travel time example

Do you believe in time travel? I’m a skeptic myself — but if these people’s stories about time travel are to be believed, then I am apparently wrong. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll have to eat my words. In all honesty, that might not be so bad — because the tradeoff for being wrong in that case would be that time travel is real . That would be pretty rad if it were true.

Technically speaking time travel does exist right now — just not in the sci fi kind of way you’re probably thinking. According to a TED-Ed video by Colin Stuart, Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev actually traveled 0.02 seconds into his own future due to time dilation during the time he spent on the International Space Station. For the curious, Krikalev has spent a total of 803 days, nine hours, and 39 minutes in space over the course of his career.

That said, though, many are convinced that time dilation isn’t the only kind of time travel that’s possible; some folks do also believe in time travel as depicted by everything from H. G. Wells’ The Time Machine to Back to the Future . It’s difficult to find stories online that are actual accounts from real people — many of them are either urban legends ( hi there, Philadelphia Experiment ) or stories that center around people that I’ve been unable to verify actually exist — but if you dig hard enough, sincere accounts can be found.

Are the stories true? Are they false? Are they examples of people who believe with all their heart that they’re true, even if they might not actually be? You be the judge. These seven tales are all excellent yarns, at any rate.

1 The Moberly–Jourdain Incident

In 1901, two Englishwomen, Anne Moberly and Eleanor Jourdain , took a vacation to France. While they were there, they visited the Palace of Versailles (because, y’know, that’s what one does when one visits France ). And while they were at Versailles, they visited what’s known as the Petit Trianon — a little chateau on the palace grounds that Louis XVI gave to Marie Antoinette as a private space for her to hang out and do whatever it was that a teenaged queen did when she was relaxing back then.

But while they were there, they claimed, they saw some… odd occurrences. They said they spotted people wearing anachronistic clothing, heard mysterious voices, and saw buildings and other structures that were no longer present — and, indeed, hadn’t existed since the late 1700s. Finally, they said, they caught sight of Marie Antoinette herself , drawing in a sketchbook.

They claimed to have fallen into a “time slip” and been briefly transported back more than 100 years before being jolted back to the present by a tour guide.

Did they really travel back in time? Probably not; various explanations include everything from a folie a deux (basically a joint delusion) to a simple misinterpretation of what they actually saw. But for what it’s worth, in 1911 — roughly 10 years after what they said they had experienced occurred — the two women published a book about the whole thing under the names Elizabeth Morison and Frances Lamont simply called An Adventure. These days, it’s available as The Ghosts of Trianon ; check it out, if you like.

2 The Mystery Of John Titor

John Titor is perhaps the most famous person who claims he’s time traveled; trouble is, no one has heard from him for almost 17 years. Also, he claimed he came from the future.

The story is long and involved, but the short version is this: In a thread begun in the fall of 2000 about time travel paradoxes on the online forum the Time Travel Institute — now known as Curious Cosmos — a user responded to a comment about how a time machine could theoretically be built with the following message:

“Wow! Paul is right on the money. I was just about to give up hope on anyone knowing who Tipler or Kerr was on this worldline.

“By the way, #2 is the correct answer and the basics for time travel start at CERN in about a year and end in 2034 with the first ‘time machine’ built by GE. Too bad we can’t post pictures or I’d show it to you.”

The implication, of course, was that the user, who was going by the name TimeTravel_0, came from a point in the future during which such a machine had already been invented.

Over the course of many messages spanning from that first thread all the way through the early spring of 2001, the user, who became known as John Titor, told his story. He said that he had been sent back to 1975 in order to bring an IBM 5100 computer to his own time; he was just stopping in 2000 for a brief rest on his way back home. The computer, he said, was needed to debug “various legacy computer programs in 2036” in order to combat a known problem similar to Y2K called the Year 2038 Problem . (John didn’t refer to it as such, but he said that UNIX was going to have an issue in 2038 — which is what we thought was going to happen back when the calendar ticked over from 1999 to 2000.)

Opinions are divided on whether John Titor was real ; some folks think he was the only real example of time travel we’ve ever seen, while others think it’s one of the most enduring hoaxes we’ve ever seen. I fall on the side of hoax, but that’s just me.

3 Project Pegasus And The Chrononauts

In 2011, Andrew D. Basiago and William Stillings stepped forward, claiming that they were former “chrononauts” who had worked with an alleged DARPA program called Project Pegasus. Project Pegasus, they said, had been developed in the 1970s; in 1980, they were taking a “Mars training class” at a community college in California (the college presumably functioning as a cover for the alleged program) when they were picked to go to Mars. The mode of transport? Teleportation.

It gets better, too. Basiago and Stillings also said that the then- 19-year-old Barack Obama , whom they claimed was going by the name “Barry Soetero” at the time, was also one of the students chosen to go to Mars. They said the teleportation occurred via something called a “jump room.”

The White House has denied that Obama has ever been to Mars . “Only if you count watching Marvin the Martian,” Tommy Vietor, then the spokesman for the National Security Council, told Wired’s Danger Room in 2012.

4 Victor Goddard’s Airfield Time Slip

Like Anne Moberly and Eleanor Jourdain, senior Royal Air Force commander Sir Robert Victor Goddard — widely known as Victor Goddard — claimed to have experienced a time slip.

In 1935, Goddard flew over what had been the RAF station Drem in Scotland on his way from Edinburgh to Andover, England. The Drem station was no longer in use; after demobilization efforts following WWI, it had mostly been left to its own devices. And, indeed, that’s what Goddard said he saw as he flew over it: A largely abandoned airfield.

On his return trip, though, things got… weird. He followed the same route he had on the way there, but during the flight, he got waylaid by a storm. As he struggled to regain control of his plane, however, he spotted the Drem airfield through a break in the clouds — and when he got closer to it, the bad weather suddenly dissipated. But the airfield… wasn’t abandoned this time. It was busy, with several planes on the runway and mechanics scurrying about.

Within seconds, though, the storm reappeared, and Goddard had to fight to keep his plane aloft again. He made it home just fine, and went on to live another 50 years — but the incident stuck with him; indeed, in 1975, he wrote a book called Flight Towards Reality which included discussion of the whole thing.

Here’s the really weird bit: In 1939, the Drem airfield was brought back to life. Did Goddard see a peek into the airfield's future via a time slip back in 1935? Who knows.

5 Space Barbie

I’ll be honest: I’m not totally sure what to do with thisone — but I’ll present it to you here, and then you can decide for yourself what you think about it. Here it is:

Valeria Lukyanova has made a name for herself as a “human Barbie doll” (who also has kind of scary opinions about some things ) — but a 2012 short documentary for Vice’s My Life Online series also posits that she believes she’s a time traveling space alien whose purpose on Earth is to aid us in moving “from the role of the ‘human consumer’ to the role of ‘human demi-god.’”

What I can’t quite figure out is whether this whole time traveling space alien thing is, like a piece of performance art created specifically for this Vice doc, or whether it’s what she actually thinks. I don’t believe she’s referenced it in many (or maybe even any) other interviews she’s given; the items I’ve found discussing Lukyanova and time travel specifically all point back to this video.

But, well… do with it all as you will. That’s the documentary up there; give it a watch and see what you think.

6 The Hipster Time Traveler

In the early 2010s, a photograph depicting the 1941 reopening of the South Fork Bridge in Gold Bridge, British Columbia in Canada went viral for seemingly depicting a man that looked… just a bit too modern to have been photographed in 1941. He looks, in fact, like a time traveling hipster : Graphic t-shirt, textured sweater, sunglasses, the works. The photo hadn’t been manipulated; the original can be seen here . So what the heck was going on?

Well, Snopes has plenty of reasonable explanations for the man’s appearance; each item he’s wearing, for example, could very easily have been acquired in 1941. Others have also backed up those facts. But the bottom line is that it’s never been definitively debunked, so the idea that this photograph could depict a man from our time who had traveled back to 1941 persists. What do you think?

7 Father Ernetti’s Chronovisor

According to two at least two books — Catholic priest Father Francois Brune’s 2002 book Le nouveau mystère du Vatican (in English, The Vatican’s New Mystery ) and Peter Krassa’s 2000 book Father Ernetti's Chronovisor : The Creation and Disappearance of the World's First Time Machine — Father Pellegrino Ernetti, who was a Catholic priest like Brune, invented a machine called a “chronovisor” that allowed him to view the past. Ernetti was real; however, the existence of the machine, or even whether he actually claimed to have invented it, has never been proven. Alas, he died in 1994, so we can’t ask him, either. I mean, if we were ever able to find his chronovisor, maybe we could… but at that point, wouldn’t we already have the information we need?

