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A survey of Boston-area biotech workers shows almost two-thirds say they would change jobs to get a better commute and four out of five think state leaders are asleep at the switch on transportation.

The Massachusetts Biotechnology Council released a report Tuesday on the state of transportation in Massachusetts, detailing the results of a survey of 2,133 professionals who work in or support the life sciences in the area. MassBio, the nonprofit that represents and supports the state’s biopharmaceutical industry, said it was hoping to understand how the industry can better recruit and retain talent.

The survey findings appear to reflect the industry’s reliance on the MBTA Red Line and the Red Line’s multi-month struggle to return to normal operations following a disastrous derailment that destroyed vital signaling equipment near the JFK/UMass station this summer: 59 percent say their commute has gotten worse in the last year. Other findings include:

• Average commute times are getting longer: 61 percent of respondents commuting over 45 minutes and 39 percent have commutes that last over an hour. Nearly 47 percent of those who take public transportation commute for over an hour.
• MBTA delays are widespread and serious: For those that rely on public transportation, in the past month, 79 percent have been late for work due to delays on public transportation, 69 percent have been late for personal commitments after work and 61 percent had public transportation service break down at least once.
• Transportation problems are hurting employers’ ability to attract and retain talent: 60 percent of respondents would change jobs for a better commute and 23 percent have even considered moving to a different state for a better commute. Among commuter rail riders, that figure is 76 percent.
• Employers are still figuring out how to adapt: Only 28 percent of respondents can work from home at least one day a week, while 74 percent can work from home at least occasionally and 75 percent are able to work flexible hours. In Massachusetts, only 4.7 percent of the workforce telecommutes full time, lower than in 19 other states, according to a report from FlexJobs cited by MassBio.
• Biotech workers want action from government: 82 percent of respondents do not think the state government is doing enough to improve transportation systems, and 64 percent said they are likely or very likely to support increased taxes or fees to fix the transportation systems.

In statements released along with the report, business leaders were clear they see the findings as more evidence that the state is in a transportation crisis.

“It’s clear from the survey results that we are in fact at a breaking point – traffic congestion and failures on the MBTA are worse than ever, and employees are making decisions on where to work based on their commutes,” MassBio President and CEO Robert K. Coughlin said in a statement. “MassBio is working with our members to ease their employees’ commuting burden in the short-term, but there is a real need for government to come up with lasting solutions – not just to fix what’s broken, but to support further growth. MassBio looks forward to being part of the solution.”

Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce President and CEO James Rooney and Kendall Square Association President C.A. Webb reiterated their organizations’ calls for more transportation investments and “bold solutions,” made earlier this year.

In a column published in Banker & Tradesman Sunday, Webb called for faster and better service on key commuter rail lines following recommendations from advocacy group TransitMatters, plus adding transit service on the Grand Junction right-of-way, which could connect Allston to Kendall Square and either North Station or Sullivan Square.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo has promised a “conversation” about more transportation funding this fall, staring with an Oct. 8 hearing on on the $18 billion transportation borrowing bill Baker filed this summer. That bill includes money to pay for $8 billion of the MBTA’s more than $10 billion in estimated projects – like replacing its signals and its Red and Orange Line fleets – necessary to bring it back to working order. However, the bill would not fund any system expansions beyond $50 million in assistance for towns and cities that want to implement priority lanes for buses.

The poll comes a day after members of the MBTA oversight board lambasted state transportation officials for “timid” approach to improving bus service, according to Commonwealth Magazine. The MBTA’s bus network carries around one-third of all its riders and transit advocates say it will be key to improving congestion in the many areas without commuter rail or subway access.