www.dot.gov
Department of Transportation
About the DOT
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is at work
for America building a safe and efficient transportation
system for the 21st century B one that is international
in reach, intermodal in form, intelligent in character,
and inclusive in service. With a budget of $48 billion
for Fiscal Year 1999, the DOT vision of leading the way
to transportation excellence is carried out by its
nearly 100,000 employees.
Established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966,
the Departments first official day of operation was
April 1, 1967. The mission of the DOT is to
serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe,
efficient, accessible and convenient transportation
system that meets our vital national interests and
enhances the quality of life of the American people,
today and into the future.
The DOT consists of the Office of the Secretary and
eleven individual operating administrations. These
include the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, US
Coast Guard, the Federal Aviation Administration, the
Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Railroad
Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the
Maritime Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, the Research and Special Programs
Administration, the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development
Corporation, the Surface Transportation Board and the
Transportation Administrative Services Center. A more
detailed description of each organizations roles and
responsibilities follows.
Office of the Secretary
Leadership of the DOT is provided by the Secretary of
Transportation, who is the principal adviser to the
President in all matters relating to federal
transportation programs. The Secretary is assisted by
the Deputy Secretary in this role. The Office of the
Secretary (OST) oversees the formulation of national
transportation policy and promotes intermodal
transportation. Other responsibilities range from
negotiation and implementation of international
transportation agreements, assuring the fitness of US
airlines, enforcing airline consumer protection
regulations, issuance of regulations to prevent alcohol
and illegal drug misuse in transportation systems and
preparing transportation legislation. Website:
http://www.dot.gov/ost
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) has an
intermodal transportation focus with a mission to
compile, analyze, and publish statistics relevant to the
nations transportation system.
Created to improve the knowledge base for public
decision making and to improve public awareness of the
nation's transportation system, BTS collects information
on transportation and other areas as needed. The
Bureau's largest data collection programs are the
Commodity Flow Survey and the American Travel Survey,
conducted jointly with the Bureau of the Census to
identify where freight and people go by all modes of
transportation. Website: http://www.bts.gov
Coast Guard
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) ensures safe transportation
on Americas waterways and protection of the marine
environment. Defending U.S. interests at home and around
the world, the USCG is at work around the clock, 365
days a year, patrolling shores, saving lives, protecting
property and enhancing the flow of commerce. Whether
helping the victims of floods and storms, keeping
millions of dollars worth of illegal drugs from flooding
American communities, teaching boating safety or
cleaning up oil spills, the Coast Guard is, as its motto
suggests, Semper Paratus, Always Ready. Website:
http://www.uscg.mil
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversees the
safety of civil aviation. The safety mission of the FAA
is first and foremost and includes the issuance and
enforcement of regulations and standards related to the
manufacture, operation, certification and maintenance of
aircraft. The agency is responsible for the rating and
certification of airmen and for certification of
airports serving air carriers. It also regulates a
program to protect the security of civil aviation, and
enforces regulations under the Hazardous Materials
Transportation Act for shipments by air. The FAA, which
operates a network of airport towers, air route traffic
control centers, and flight service stations, develops
air traffic rules, allocates the use of airspace, and
provides for the security control of air traffic to meet
national defense requirements. Other responsibilities
include the construction or installation of visual and
electronic aids to air navigation and promotion of
aviation safety internationally. The FAA, which
regulates and encourages the U.S. commercial space
transportation industry, also licenses commercial space
launch facilities and private sector launches. Website:
http://www.faa.gov
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) coordinates
highway transportation programs in cooperation with
states and other partners to enhance the country's
safety, economic vitality, quality of life, and the
environment. Major program areas include the Federal-Aid
Highway Program, which provides federal financial
assistance to the States to construct and improve the
National Highway System, urban and rural roads, and
bridges. This program provides funds for general
improvements and development of safe highways and roads.
The Motor Carrier Safety Program develops regulations
and enforces federal requirements for the safety of
trucks and buses to reduce commercial vehicle accidents.
It also governs the movement of hazardous cargoes on
Americas highways. The Federal Lands Highway Program
provides access to and within national forests, national
parks, Indian reservations and other public lands by
preparing plans and contracts, supervising construction
facilities, and conducting bridge inspections and
surveys. The FHWA also manages a comprehensive research,
development, and technology program. Website:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov
Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) promotes safe
and environmentally sound rail transportation. With the
responsibility of ensuring railroad safety throughout
the nation, the FRA employs safety inspectors to monitor
railroad compliance with federally mandated safety
standards including track maintenance, inspection
standards and operating practices. The FRA conducts
research and development tests to evaluate projects in
support of its safety mission and to enhance the
railroad system as a national transportation resource.