(I’m extremely skeptical of this story, by the way, but both Brune’s and Krassa’s books swear up, down, left, and right that it’s true, so…you be the judge.)

Although I'm fairly certain that these accounts and stories are either misinterpreted information or straight-up falsehoods, they're still entertaining to read about; after all, if you had access to a time machine, wouldn't you at least want to take it for a spin? Here's hoping that one day, science takes the idea from theory to reality. It's a big ol' universe out there.

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Travel Time Pay for Hourly Employees: A Guide for Small Business Owners

By Homebase Team

If you run a small business where your workers are paid by the hour but also have to travel for work, it’s important to understand what your obligations are and what your employees are legally entitled to regarding hourly employee travel time. This includes understanding federal and state laws, as travel time pay for hourly employees can be governed by both.

Exempt employees don’t have to worry about this issue as much. This is because they get a fixed amount of money in every paycheck, regardless of their travel time. However, the government sets rules for non-exempt employees that say employers must ensure travel time pay and mileage reimbursement.

In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about travel pay for hourly employees so your business stays compliant.

What is travel pay?

Travel pay is money that an employer reimburses to an employee when traveling for work. It covers the cost of travel and related expenses, such as airfare, gas, train fare, mileage, and meals. Travel pay doesn’t cover an employee’s regular commute to and from work.

However, what about in some emergency situations, or when the employer asks the employee to do work-related tasks outside of their normal hours? In those cases, time spent commuting from home may be considered as paid time and eligible for travel pay.

How does travel pay work?

Travel pay works by providing eligible employees with reimbursement for expenses during work travel. It can sometimes look like this:

• A company creates a travel policy that details travel time pay for hourly employees and salaried team members. The document should outline how employees should get approval for travel and include an in-depth list of reimbursable travel expenses.
• An employee travels offsite for a two-day course. Anytime they incur a business-related expense, they save the receipt. 
• After the trip, the employee fills out an expense report and submits the receipts and any supporting documents outlined in the company travel policy.
• The expense report is reviewed by the HR or finance department, sent for approval, and the employee is reimbursed.

What’s the difference? Travel pay vs. break pay vs. mealtime pay.

It’s important to note that travel time is different from break or meal time . According to the US Department of Labor , any break less than 20 minutes or longer breaks where the employee still has work duties must be paid.

If an employee is asked by their employer to travel during a full break or lunch period, that travel time is considered work-related. In this situation, following the Department of Labor, travel time pay is required. 

To avoid any confusion, it’s a good idea to have a separate policy in place that explains how lunch breaks and rest periods are handled in terms of pay.

Who is entitled to receive travel time pay?

Only certain employees, known as non-exempt employees, have the right to be paid for the time they spend traveling for work. This includes both hourly and salaried employees who fall into the non-exempt category.

On the other hand, there are exempt employees who are not entitled to payment for work-related travel. Hourly employee travel pay does not apply to exempt employees.

In the United States, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) identifies different types of exempt employees, like executives, administrative staff, professionals, computer workers, and outside salespeople.

These exempt employees don’t get paid specifically for their travel time since they receive a fixed salary regardless of their travel obligations.

Do you have to pay hourly employees for travel time? Here’s when.

So is travel time considered work time? It depends on the travel. Here are three common situations regarding travel pay for hourly employees. It’s important to note that these are general guidelines. Specific rules may vary depending on the location and applicable laws. 

You should familiarize yourself with your jurisdiction’s regulations to ensure compliance with travel time payment requirements.

Local travel.

If an employee’s job requires them to travel within their regular work hours, they must be paid for that time. This includes situations where they are engaged in work or waiting while traveling, even if it’s outside their normal work hours. 

However, employees who are on breaks or have enough time to do personal things are not eligible for payment during those periods.

Local travel example.

Employee A is a personal assistant who drives Client B, around town to run errands. If this travel is part of Employee A’s job duties and occurs during their work hours, Employee A must be paid for that time.

Special one-day assignment to another city.

Paying hourly employees for out of town travel can occur if an individual has to make a one-day trip to another city for work-related activities like conferences, classes, meetings, or similar events. 

You must pay them for the travel time to and from that city. However, you can deduct the time they would normally spend on their regular commute. Some businesses choose to pay for the entire commuting time, but it’s not mandatory.

Special one-day assignment to another city example.

Let’s say your employee works in your office and you send them to a conference. They travels from their home to the conference location and return on the same day. The roundtrip takes them two and a half hours, while their regular daily commute is only 30 minutes.

In this case, you can deduct the 30-minute commute and pay them for two hours of travel time.

Overnight travel.

Is a non-exempt employee traveling away from home and staying overnight? Then you must count the hours they work on regular working days, as well as work hours on non-working days (like weekends or holidays). 

However, hourly employees traveling for work don’t need to be paid for travel time that falls outside their regular work hours. The exception is if they are working during that travel time (e.g., answering work emails or doing research on a work trip).

Travel time pay rate law by state.

There are various laws regarding travel for work. In some states, travel time pay rates must be the same as the rates for regular working hours, or they need to meet the minimum wage requirements at least. 

However, in other cases, business travel compensation rates might be calculated as a percentage of the employee’s normal pay rate.

In California , any travel time that exceeds an employee’s regular daily commute is considered compensable and must be paid at the agreed regular or overtime rates. Employers can set different rates for travel time, but they cannot be lower than the minimum wage.

In New York , the minimum wage regulations cover work-related travel. Employees must be paid for travel time if it is part of their job duties.

Oregon has different classifications for work travel time: portal-to-portal travel, travel between worksites, travel on special one-day assignments, and overnight travel. Generally, travel time pay is required for all types except portal-to-portal travel (home-to-work and work-to-home).

In New Jersey, the Wage and Hour Laws ensure fair payment for travel time. When employees are required to travel between job locations as part of their work, they must be paid at the same rate as regular working hours.

In Maryland, a 2022 court ruling has indicated that travel time may need to be paid if workers are required to report to a shuttle that takes them to and from a work site. 

While laws addressing travel time have not yet been explicitly changed, small business owners in Maryland should stay aware of ongoing developments which may affect their payment obligations..

Nevada law states that any travel time considered as work should be paid at least at minimum wage rates. Additionally, any training requested by the employer must also be paid as it is considered work time.

Remember, these are general explanations, and specific regulations may vary. It’s essential for employers and employees to familiarize themselves with the specific laws in their state to ensure compliance with travel time pay requirements.

To make sure your business is following the rules, it’s important for you to understand the specific regulations about travel time pay in your area. Likewise, employees should be aware of their rights regarding travel time pay. They need to ensure they receive fair compensation for the time they spend traveling for work.

How to calculate work travel time.

One of the big challenges for business owners? Figuring out how to pay hourly employees for travel time accurately and ensure that employees’ paychecks are fair and calculated correctly.

Paying travel time for hourly employees involves considering various factors, such as the specific laws in your jurisdiction and your company’s policies. Here are some common practices:

Calculate actual hours.

One approach is to track and pay hourly employees for the actual time spent traveling. This includes the time spent commuting between job sites or client locations. Employees should be compensated at their regular hourly rate for these travel hours.

Paying at overtime rates.

If the travel time causes hourly employees to exceed their regular working hours or if it falls under overtime criteria based on applicable laws, it should be compensated at the appropriate overtime rate.

Set flat rates.

Some employers choose to establish fixed flat rates for travel time. This means paying a predetermined amount for each trip or assignment, regardless of the actual hours traveled.

How Homebase can help calculate work travel time.

Now you know that to calculate work travel time, you should find a way to track your employees’ hours spent traveling. You can manually log employee travel times, including start time, end time, destination, expenses, and so forth in a document. One warning: manual tracking can result in costly errors. This is why many business owners use online timesheets to manage work travel.

For example, Homebase is a time-tracking tool that makes managing travel pay and employee hours much more straightforward. The tool automatically tracks employees’ hours and locations while they’re on the move using GPS. This means you can keep track of how much time your employees spend traveling for work.

Homebase also has features to streamline time tracking and invoicing. You can set different pay rates for travel hours and regular work hours, helping you streamline payroll. It also helps you handle overtime pay and helps you plan employee routes and schedules to optimize travel time.

Sign up to Homebase today to manage travel time pay for hourly employees with ease. Free trial for 14 days.

Optimize your schedule and keep your team in sync with Homebase.

