sought about automobile technologies, especially as they relate to clear air, and traffic monitoring to level peak traffic periods to achieve better utilization of roadways.