BTS Home > Publications > Strategic Plan > 2003-2008

Strategic Goals & Objectives

The Outcomes We Are Aiming to Achieve

Relevance.

We intend to anticipate the needs of stakeholders, provide the information that is most useful and responsive to them, and demonstrate a thorough understanding of major transportation issues and trends. 

Our goals for relevance to stakeholders:

1. By 2008, good data and sound analysis will underpin every DOT strategic goal and performance measure, and every major DOT program evaluation (as scheduled in the DOT strategic and performance plans).
2. By 2008, good data will be available to support a broad spectrum of major transportation policy decisions.  BTS analyses of the data will also trigger major policy reviews.
3. By 2008, through the implementation of airline information Total Quality Management (TQM), BTS airline data will become the first choice of stakeholders as a database for aviation issues pertaining to the DOT strategic goals.  
4. Geospatial data critical for the operation of the Crisis Management Center (CMC) will continue to be identified and expanded.

These goals align with our programs as follows:

Accuracy.

 We will continue to provide data, analysis, and information of high quality for transportation decisionmaking that will be accurate, reliable, and objective. 

Our objectives for accuracy:

1. Continue to ensure that all data that RITA/BTS collects meet high professional standards.
2. By 2006, statistical data standards will be implemented throughout RITA/BTS.
3. BTS will consistently use "good statistical practice" in its program and policy analyses, program evaluations, reports, and publications based on the BTS Statistical Standards Guide.
4. Confidentiality policies will be continually emphasized and communicated throughout BTS, and confidentiality will be maintained for all relevant data initiatives.
5. By 2006, all geospatial data created by RITA/BTS will pass rigorous quality standards and meet all federal and other applicable standards before distribution.
6. International Data Exchanges will be used to develop greater comparability in transportation data and measures with key U.S. trading partners.
7. Documentation for BTS data will be completed and continuously updated in order to prevent misunderstandings or misuse.

These goals align with our programs as follows:

Timeliness.

 We intend to reduce the lag in data reporting so that decision makers have more timely information on the transportation system and the factors that affect it.  Timeliness, quality and cost are related variables that must be balanced by the programmatic value that is associated with each.  Timeliness can be improved in a variety of ways. 

Our objectives for timeliness:

1. Every year, RITA/ BTS will work with the operating administrations to ensure that reliable estimates of performance results are available for the annual DOT Performance Report.
2. By 2006, BTS aviation data will be available in the public domain within 30 days of receipt.
3. Annual updates of the National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD) will continue to be compiled and the CDs ready for distribution prior to the start of the annual ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute) International User Conference on GIS and mapping software.

These goals align with our programs as follows:

Cost.

We aim to provide data and analyses in a cost-effective manner.  We will develop financial performance measures that determine the "true costs" of our programs. 

Our objective for cost:

1. We will measure the dollar value of planned or implemented efficiencies.

These goals align with our programs as follows:

Dissemination.

We intend to provide data and analysis products that are readily available, easily accessible, and widely distributed.

Our objectives for dissemination:

1. By 2008, stakeholder input and customer satisfaction will be an integral component of all programs, measured and incorporated in all product content and dissemination decisions. 
2. By 2008, all major airline traffic and financial data sets for transportation will be accessible through the web via TranStats.
3. By 2006, research papers and reference material for transportation research will be readily available via the web.

These goals align with our programs as follows:

Mission Achievement.

We intend to provide data and analysis that meet the expectations of our stakeholders.  

Our objectives for mission achievement:

1. The usefulness of BTS publications-as judged by customers and users-will improve measurably each year.
2. BTS will meet the specified mandates of our legislation such as the Transportation Statistics Annual Report (TSAR) and the National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD).
3. BTS airline information will become an increasingly important element in the development of government aviation policies and decisions.
4. Transborder freight data and Border Crossing data will become increasingly important for the measurement of transportation movements, the value of international freight traffic, the monitoring of changes in U.S. trade.
5. The Commodity Flow Survey estimates of hazardous materials shipments will be used to conduct risk analysis involving the safety of hazardous materials transportation and to establish exposure levels for security assessments involving hazardous materials transportation.
6. BTS economic indexes will become essential components of the body of measures of the national economy.
7. By 2006, BTS will implement a data collection and dissemination program on U.S. ferry operations as mandated in SAFETEA-LU.
8. By 2008, BTS will complete the information needs assessment mandated by SAFETEALU.

These goals align with our programs as follows:

We provide indicators of our progress towards some of these goals in Appendix B.