Travel Time Pay FAQs

How do you pay travel time for employees.

The method of paying travel time for employees depends on various factors, including the applicable laws and company policies. Here are a few common approaches:

Paying at regular or overtime rates

In many cases, travel time is paid at the same rate as regular working hours. However, if employees exceed their normal work hours or if the travel time falls under overtime criteria, it should be compensated at the appropriate overtime rate.

Different rates for travel time

Some employers choose to set specific rates for travel time, separate from regular working hours. These rates may be negotiated or agreed upon before the start of job execution, but they should not be lower than the minimum wage rates.

Lump sum or flat rate

In certain situations, employers may opt to provide a fixed amount as a lump sum or flat rate to cover travel time. This can simplify calculations and ensure consistent payments.

How do you pay non-exempt employees for travel time?

Paying non-exempt employees for travel time requires careful consideration of legal requirements and company policies. Here are some common practices:

Compensate actual travel hours

One approach is to track and pay non-exempt employees for the actual time they spend traveling. This includes the time spent commuting between job sites, client locations, or other work-related destinations. Employees should be compensated at their regular hourly rate for these travel hours.

Apply overtime rates

If the travel time causes non-exempt employees to exceed their regular working hours or qualify for overtime based on applicable laws, it should be compensated at the appropriate overtime rate.

Establish flat rates or lump sum payments

Employers may choose to establish fixed flat rates or provide lump sum payments for travel time. This involves paying a predetermined amount for each trip or assignment, regardless of the actual hours traveled. However, it’s important to ensure that these rates comply with legal requirements, such as meeting or exceeding minimum wage rates.

Do employers have to pay hourly employees for travel time?

The requirement to pay hourly employees for travel time depends on various factors, including the specific laws in your jurisdiction and the nature of the travel. Here are some general guidelines:

Regular commute

In most cases, employers are not obligated to pay hourly employees for their regular commute from home to the workplace and vice versa. This is considered ordinary home-to-work travel and is typically not considered compensable travel time.

Work-related travel

However, when hourly employees are required to travel for work-related purposes, such as going to client locations or job sites, the travel time may need to be compensated. If the travel time exceeds the employee’s regular commute or falls under specific criteria outlined in labor laws, employers may be required to pay hourly employees for that travel time.

It’s important to note that travel time pay regulations can vary by jurisdiction, so it is advisable to consult the labor laws in your specific location and seek legal advice to ensure compliance.

Additionally, establishing clear travel time policies and communicating them effectively to employees can help avoid confusion and promote fair compensation practices.

Does flight time count as hours worked?

If the purpose of your flight is to travel from one destination to another for work purposes during regular work hours, this is considered hours worked. So, flight time counts as paid travel time. However, this rule doesn’t apply in some circumstances, so it’s always best to check local laws and company policy.

Do hourly employees get paid while traveling?

Travel time during an employee’s regular work hours is considered hours worked and, therefore, eligible for compensation. For example, if your work hours are 9am-5pm, and you travel between 11am-4pm, you are eligible for travel time pay.

What is compensation time for travel?

Sometimes known as “comp time,” this refers to the time employees are compensated for when they travel for work. For example, paying travel time or providing time off in lieu of pay.

Remember:  This is not legal advice. If you have questions about your particular situation, please consult a lawyer, CPA, or other appropriate professional advisor or agency.

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Compensatory Time Off for Travel - Questions & Answers to Fact Sheet