Public education campaigns on highway-rail grade
crossing safety and the danger of trespassing on rail
property are also administered by FRA. Website:
http://www.fra.dot.gov
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) assists in
developing improved mass transportation system for
cities and communities nationwide. Through its grant
programs, FTA helps plan, build, and operate transit
systems with convenience, cost and accessibility in
mind. While buses and rail vehicles are the most common
type of public transportation, other kinds include
commuter ferryboats, trolleys, inclined railways,
subways, and people movers. In providing financial,
technical and planning assistance, the agency provides
leadership and resources for safe and technologically
advanced local transit systems while assisting in the
development of local and regional traffic reduction. The
FTA maintains the National Transit Library (NTL), a
repository of reports, documents, and data generated by
professionals and others from around the country. The
NTL is designed to facilitate document sharing among
people interested in transit and transit related topics.
Website: http://www.fta.dot.gov
Maritime Administration
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) promotes development
and maintenance of an adequate, well-balanced, United
States merchant marine, sufficient to carry the Nation's
domestic waterborne commerce and a substantial portion
of its waterborne foreign commerce, and capable of
serving as a naval and military auxiliary in time of war
or national emergency. MARAD also seeks to ensure that
the United States enjoys adequate shipbuilding and
repair service, efficient ports, effective intermodal
water and land transportation systems, and reserve
shipping capacity in time of national emergency.
Website: http://www.marad.dot.gov
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) is responsible for reducing deaths, injuries and
economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes.
NHTSA sets and enforces safety performance standards for
motor vehicles and equipment, and through grants to
state and local governments enables them to conduct
effective local highway safety programs. NHTSA
investigates safety defects in motor vehicles, sets and
enforces fuel economy standards, helps states and local
communities reduce the threat of drunk drivers, promotes
the use of safety belts, child safety seats and air
bags, investigates odometer fraud, establishes and
enforces vehicle anti-theft regulations and provides
consumer information on motor vehicle safety topics.
Research on driver behavior and traffic safety is
conducted by NHTSA to develop the most efficient and
effective means of bringing about safety improvements. A
toll-free Auto Safety Hotline, 1-888-DASH-2-DOT,
furnishes consumers with a wide range of auto safety
information. Callers also can help identify safety
problems in motor vehicles, tires and automotive
equipment such as child safety seats. Website:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov
Research and Special Programs Administration
The Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA)
oversees rules governing the safe transportation and
packaging of hazardous materials by all modes of
transportation, excluding bulk transportation by water.
RSPA also assists local and state authorities with
training for hazardous materials emergencies. Pipeline
safety standards are established and maintained by RSPA,
ensuring public safety and environmental protection from
gas and hazardous liquids transported by pipeline.
Research and development plays a major role in RSPAs
mission. With responsibility for research policy and
technology sharing, the agency partners with national
and international organizations and universities. In
addition, RSPA operates the Volpe National
Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Mass., which
is dedicated to enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency,
and responsiveness of other Federal organizations with
critical transportation-related functions. Website:
http://www.rspa.dot.gov
Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
(SLSDC) operates and maintains a safe, reliable and
efficient waterway for commercial and noncommercial
vessels between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean.
The SLSDC, in tandem with the Saint Lawrence Seaway
Authority of Canada, oversees operations safety, vessel
inspections, traffic control, and navigation aids on the
Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Important to
the economic development of the Great Lakes region,
SLSDC works to develop trade opportunities to benefit
port communities, shippers and receivers and related
industries in the area. Website:
http://www.dot.gov/slsdc
Surface Transportation Board
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) is an
independent, bipartisan, adjudicatory body
organizationally housed within the DOT. It is
responsible for the economic regulation of interstate
surface transportation, primarily railroads, within the
United States. The STB's mission is to ensure that
competitive, efficient, and safe transportation services
are provided to meet the needs of shippers, receivers,
and consumers. The Board is charged with promoting,
where appropriate, substantive and procedural regulatory
reform in the economic regulation of surface
transportation, and with providing an efficient and
effective forum for the resolution of disputes. The
Board continues to strive to develop, through
rulemakings and case disposition, new and better ways to
analyze unique and complex problems, to reach fully
justified decisions more quickly, to reduce the costs
associated with regulatory oversight, and to encourage
private-sector negotiations and resolutions to problems
where appropriate. Website: http://www.stb.dot.gov
Transportation Administrative Service Center
The Transportation Administrative Service Center (TASC)
provides technical and administrative services for the
Department of Transportation's (DOT) operating
administrations and other Government entities, ranging
from the latest in information technology support
services to printing and personnel management services.
TASC is an entrepreneurial organization that offers
competitive quality services that are responsive to its
customers' needs. TASC services are not financed through
Congressional appropriations but instead, are billed
according to actual customer usage on a fee-for-service
basis.
Website: http://www.tasc.dot.gov
