DOT 11-03
Monday, February 3, 2003
Contact: Bill Mosley
Tel.: (202) 366-5571
Fiscal
Year 2004 DOT Budget Requests $54.3 Billion For Safer, Simpler, Smarter
Transportation System
The
U.S. Department of Transportation today unveiled its proposed fiscal year 2004
budget, requesting $54.3 billion – a 6 percent increase over President
Bush’s 2003 request. A total of
$14.4 billion, or 27 percent, is targeted towards supporting
transportation safety, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta’s top
priority.
“During
the past year, we at DOT have been hard at work creating a safer, simpler and
smarter national transportation system for all Americans:
safer, because we are placing a greater emphasis on saving lives and
reducing accidents; simpler, because we want to consolidate and streamline
programs and improve project delivery; and smarter, because we are improving
system performance and enhancing program accountability,” Secretary Mineta
said. “This budget request and
these guiding principles provide the foundation for a new reauthorization cycle
in both surface and aviation programs that will guide the course for these
important programs for the next several years.” He added that for DOT, 2003 will be a year of special
focus on highway and aviation safety.
In
a briefing at DOT headquarters, Deputy Secretary Michael P. Jackson said that
the President’s budget reflects the first full year of funding for the newly
established Department of Homeland Security, to which the United States Coast
Guard and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are moving from DOT.
DOT provided guidance and support for the Coast Guard for more than 35
years. DOT also shepherded
TSA from its inception through its first full year of operation, significantly
improving security for the traveling public. The new agency met all of its
statutory deadlines for bringing airports throughout the country into compliance
with new security procedures, Jackson said.
Current
laws authorizing both surface and air transportation financial assistance
programs will expire at the end of 2003. In
anticipation of this, the 2004 budget includes the foundation for proposed new
legislation that will authorize these programs for the next several years,
including increased funding flexibility, innovative financing tools, efficient
environmental review processes, and expansion of the capacity and efficiency of
freight transportation. In
addition, the proposal includes an emphasis on consolidating and expanding
federal transportation safety programs.
For
the Federal Highway Administration, the administration’s 2004 proposal extends
the current funding approach established under the Transportation Equity Act for
the 21st Century, which links highway spending to Highway Trust Fund
receipts. The proposed budget
is designed to keep the Highway Trust Fund balance relatively constant, with an
obligation limitation of $29.3 billion for fiscal year 2004.
The budget also proposes that all revenue from gasohol taxes be deposited
directly into the Highway Trust Fund, which would add approximately $600 million
of available funding to the Highway Trust Fund for each year of the
authorization cycle. The proposal
also unveils a new $1 billion Infrastructure Preservation and Maintenance (IPM)
initiative specifically aimed at addressing immediate highway needs and at
projects that can be implemented quickly.
The
budget includes $665 million for the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) to support its mission of reducing vehicle fatalities,
preventing injuries, and encouraging safe driving practices.
Of NHTSA’s budget, $447 million will support grants to states to
enforce safety belt and child safety seat use and reduce impaired driving.
In
order to prevent fatalities and injuries resulting from accidents involving
commercial motor vehicles, the budget includes $447 million for the Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This
funding includes $174 million to strengthen truck and bus safety standards,
ensure compliance with safety regulations, and support inspection programs that
keep unsafe trucks off our roads. The
budget also emphasizes a comprehensive safety inspection program at the southern
border to assure that trucks entering the United States from Mexico meet U. S.
federal safety regulations. Also
included is a total of $223 million for Motor Carrier Safety Grants to states to
ensure aggressive enforcement of interstate commercial truck and bus
regulations.
The
budget also includes $7.2 billion for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
to strengthen and maintain U.S. mass transit systems.
The request reflects a streamlined and consolidated program giving states
and localities additional flexibility to meet mobility needs in their
communities. The 2004 budget funds
26 “new start” projects, as well as $145 million to support the
President’s New Freedom Initiative to reduce barriers for persons with
disabilities who wish to enter the workforce.
The
budget request includes $14 billion for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
programs for FY 2004, maintaining the department’s commitment to investing in
the nation’s air traffic control system and airports as the demand for air
services returns to pre-9/11 levels. The
FAA budget also will help move toward the goal of reducing aviation fatality
rates by 80 percent over the period 1996 to 2008.
The President’s budget and the pending reauthorization will maintain
current levels of aviation infrastructure investment and expand FAA’s safety
staff.
The
President’s 2004 budget includes $900 million for Amtrak, a level designed to
encourage Amtrak to adopt reforms that will strengthen its business operations
and financial footing. The budget
also seeks $189 million for the Federal Railroad Administration to help reduce
rail-related accidents and to ensure the safe transport of hazardous materials
throughout the rail system.
The
movement of hazardous materials also is a priority focus for the Research and
Special Programs Administration (RSPA), which oversees the transportation of
hazardous materials, including America’s 2.1 million miles of gas and oil
pipelines. The budget provides $132 million, including $67 million
specifically targeted towards pipeline safety initiatives.
The request for DOT water programs includes $219 million for the Maritime Administration (MARAD) and $14 million for the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. MARAD’s funding includes $11.4 million to dispose of obsolete ships that potentially pose an environmental risk to the nation’s waterways.
Further details on the budget are available from DOT’s fiscal year 2004 “Budget in Brief” at http://www.dot.gov/bib2004/bibindex.html.
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