• Q1. What is compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Compensatory time off for travel is a separate form of compensatory time off that may be earned by an employee for time spent in a travel status away from the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable.
• Q2. Are all employees covered by this provision? View more A. The compensatory time off provision applies to an "employee" as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5541(2) who is employed in an "Executive agency" as defined in 5 U.S.C. 105, without regard to whether the employee is exempt from or covered by the overtime pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended. For example, this includes employees in senior-level (SL) and scientific or professional (ST) positions, but not members of the Senior Executive Service or Senior Foreign Service or Foreign Service officers. Effective April 27, 2008, prevailing rate (wage) employees are covered under the compensatory time off for travel provision. (See CPM 2008-04 .)
• Q3. Are intermittent employees eligible to earn compensatory time off for travel? View more A. No. Compensatory time off for travel may be used by an employee when the employee is granted time off from his or her scheduled tour of duty established for leave purposes. (See 5 CFR 550.1406(b).) Also see the definition of "scheduled tour of duty for leave purposes" in 5 CFR 550.1403. Employees who are on intermittent work schedules are not eligible to earn and use compensatory time off for travel because they do not have a scheduled tour of duty for leave purposes.
• Q4. What qualifies as travel for the purpose of this provision? View more A. To qualify for this purpose, travel must be officially authorized. In other words, travel must be for work purposes and must be approved by an authorized agency official or otherwise authorized under established agency policies. (Also see Q5.)
• Q5. May an employee earn compensatory time off when he or she travels in conjunction with the performance of union representational duties? View more A. No. The term "travel" is defined at 5 CFR 550.1403 to mean officially authorized travel—i.e., travel for work purposes approved by an authorized agency official or otherwise authorized under established agency policies. The definition specifically excludes time spent traveling in connection with union activities. The term "travel for work purposes" is intended to mean travel for agency-related work purposes. Thus, employees who travel in connection with union activities are not entitled to earn compensatory time off for travel because they are traveling for the benefit of the union, and not for agency-related work purposes.
• Q6. An employee receives compensatory time off for travel only for those hours spent in a travel status. What qualifies as time in a travel status? View more A. Travel status includes only the time actually spent traveling between the official duty station and a temporary duty station, or between two temporary duty stations, and the usual waiting time that precedes or interrupts such travel.
• Q7. Is travel in connection with a permanent change of station (PCS) creditable for compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Although PCS travel is officially authorized travel, it is not travel between an official duty station and a temporary duty station or between two temporary duty stations. Therefore, it is not considered time in a travel status for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel.
• Q8. What is meant by "usual waiting time"? View more A. Airline travelers generally are required to arrive at the airport at a designated pre-departure time (e.g., 1 or 2 hours before the scheduled departure, depending on whether the flight is domestic or international). Such waiting time at the airport is considered usual waiting time and is creditable time in a travel status. In addition, time spent at an intervening airport waiting for a connecting flight (e.g., 1 or 2 hours) also is creditable time in a travel status. In all cases, determinations regarding what is creditable as "usual waiting time" are within the sole and exclusive discretion of the employing agency.
• Q9. What if an employee experiences an "extended" waiting period? View more A. If an employee experiences an unusually long wait prior to his or her initial departure or between actual periods of travel during which the employee is free to rest, sleep, or otherwise use the time for his or her own purposes, the extended waiting time outside the employee's regular working hours is not creditable time in a travel status. An extended waiting period that occurs during an employee's regular working hours is compensable as part of the employee's regularly scheduled administrative workweek.
• Q10. Do meal periods count as time in a travel status? View more A. Meal periods during actual travel time or waiting time are not specifically excluded from creditable time in a travel status for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel. However, determinations regarding what is creditable as "usual waiting time" are within the sole and exclusive discretion of the employing agency.
• Q11. What happens once an employee reaches a temporary duty station? View more A. Time spent at a temporary duty station between arrival and departure is not creditable travel time for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel. Time in a travel status ends when the employee arrives at the temporary duty worksite or his or her lodging in the temporary duty station, wherever the employee arrives first. Time in a travel status resumes when an employee departs from the temporary duty worksite or his or her lodging in the temporary duty station, wherever the employee departs last.
• Q12. When is it appropriate for an agency to offset creditable time in a travel status by the amount of time the employee spends in normal commuting between home and work? View more A. If an employee travels directly between his or her home and a temporary duty station outside the limits of the employee's official duty station (e.g., driving to and from a 3-day conference), the agency must deduct the employee's normal home-to-work/work-to-home commuting time from the creditable travel time. The agency must also deduct an employee's normal commuting time from the creditable travel time if the employee is required—outside of regular working hours—to travel between home and a transportation terminal (e.g., an airport or train station) outside the limits of the employee's official duty station.
• Q13. What if an employee travels to a transportation terminal within the limits of his or her official duty station? View more A. An employee's time spent traveling outside of regular working hours to or from a transportation terminal within the limits of his or her official duty station is considered equivalent to commuting time and is not creditable time in a travel status for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel.
• Q14. What if an employee travels from a worksite to a transportation terminal? View more A. If an employee travels between a worksite and a transportation terminal, the travel time outside regular working hours is creditable as time in a travel status, and no commuting time offset applies. For example, after completing his or her workday, an employee may travel directly from the regular worksite to an airport to attend an out-of-town meeting the following morning. The travel time between the regular worksite and the airport is creditable as time in a travel status.
• Q15. What if an employee elects to travel at a time other than the time selected by the agency? View more A. When an employee travels at a time other than the time selected by the agency, the agency must determine the estimated amount of time in a travel status the employee would have had if the employee had traveled at the time selected by the agency. The agency must credit the employee with the lesser of (1) the estimated time in a travel status the employee would have had if the employee had traveled at the time selected by the agency, or (2) the employee's actual time in a travel status at a time other than that selected by the agency.
• Q16. How is an employee's travel time calculated for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel when the travel involves two or more time zones? View more A. When an employee's travel involves two or more time zones, the time zone from point of first departure must be used to determine how many hours the employee actually spent in a travel status for the purpose of accruing compensatory time off for travel. For example, if an employee travels from his official duty station in Washington, DC, to a temporary duty station in San Francisco, CA, the Washington, DC, time zone must be used to determine how many hours the employee spent in a travel status. However, on the return trip to Washington, DC, the time zone from San Francisco, CA, must be used to calculate how many hours the employee spent in a travel status.
• Q17. How is compensatory time off for travel earned and credited? View more A. Compensatory time off for travel is earned for qualifying time in a travel status. Agencies may authorize credit in increments of one-tenth of an hour (6 minutes) or one-quarter of an hour (15 minutes). Agencies must track and manage compensatory time off for travel separately from other forms of compensatory time off.
• Q18. Is there a limitation on the amount of compensatory time off for travel an employee may earn? View more A. No.
• Q19. How does an employee request credit for compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Agencies may establish procedures for requesting credit for compensatory time off for travel. An employee must comply with his or her agency's procedures for requesting credit of compensatory time off, and the employee must file a request for such credit within the time period established by the agency. An employee's request for credit of compensatory time off for travel may be denied if the request is not filed within the time period required by the agency.
• Q20. Is there a form employees must fill out for requests to earn or use compensatory time off for travel? View more A. There is not a Governmentwide form used for requests to earn or use compensatory time off for travel. However, an agency may choose to develop a form as part of its internal policies and procedures.
• Q21. How does an employee use accrued compensatory time off for travel? View more A. An employee must request permission from his or her supervisor to schedule the use of his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel in accordance with agency policies and procedures. Compensatory time off for travel may be used when the employee is granted time off from his or her scheduled tour of duty established for leave purposes. Employees must use accrued compensatory time off for travel in increments of one-tenth of an hour (6 minutes) or one-quarter of an hour (15 minutes).
• Q22. In what order should agencies charge compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Agencies must charge compensatory time off for travel in the chronological order in which it was earned, with compensatory time off for travel earned first being charged first.
• Q23. How long does an employee have to use accrued compensatory time off for travel? View more A. An employee must use his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel by the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned or the employee must forfeit such compensatory time off, except in certain circumstances. (See Q24 and Q25 for exceptions.)
• Q24. What if an employee is unable to use his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel because of uniformed service or an on-the-job injury with entitlement to injury compensation? View more A. Unused compensatory time off for travel will be held in abeyance for an employee who separates, or is placed in a leave without pay status, and later returns following (1) separation or leave without pay to perform service in the uniformed services (as defined in 38 U.S.C. 4303 and 5 CFR 353.102) and a return to service through the exercise of a reemployment right or (2) separation or leave without pay due to an on-the-job injury with entitlement to injury compensation under 5 U.S.C. chapter 81. The employee must use all of the compensatory time off for travel held in abeyance by the end of the 26th pay period following the pay period in which the employee returns to duty, or such compensatory time off for travel will be forfeited.
• Q25. What if an employee is unable to use his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel because of an exigency of the service beyond the employee's control? View more A. If an employee fails to use his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel before the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned due to an exigency of the service beyond the employee's control, the head of an agency, at his or her sole and exclusive discretion, may extend the time limit for up to an additional 26 pay periods.
• Q26. May unused compensatory time off for travel be restored if an employee does not use it by the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned? View more A. Except in certain circumstances (see Q24 and Q25), any compensatory time off for travel not used by the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned must be forfeited.
• Q27. What happens to an employee's unused compensatory time off for travel upon separation from Federal service? View more A. Except in certain circumstances (see Q24), an employee must forfeit all unused compensatory time off for travel upon separation from Federal service.
• Q28. May an employee receive a lump-sum payment for accrued compensatory time off for travel upon separation from an agency? View more A. No. The law prohibits payment for unused compensatory time off for travel under any circumstances.
• Q29. What happens to an employee's accrued compensatory time off for travel upon transfer to another agency? View more A. When an employee voluntarily transfers to another agency (including a promotion or change to lower grade action), the employee must forfeit all of his or her unused compensatory time off for travel.
• Q30. What happens to an employee's accrued compensatory time off for travel when the employee moves to a position that is not covered by the regulations in 5 CFR part 550, subpart N? View more A. When an employee moves to a position in an agency not covered by the compensatory time off for travel provisions (e.g., the United States Postal Service), the employee must forfeit all of his or her unused compensatory time off for travel. However, the gaining agency may use its own legal authority to give the employee credit for such compensatory time off.
• Q31. Is compensatory time off for travel considered in applying the premium pay and aggregate pay caps? View more A. No. Compensatory time off for travel may not be considered in applying the biweekly or annual premium pay limitations established under 5 U.S.C. 5547 or the aggregate limitation on pay established under 5 U.S.C. 5307.
• Q32. When are criminal investigators who receive availability pay precluded from earning compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Compensatory time off for travel is earned only for hours not otherwise compensable. The term "compensable" is defined at 5 CFR 550.1403 to include any hours of a type creditable under other compensation provisions, even if there are compensation caps limiting the payment of premium pay for those hours (e.g., the 25 percent cap on availability pay and the biweekly premium pay cap). For availability pay recipients, this means hours of travel are not creditable as time in a travel status for compensatory time off purposes if the hours are (1) compensated by basic pay, (2) regularly scheduled overtime hours creditable under 5 U.S.C. 5542, or (3) "unscheduled duty hours" as described in 5 CFR 550.182(a), (c), and (d).
• Q33. What constitutes "unscheduled duty hours" as described in 5 CFR 550.182(a), (c), and (d)? View more A. Under the availability pay regulations, unscheduled duty hours include (1) all irregular overtime hours—i.e., overtime work not scheduled in advance of the employee's administrative workweek, (2) the first 2 overtime hours on any day containing part of the employee's basic 40-hour workweek, without regard to whether the hours are unscheduled or regularly scheduled, and (3) any approved nonwork availability hours. However, special agents in the Diplomatic Security Service of the Department of State may count only hours actually worked as unscheduled duty hours.
• Q34. Why are criminal investigators who receive availability pay precluded from earning compensatory time off when they travel during unscheduled duty hours? View more A. The purpose of availability pay is to ensure the availability of criminal investigators (and certain similar law enforcement employees) for unscheduled duty in excess of a 40-hour workweek based on the needs of the employing agency. Availability pay compensates an employee for all unscheduled duty hours. Compensatory time off for travel is earned only for hours not otherwise compensable. Thus, availability pay recipients may not earn compensatory time off for travel during unscheduled duty hours because the employees are entitled to availability pay for those hours.

A. When an employee who receives availability pay is required to travel on a non-workday or on a regular workday (during hours that exceed the employee's basic 8-hour workday), and the travel does not meet one of the four criteria in 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2)(B) and 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2), the travel time is not compensable as overtime hours of work under regular overtime or availability pay. Thus, the employee may earn compensatory time off for such travel, subject to the exclusion specified in 5 CFR 550.1404(b)(2) and the requirements in 5 CFR 550.1404(c),(d), and (e).

Under the provisions in 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2)(B) and 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2), travel time is compensable as overtime hours of work if the travel is away from the employee's official duty station and—

(i) involves the performance of work while traveling, (ii) is incident to travel that involves the performance of work while traveling, (iii) is carried out under arduous conditions, or (iv) results from an event which could not be scheduled or controlled administratively.

The phrase "an event which could not be scheduled or controlled administratively" refers to the ability of an agency in the Executive Branch of the United States Government to control the scheduling of an event which necessitates an employee's travel. If the employing agency or another Executive Branch agency has any control over the scheduling of the event, including by means of approval of a contract for it, then the event is administratively controllable, and the travel to and from the event cannot be credited as overtime hours of work.

For example, an interagency conference sponsored by the Department of Justice would be considered a joint endeavor of the participating Executive Branch agencies and within their administrative control. Under these circumstances, the travel time outside an employee's regular working hours is not compensable as overtime hours of work under regular overtime or availability pay. Therefore, the employee may earn compensatory time off for such travel, subject to the exclusion specified in 5 CFR 550.1404(b)(2) and the requirements in 5 CFR 550.1404(c), (d), and (e).

• Q36. If an employee is required to travel on a Federal holiday (or an "in lieu of" holiday), is the employee entitled to receive compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Although most employees do not receive holiday premium pay for time spent traveling on a holiday (or an "in lieu of" holiday), an employee continues to be entitled to pay for the holiday in the same manner as if the travel were not required. Thus, an employee may not earn compensatory time off for travel during basic (non-overtime) holiday hours because the employee is entitled to his or her rate of basic pay for those hours. Compensatory time off for travel may be earned by an employee only for time spent in a travel status away from the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable.
• Q37. If an employee's regularly scheduled tour of duty is Sunday through Thursday and the employee is required to travel on a Sunday during regular working hours, is the employee entitled to earn compensatory time off for travel? View more A. No. Compensatory time off for travel may be earned by an employee only for time spent in a travel status away from the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable. Thus, an employee may not earn compensatory time off for travel for traveling on a workday during regular working hours because the employee is receiving his or her rate of basic pay for those hours.
• Q38. May an agency change an employee's work schedule for travel purposes? View more A. An agency may not adjust the regularly scheduled administrative workweek that normally applies to an employee (part-time or full-time) solely for the purpose of including planned travel time not otherwise considered compensable hours of work. However, an employee is entitled to earn compensatory time off for travel for time spent in a travel status when such time is not otherwise compensable.
• Q39. Is time spent traveling creditable as credit hours for an employee who is authorized to earn credit hours under an alternative work schedule? View more A. Credit hours are hours an employee elects to work, with supervisory approval, in excess of the employee's basic work requirement under a flexible work schedule. Under certain conditions, an agency may permit an employee to earn credit hours by performing productive and essential work while in a travel status. See OPM's fact sheet on credit hours  for the conditions that must be met. If those conditions are met and the employee does earn credit hours for travel, the time spent traveling would be compensable and the employee would not be eligible to earn compensatory time off for travel. If the conditions are not met, the employee would be eligible to earn compensatory time off for travel.
• Q40. May an agency restore an employee's forfeited "use-or-lose" annual leave because the employee elected to use earned compensatory time off for travel instead of using his or her excess annual leave? View more A. Section 6304(d) of title 5, United States Code, prescribes the conditions under which an employee's forfeited annual leave may be restored to an employee. (See fact sheet on restoration of annual leave .) There is no legal authority to restore an employee's forfeited annual leave because the employee elected to use earned compensatory time off for travel instead of using his or her excess annual leave.

A. No. Compensatory time off for travel may be earned by an employee only for time spent in a travel status away from the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable. The term "compensable" is defined at 5 CFR 550.1403 to make clear what periods of time are "not otherwise compensable" and thus potentially creditable for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel. Time is considered compensable if the time is creditable as hours of work for the purpose of determining a specific pay entitlement (e.g., overtime pay for travel meeting one of the four criteria in 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2)) even when the time may not actually generate additional compensation because of applicable pay limitations (e.g., biweekly premium pay cap). The capped premium pay is considered complete compensation for all hours of work creditable under the premium pay provisions.

In other words, even though an employee may not receive overtime pay for all of his or her travel hours because of the biweekly premium pay cap, all of the travel time is still considered to be compensable under 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2). Under these circumstances, the employee has been compensated fully under the law for all of the travel hours and the employee may not earn compensatory time off for any portion of such travel not generating additional compensation because of the biweekly cap on premium pay.

• Q42. May an employee who receives administratively uncontrollable overtime (AUO) pay under 5 U.S.C. 5545(c)(2) earn compensatory time off for travel? View more A. If such employee's travel time is not compensable under 5 CFR 550.112(g) or 5 CFR 551.422, as applicable, and meets the requirements in 5 CFR part 550, subpart N, the employee is eligible to earn compensatory time off for travel for time spent in a travel status.
• Q43. If a part-time employee's regularly scheduled tour of duty is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and the employee is required to travel on a Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., is the employee entitled to earn compensatory time off for travel for those 2 hours? View more A. It depends. If the travel qualifies as compensable hours of work under 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2)(B) and 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2)—i.e., the travel involves or is incident to the performance of actual work, is carried out under arduous and unusual conditions, or results from an event which could not be scheduled or controlled administratively—the employee may not be credited with compensatory time off for travel hours. (Such travel time outside a part-time employee's scheduled tour of duty, but not in excess of 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, would be non-overtime hours of work compensated at the employee's rate of basic pay.) If the travel time does not qualify as compensable hours of work and meets the other requirements in 5 CFR part 550, subpart N, the part-time employee would be entitled to earn compensatory time off for those 2 hours. We note travel time is always compensable hours of work if it falls within an employee's regularly scheduled administrative workweek. (See 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2)(A) and 5 CFR 550.112(g)(1).) For a part-time employee, the regularly scheduled administrative workweek is defined in 5 CFR 550.103 as the officially prescribed days and hours within an administrative workweek during which the employee was scheduled to work in advance of the workweek. An agency may not adjust the regularly scheduled administrative workweek normally applied to an employee (part-time or full-time) solely for the purpose of including planned travel time otherwise not considered compensable hours of work.
• Q44. Does an upgrade in travel accommodations impact an employee's entitlement to compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Allowing an employee to upgrade his or her travel accommodations (e.g., to business class) does not eliminate his or her eligibility to earn compensatory time off for travel.

Travel Time Analysis [Complete Guide + 8 Examples]

Fredrik Moger

Co-Founder & CEO

Travel time data is a game-changer in location analysis. It's not just about crunching numbers; it's about uncovering insights that can shape crucial decisions in real estate, retail, and transportation planning.

In this post, we'll take a closer look at how different industries are tapping into travel time data to gain valuable insights and make smarter business moves.

Let's dive in for some inspiration!

Running a Travel Time Analysis in Atlas

The Travel Time Analysis tool is used to compute the region accessible within a designated travel time or distance along a street network, depending on the chosen travel mode.

The output is a hosted vector layer.

Travel Time Analysis Settings

The  Travel Time Analysis settings  include the following parameters:

• Travel Mode is the travel mode the travel areas will be based on. Travel modes are based on travel time or travel distance. Choose between (1) Walking, (2) Cycling, (3) Driving
• Travel Time  is the travel time limit for each input point. Multiple cutoffs can be added to create outputs based on different travel times. Maximum travel time is 60 minutes.

Example: Mapping the Reach of EV Charging Stations in Sardinia, Italy

Residents in Sardinia, Italy are considering transitioning to electric vehicles to reduce their carbon footprint. Generate Travel Areas can be used to outline travel ranges around charging stations, helping determine which areas of the island are accessible with electric vehicles.

• EV Charging Stations - Download
• Primary Roads - Download
• Secondary Roads - Download

1. Sign up in Atlas

If you don’t already have a user, create a free starter user here: Sign Up

2. Create a new project

After you have completed the onboarding wizard, create a new project.

3. Upload the data

Upload the following data:

• EV_Charging.geojson
• Primary_Roads.geojson
• Secondary_Roads.geojson

4. Run the Travel Time Analysis

Navigate to Data Actions and search for Travel Time Analysis . In the input field, switch to datasets and select the EV_Charging layer as input.

Select 30-minute and 60-minute as travel time , and driving as transportation method .

Finally, click Run.

5. Post-processing and clean-up

First, since the 30-minute and 60-minute layers are overlapping, we want to remove the overlapping part of the 60-minute layer to create a cleaner look. First, select the 60-minute layer, hold the shift command, and then select the 30-minute layer. While you have selected both layers, click on the subtract operation from the Basic Operations.

Secondly, we want to improve the visualization:

• EV_Charging: download this symbol ( EV_Charging.png ). Select the layer and navigate to styling. Remove both fill and outline. Navigate to Labels and Symbol and add the EV_Charging.png . Change the Icon Size to 2 px and Allow overlap.
• 30-minute Travel Time: select #10a300 as fill color and change the opacity to 30%. Then remove the outline.
• 60-minute Travel Time: select #ff6f00 as fill color and change the opacity to 50%. Then remove the outline.
• Primary roads: select #616161 as the outline color
• Secondary roads: select #000000 as the outline color, set width to 1 px, and style to dotted.

10 Applications for Travel Time Analysis

We’ve already looked at one application for Travel Time Analysis . Let’s look at 10 more!

1. Determining the value of a property

Travel time data can be utilized within your geospatial analysis to evaluate how travel times influence the worth of a commercial or residential property. This might involve tasks such as determining the closeness of a property to essential amenities such as schools, fitness centers, or public transportation connections.

In the map below, a 10-minute walking catchment area around subway stations in Oslo is visualized together with property prices.

2. Evaluating the effect of a new office location on employee commuting durations

When considering an office relocation or expansion to a new location, leveraging travel time data can help evaluate the commuting distances for employees.

Analyzing the commute times of employees across potential office locations enables selecting the most convenient location for staff.

Similarly, employing a comparable analysis aids in optimizing employee allocation among multiple existing offices, considering commute convenience.

A 15-person company in Oslo evaluated where to relocate for employees to reach the office in 20 minutes by cycle.

3. Evaluating real estate investments

The geospatial team at a property consultancy firm utilizes travel time data to enhance their understanding of journey durations across various transportation modes, including public transit. This data allows the team to evaluate the potential investment value of properties.

For instance, the visualization below depicts travel time catchment areas surrounding several sites, both by driving and public transportation.

By analyzing the variance in these catchment areas, it becomes feasible to pinpoint the optimal investment location for specific real estate types, such as a new office or retail space.

4. Choosing the right store location

In the context of selecting a new store location, leveraging travel time data enables retailers to pinpoint areas with optimal accessibility for customers.

For instance, utilizing tools like the Travel Time add-on allows the calculation of catchment areas for public transport, driving, and walking from any given location.

When combined with demographic data, analysis of the reachable population within specific areas becomes possible. These insights then inform the selection of the most suitable store location.

One of the top Sports Outlets in the Nordics evaluating catchment areas for different transportation modes.

5. Conducting a competitor analysis

Incorporating travel time data into your competitor analysis can yield valuable insights. For instance, determining that customers need to travel longer distances to reach a competitor's location might suggest the viability of expanding into that specific area.

Training center looking at competitors and their catchment area of 10 min walking. competitors

6. Marketing and advertising

Marketing teams can leverage travel time data to enhance customer segmentation and targeting strategies.

For instance, a renowned furniture retailer's marketing team utilizes travel time data to analyze the distances customers travel to access specific store locations. This data informs the segmentation of customers and enables the creation of customized marketing campaigns.

A drive-time map is employed to develop focused advertising campaigns utilizing customer location data.

7. Comparing accessibility by different transport modes

Incorporating public transport data into accessibility studies provides further depth, enabling the creation of catchment areas depicting all accessible destinations within a specified time frame from a given starting point, utilizing various modes of public transportation.

For instance, the visualization below delineates disparities between driving and public transport catchment areas.

The red areas indicate destinations reachable within a 45-minutes journey by public transport but not by car. Conversely, the blue areas represent destinations reachable within a 45-minute drive but inaccessible via public transport.

8. Performing a public transport network analysis

Conducting a public transport network analysis proves particularly beneficial for infrastructure planning purposes. For instance, generating public transport catchment areas facilitates the identification of public transport black spots necessitating the establishment of new routes.

In the aforementioned example, stations from the Oslo rail network have been utilized to establish 10-minute, 20-minute, and 30-minute walking catchment areas around each station. This approach enables the identification of areas currently lacking service from the rail network.

Conclusion: Enrich your location analysis with travel time data

Integrating travel time data into your location analysis opens up numerous possibilities for gaining deeper insights and improving decision-making processes.

The examples provided here offer just a glimpse into the myriad ways travel time data can enrich your location analysis. However, the potential applications are virtually limitless.

If you're eager to embark on travel time analysis, the Travel Time Analysis in Atlas provides a seamless way to integrate travel time data into your geospatial analysis workflow.

Begin your journey by signing up for a starter license (free). With this tool, you can effortlessly create travel time catchment areas, analyze journey times, and explore a host of other functionalities to enhance your spatial analysis endeavors.

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The 3D models layer allows you to add custom 3D objects directly to your maps in Atlas. These could be buildings, landmarks, sculptures, or any other physical object that you want to visualize on your map. Once uploaded, you can position, rotate, and scale these models to fit them exactly where they need to be.

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A worker who travels from home to work and returns to his or her home at the end of the workday is engaged in ordinary home-to-work travel which is a normal incident of employment. Normal travel from home to work and return at the end of the workday is not work time. This is true whether the employee works at a fixed location or at a different location each day. For live-in workers, home-to-work travel that is typically unpaid does not apply in this case because the employee begins and ends his or her workday at the same home in which he or she resides.

Travel that is all in a day's work, however, is considered hours worked and must be paid.

Example : Barbara is a personal care aide providing assistance to Mr. Jones. Barbara drives him to the Post Office and grocery store during the workday. Barbara is working and the travel time must be paid. Travel away from the home is clearly work time when it cuts across the employee's workday. The employee is merely substituting travel for other duties. Thus, if an employee hired to provide home care services to an individual (consumer) accompanies that consumer on travel away from home, the employee must be paid for all time spent traveling during the employee's regular working hours. As an enforcement policy, WHD will not consider as work time the time the employee spends as a passenger on an airplane, train, boat, bus or automobile when in travel away from home outside of regular working hours. However, the employee must be paid for all hours engaged in work or "engaged to wait" while on travel. For example, an employee who is required to travel as a passenger with the consumer "as an assistant or helper" and is expected to perform services as needed is working even though traveling outside of the employee's regular work hours. However, periods where the employee is completely relieved from duty, which are long enough to enable him or her to use the time effectively for his or her own purposes, are not hours worked and need not be compensated.

Example : John is a personal attendant for Mrs. Brown, who lives in Atlanta. Mrs. Brown attends a conference in New York City and John accompanies her by plane. John normally works 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Mrs. Brown's daughter takes her to the airport where they meet John for the flight at 6:00 pm. WHD will not consider the flight time as compensable hours because it is time spent in travel away from home outside of regular working hours as a passenger on an airplane if John is completely relieved from duty. If John provides assistance to Mrs. Brown while at the airport or during the flight or must be available to assist or help as needed, he is working and must be compensated for this time.

Direct care workers who are employed by a third-party employer : Such an employee who travels from home to work and returns to his or her home at the end of the workday is engaged in ordinary home-to-work travel that is not compensable work time. However, travel from job site to job site during the workday, such as travel between several clients during the workday, is compensable hours worked. The third-party employer is responsible for ensuring that travel time from job site to job site is paid.

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Travel Time Reliability: How to Measure and Why it is Important?

by Shahrzad Jalali | Blog - ITS Systems - Vehicle detection , Traffic Management

We have all experienced traffic delays in our trips to home, work, or vacations. Although sometimes delays are expected ahead of time, and we can add extra time to our trip duration, unexpected delays can create serious problems for travelers, shippers, and businesses, making travel time reliability important to motorists. The unexpected delays can be caused by adverse weather conditions, road closures, or incidents.

Annual Average Travel Time is the measure that is used to report the roads’ traffic congestion. However, most of the time, it is different from what riders would experience every day or what they remember due to unexpected delays. So, what other measures should be reported along with average travel time as measures of congestion?

Travel Time Reliability (TTR) Measures

Travel Time Reliability (TTR) measures help in calculating the unexpected delays. The following measures are the main components of TTR:

1. Travel Time Index (TTI):

Travel Time Index (TTI) is the ratio of Average Travel Time in peak hours to Free-Flow Travel Time. In other words, the Travel Time Index represents the average additional time required for a trip during peak times in comparison with that trip duration in no-traffic condition. For calculating Free-Flow Travel Time, divide the road length by maximum speed limit of the road.

For instance, if the Average and Free-Flow Travel Time are 5 and 4 minutes, respectively, TTI would be 1.25. This value means that your trip will take 25% longer then no congestion condition. TTI can be calculated for different temporal grouping schemes such as X-minute intervals, by time-of-the-day, day-of-the-week, month, and for the entire year. Also, for each of these groups, TTI can be calculated for weekdays and weekends separately.

2. Buffer Index (BI):

Buffer Time is the additional time for unexpected delays that commuters should consider along with average travel time to be on-time 95 percent of the time. Buffer Index is calculating as follow:

The buffer index is expressed as a percentage. For example, if BI and average travel time are 20% and 10 minutes, then the buffer time would be 2 minutes. Since it is calculated by 95 th percentile travel time, it represents almost all worst-case delay scenarios and assures travelers to be on-time 95 percent of all trips.

3. Planning Time Index (PTI):

Planning Time Index is the ratio of the 95th percentile to the free-flow travel time and shows the total time which is needed for on-time arrival in 95 percent of all trips.

The difference between Buffer Index and Planning Time Index is that BI represents the extra delay time that should be added to average travel time, while the PTI indicates the total trip time (average travel time + buffer time). A PTI value of 2.0 for a given period suggests that travelers should spend twice as much time traveling as the free-flow travel time to reach their destination on-time 95 percent of the time. The planning time index is useful because it can be directly compared to the travel time index on similar numeric scales.

Different percentile values can be used instead of the 95 th percentile. This value depends on your desired level of reliability. The lower percentile value results in lower reliability.

4. 90th or 95th Percentile Travel Times

This measure is the most straightforward method that represents the travel time of the most congested day. Since this measure reports in minutes, it is easily understandable for drivers. However, the 90th or 95th Percentile measure can’t be used to compare different trips because of their various length. Also, it is hard to aggregate the trips travel time and report as subarea or citywide average.

5. Percentage of Travel under Congestion (PTC)

The percentage of travel under congestion is defined as the percentage of all vehicles’ miles traveled (VMT) under congested conditions in the specified duration. The PTC measure can be aggregated in the similar temporal fashion described above for TTI.

6. Frequency that Congestion Exceeds Some Expected Threshold

This measure shows the percent of days or times that the congestion exceeds some expected threshold. The threshold can be set on travel time or speed data, especially when you capture the traffic data 24/7. This measure is commonly reported on weekdays peak hours.

The following figure shows TTR Indices on a Travel Time Distribution chart from SMATS iNode :

An example of Travel Time Distribution Chart in iNode

Source: U.S. Federal Highway Administration

Do  these equations and methodologies seem  overwhelming? SMATS’ iNode is designed to translate raw traffic data into r eady-to-use performance metrics such as Travel Time Reliability (TTR) and much more .

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Privacy Overview

Travel Time Calculator

Introduction.

In the fast-paced world of travel and transportation, optimizing the time spent on journeys is essential. The Travel Time Calculator emerges as a handy tool, offering a swift solution to estimate travel durations. Whether planning a road trip, commuting, or scheduling flights, this calculator proves invaluable for individuals seeking accurate and efficient travel time predictions.

The Travel Time Calculator relies on a simple formula to determine the duration of a journey. The formula is expressed as:

Travel Time=Distance Speed Travel Time = Speed Distance ​

Here, the distance represents the length of the journey, and the speed denotes the average speed at which the travel occurs. The result is the estimated time required to cover the specified distance.

How to Use?

Utilizing the Travel Time Calculator is a straightforward process. Follow these steps to obtain quick and accurate travel time estimates:

• Enter Distance : Input the distance of your journey. This could be in miles, kilometers, or any other relevant unit.
• Specify Average Speed : Enter the average speed at which you anticipate traveling. This speed should reflect the overall pace of your journey, considering factors such as speed limits and road conditions.
• Click Calculate or Submit : Most calculators feature a button to initiate the computation. Clicking this button will generate the estimated travel time based on the provided distance and speed.
• Review the Output : The calculator will display the estimated travel time, allowing you to plan your schedule with precision.

Consider a road trip covering a distance of 300 miles, with an anticipated average speed of 60 miles per hour. Using the Travel Time Calculator, the estimated travel time would be calculated as follows:

Travel Time=300 miles60 mph=5 hours  Travel Time = 60 mph 300 miles ​ = 5 hours

Q: Can the Travel Time Calculator account for variations in speed during a journey? A: The calculator provides an average travel time based on the entered average speed. For more detailed calculations, consider segmenting the journey into different legs with varying speeds.

Q: Is the Travel Time Calculator suitable for air travel? A: While the calculator primarily focuses on ground travel, it can provide rough estimates for air travel based on the average speed of the flight.

Q: Does the calculator consider factors like traffic and stops? A: The Travel Time Calculator offers a basic estimate and may not account for variables like traffic, stops, or delays. It’s advisable to use it as a planning tool and adjust for real-time conditions.

Conclusion:

The Travel Time Calculator is a valuable companion for anyone planning journeys, whether for business or leisure. By providing quick and reliable estimates, it facilitates effective time management and helps individuals make informed decisions about their travel schedules. Embracing this calculator empowers travelers to plan their trips with confidence, ensuring they reach their destinations on time and with minimal hassle.

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Travel Time Reliability: Making It There On Time, All The Time

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What is TravelTime?

Travel Time Map Generator & Isochrones

I know i can get from a to b by public transport within my selected time, but it's not showing up.

If you're using public transport to do your analysis, it can look like we don't include a specific transit line. But it is rare that we have forgotten to add it! We have a full data team collecting transport data, and they're rarely caught out. It's usually due to understanding how we calculate travel time catchments. We build the area to include:

• Walking to the station platform
• Waiting for the next available departure
• Time spent boarding the train
• Giving enough time to take the A to B journey
• Depart on the station on the other side.

That means if you set your max travel time at 30 minutes, and the train journey you think should be included takes 28 minutes, it probably won't show up, because the other steps push it over the max 30 min limit. Try adding an extra 5-10 minutes to your max catchment area and see if this helps! Understand how we built our public transport model

You can't drive that far / you can drive much further than that

We recommend that you do a little experiment.

• Open another mapping app of your choice and enter an A to B route
• Select a departure time for tomorrow.

The average mapping provider gives very vague driving estimations. It's not uncommon to see a journey estimation between 30 minutes up to 2 hours. That's a lot of buffer room!

Our driving model only returns one singular best possible time estimate. We do this using our purpose-built driving model. Explore how we've built our driving model.

Still not convinced?

You can explain your data issue to us here and we can help you out. Please include in your request whether you're using the API for commercial or personal purposes.

About this tool

This demo was built to showcase the TravelTime API. To use the full capabilities of the API you will need coding skills, or experience with one of our integrations: QGIS, Alteryx or ArcGIS. Access to the API gives you larger travel time catchment areas, more transport mode options and large request volumes. Access the developer playground here.

What is a travel time map?

Our map tool allows you to create a 'How far can I go map' by transport mode and time limit. For example someone can ask how far can I drive from my home in 30 minutes. The tool outputs shapes, also known as travel time isochrones visualise where's reachable. Sometimes these shapes are incorrectly labelled as a 'travel time radius map'. A radius is always just a circular shape, but a travel time shape is completely unique as it analyses all locations reachable using a specific mode of transport.

How to create a drive time radius map or other modes

• Select a start location
• Select a maximum travel time limit
• Select a mode of transport, for example driving
• Voila! There's your driving radius map

Use cases for consumers

• Create a commute time map so you can see where to live based on commute time.
• How far can i travel in a given time: compare transport coverage for different areas.
• Create a drive time radius map: explore how far you can travel on a road trip.

Use cases for businesses

• Travel time mapping up to 4 hours & cross reference other data sets in GIS such as population data
• Site selection analysis: analyse the best location to locate a business by adding thousands of analysis points
• Create a distance matrix or travel time matrix & calculate travel times from thousands of origins to thousands of destinations
• Network analysis / travelling salesman problem: use spatial analytics to solve routing problems
• Commute time map - plot thousands of employee commute times for an office relocation

This web page is a limited demo that can do the following:

• Create up to 3 time polygons visualising where's reachable within 2 hours or less. Our API can create large travel time areas, talk to sales.
• Calculate travel times from an origin to various points of interest - in this demo we use points from Foursquare Give A to B routing details

Full access

We provide full analysis by all transport modes and all travel time areas in our full service. You can access this by:

• Book a demo
• Trial TravelTime API
• Trial QGIS Plugin
• Trial ArcGIS Pro Add-In
• Trial Alteryx Macros

Problem with the data?

Create a Travel Time Map

Draw a travel time area or make your own commute time map.

• See 'How far can I get' in X minutes
• Create a drive time map or any other transport mode
• Overlap many shapes & highlight overlap area
• Search points of interest within the area
• Get A to B routing details

Travel Time Calculator

Estimated travel time.

These average speeds are based on typical urban travel conditions. Your travel time may vary.

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Understanding Travel Time Calculator: A Comprehensive Guide

Travel planning is an integral part of our daily lives, whether it involves commuting to work, delivering goods, or planning a vacation. A critical aspect of this planning is estimating travel time. The Travel Time Calculator is an invaluable tool in this respect, offering detailed time estimations based on different modes of transportation.

Decoding the Travel Time Calculator

A travel time calculator is a dynamic tool designed to calculate estimated travel time considering various factors such as distance, mode of transport, speed, and possible stops. It takes the hassle out of travel planning by providing accurate time estimates, transforming the way we plan our journeys.

From Sundials to Digital Calculators: A Historical Overview

The idea of calculating time has its roots in antiquity, with traders and explorers estimating their travel times to strategize their journeys. The digitization of this concept came much later with the advent of the internet. Now, we have evolved from simplistic models that considered constant speeds to more sophisticated calculators accounting for variable speeds, different modes of transport, and additional factors that influence travel times.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Use a Travel Time Calculator?

Using a travel time calculator is easy and intuitive. Here's a quick guide:

• Select your mode of transport: Options typically include walking, cycling, driving, or using public transport.
• Input the total distance to your destination.
• Click the "Calculate" button.
• The tool instantly provides an estimated travel time.

Example Calculations

Let's look at some example calculations using a travel time calculator:

• Walking: If the total distance to your destination is 5 kilometers and your walking speed is 5 km/h, your estimated travel time will be 1 hour.
• Cycling: If the total distance to your destination is 10 kilometers and your cycling speed is 15 km/h, your estimated travel time will be approximately 40 minutes.
• Driving: If the total distance to your destination is 60 kilometers and your average driving speed is 60 km/h, your estimated travel time will be 1 hour.

The Business Perspective: An Indispensable Tool

The travel time calculator has wide-ranging applications in the business world. Logistics companies use it to estimate delivery times, improving their service efficiency. Ride-hailing services utilize it to predict travel times, which are crucial for fare calculations. Travel and tourism businesses use it to design optimal itineraries. Thus, it's a vital tool for businesses requiring any form of travel planning.

Educational Implications: A Learning Tool

In education, travel time calculators can facilitate interactive learning. They serve as practical tools for teaching the concept of speed, distance, and time. Using these calculators, students can solve problems and apply their understanding in real-world contexts, thereby improving their mathematical and logical skills.

Applications in Daily Life

For the everyday user, the travel time calculator is a godsend. It enables efficient journey planning, helps manage time effectively, and reduces the uncertainty associated with travel times. In a time-crunched world, it makes life simpler and travel planning a breeze.

Limitations and Future Potential

While the travel time calculator is an excellent tool, it's not without limitations. The accuracy of travel times can be affected by variable factors such as traffic, weather conditions, and unforeseen delays. However, the future holds promise with advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning that could enable these calculators to consider these variables, providing even more accurate time estimations.

The travel time calculator, despite some limitations, continues to be invaluable for businesses, educational institutions, and individual users. Harness its potential to make your travel planning more efficient and hassle-free.

Paid Time Off (PTO) Accrual: Everything You Need to Know

Whats Inside?

What is accrued time off, what is the difference between pto and pto accrual, how do i account for accrued pto, examples of pto.

For many employees, paid time off (PTO) is the most significant factor to consider when picking where to work. That is why firms must develop regulations that help them remain competitive. Paid time off, which includes vacation, sick leave, and holidays, is a common employee perk. Based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics , 77% of employees receive paid vacation time, 77% receive paid sick leave, and 79% receive paid holidays. When employees do not use their PTO, they are left with accumulated time off. In this article, we'll delve into the realm of PTO accruals and show you all you need to know about it.

Accrued time off is a sort of PTO policy in which employees receive paid time off depending on the number of working hours they have put in. Employees can earn PTO on an hourly, weekly, biweekly, monthly, or per pay period basis. Accrued time off varies from lump sum PTO in that a firm estimates how much time an employee may take off every year based on the number of hours they work. Unlike other leave programs , PTO does not distinguish between sick days, vacation time, or other reasons for taking time off from work.

Companies frequently reward loyalty by increasing the amount of PTO hours an employee may collect each year. They could also allow senior employees to carry over additional PTO hours into the next year. Here is an example from the Society for Human Resource Management .

Employees with less than two years of experience can earn up to 10 days of PTO (3.07 hours each pay period), while those with more than ten years can earn 25 days of PTO (7.69 hours per pay period).

According to the United States Travel Association, 55% of American workers do not take their allowed paid time off. In 2018, 768 million vacation days were unused in the United States. This is partly due to North American business culture, which views taking too much time off as endangering an individual's chances for professional growth.

Employees who work for firms that enable paid time off to be accrued based on hours worked will have accumulated a set amount of PTO by the end of the year. Depending on business policy , workers can either opt to use this time off during the year or, if they don't, roll it over to the next year or be paid. 

If an employee quits the firm without using their accrued paid time off (PTO), you might need to figure out their PTO for the year and add it to their final salary. The number of hours workers must work in a year to begin receiving their PTO and whether they may roll over their PTO will depend on your company policy.

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The total amount of time off to which an employee is entitled, including vacation, sick leave, and personal time, is referred to as PTO (Paid Time Off). It's the total number of hours or days available for the worker to take vacation time.

The method by which an employee gradually accrues PTO is known as accrual. There are several ways to accomplish this, including:

• Hourly accrual: Workers receive a certain amount of paid time off (PTO) for each hour they work.
• Monthly accrual: Workers are entitled to a monthly cap on paid time off.
• Annual accrual: At the start of each year, employees get a one-time lump sum of paid time off.

Local labor regulations and the company's policy determine which accrual method is employed.

For instance, At the end of the month, an employee with an 80-hour PTO balance and 4 hours of accrued PTO every month will have an 84-hour total PTO balance.

Related:  Amazon PTO & Vacation Policy

The method used to grant PTO to employees determines how much they have accrued. When you receive paid time off in one lump sum at the start of the year, you deduct the amount that you have already used from the total. You deduct 18 hours from your 120 hours of paid time off (PTO) if you take two days and two hours out of your three 40-hour work weeks in January. Calculations for accrued paid time off by pay period vary slightly. As said by Indeed :

• Find out how many paid time off hours you receive annually: Some companies provide PTO on an hourly basis, allowing workers to take one or two hours off for appointments, medical visits, or school-related activities. Some people measure it in days. You must convert the three weeks of paid time off you get annually into hours. Fifteen days, or 120 hours, make up a week.
• Assign PTO hours based on pay periods: Pay periods that are most often used include weekly, bimonthly, semi-monthly, and monthly. There are 52 pay periods in a year if you receive weekly payments. Biweekly pays out every 26 weeks. Monthly is twelve pay periods, while semi-monthly is twenty-four. If you are paid weekly and earn 120 hours annually, you would divide 120 by 52 to get around 2.3 hours of paid time off every week. Roughly speaking, semi-monthly is 5, monthly is 10, and biweekly is 4.6.
• Take the hours worked and multiply it by the PTO for your pay month. Lastly, figuring out your total work hours is necessary to calculate paid time off. Count the number of pay periods you have worked and multiply the amount you accrue each pay period. Five paid time off hours per pay period multiplied by four pay periods is twenty hours if you work two months without taking any time off and receive semi-monthly payments. 2.3 PTO hours multiplied by nine pay periods = 20.7 PTO hours if you get a weekly salary. Remember, there are four pay periods every week for a total of five months.

Employers are not required by federal labor rules to provide paid time off to their staff. Thus, there are no restrictions on the total amount of paid time off that staff members are entitled to take each year. Owners of businesses are free to choose these specifics. Companies wishing to implement a new PTO accrual policy have six standard choices to select from:

• Accrue PTO hours each week.
• Accrue PTO hours each pay period.
• Accrue PTO hours each month.
• Reset PTO accrual by the calendar year.
• Reset PTO accrual by fiscal year.
• Reset PTO accruals based on the work anniversary of every employee.

The latter three examples presuppose that the company sets a maximum amount of paid time off that an employee may earn annually. The PTO policy may have an expiration date that determines when an employee may begin earning PTO and using time off again. Businesses reset on different dates; some use January 1st, while others use their fiscal year or anniversary of employment.

Paid time off is a very valuable perk for employees. The building business is struggling to find workers. Employers who provide PTO stay competitive in their efforts to attract top personnel. When creating a PTO policy, it is critical to consider both the requirements of the company and the employee. Make sure the policy is properly communicated and reviewed on a regular basis to ensure it fulfils the company's needs. Following these suggestions can help you create an effective PTO policy.

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