Performance Goals

Relevance

(long-term, outcome)

Increase the number of Congressional and Government Agency requests for BTS information (increase awareness in Congress and other Government Agencies of what we can provide).

Long-Term Goal:  325 in 2007, 350 in 2008

Total Congressional and Governmental Contacts for Information, 2002-2005

BTS is a major resource for transportation information for Congress and other government agencies.  Through definitive and timely responses to information requests, BTS continues to build its reputation and place among Federal statistical agencies.

Relevance

(long-term, outcome)

Increase the number of average daily unique visitors to the TranStats data warehouse site (increasing our customer base for our transportation data warehouse).

Long-Term Goal: 900 in 2007, 950 in 2008

Average Unique Daily Visitors, TranStats Data Warehouse Site, FY 2003 - FY 2005

The TranStats data warehouse provides access to information on all modes of transportation.  The utility of this warehouse is demonstrated through the growing increase in the use of this resource by the transportation community.

Accuracy

(long-term, outcome)

Maintain a minimum 80% response rate on the Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) (reduce non-response bias).

Long-Term Goal: 80.0% in 2007

The OMB standard for response rate is 80 percent, BTS has been able to maintain a response rate in excess of that since 1993.  BTS expects to maintain this response rate for the 2007 survey.

Accuracy

(long-term, outcome)

Increase the response rate on the Omnibus Household Survey (OHS) (reduce non-response bias).

Long-Term Goal: 50.0% in 2007, 50.0% in 2008

Omnibus Household Survey Response Rates, 2001 - 2004

The nature of the Omnibus Household Survey limits the response rate.  This is a telephone survey conducted over a month to providing rapid data at a reasonable cost.  This allows no time for follow-up.  The current contract requires a 50% response rate in 2006.  Since this survey is now conducted over fewer months each year, a greater focus on increasing the response rate will be possible.

Timeliness

(annual, output)

Improve average response time for general data and information requests from customers both government and private sector (to improve customer responsiveness).

Long-Term Goal:  1.50 days in 2007, 1.00 days in 2008

Most of our customers need information as soon as possible.  This is a new measure of customer responsiveness that was maintained for the first time in 2005.  BTS expects to make further improvements in 2006.

Timeliness

(annual, output)

Increase the percentage of periodic airline traffic data releases that occurred on schedule (enable our stakeholders and customers predictable delivery of our datasets).

Long-Term Goal:  95% in 2007, 100% in 2008

Products Released by Scheduled Date, FY 2003-2005

Like all other federal statistical agencies, BTS expects to deliver all major releases on time in accordance with our published schedules.  Our customers are relying on us to meet our schedules. We intend to meet our targets through better contingency planning.

Timeliness

(annual, output)

Increase the percentage of periodic airline financial data releases that occurred on schedule (enable our stakeholders and customers predictable delivery of our datasets).

Long-Term Goal:  95% in 2007, 100% in 2008

Products Released by Scheduled Date , FY 2003-2005

Like all other federal statistical agencies, BTS expects to deliver all major releases on time in accordance with our published schedules.  Our customers are relying on us to meet our schedules.  We intend to meet our targets through better contingency planning.

Timeliness

(annual, output)

Ensure that the annual release of National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD) CD is available prior to the start of the annual ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute) International User Conference on GIS and mapping software (to provide timely support for research, analysis, and decision-making across all modes of transportation).

Long-Term Goal: July 15 each year

The NTAD CD ROM is a much anticipated product each year.  The ESRI International User Conference is a major meeting of the GIS community.  BTS is committed to ensuring that its latest edition GIS product is available for distribution at this conference.  Updated data is critical to the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications.  Starting in 2007, the target date will not be tied to the ESRI Conference date, but rather will be July 15.

Timeliness

(long-term, outcome)

Reduce response time for map requests by the DOT Crisis Management Center (CMC) and in support of the Continuity of Operations (COOP) plans (improve emergency response by providing current and timely information).

Long-Term Goal: 3.00 hour product creation time in 2007 and 2008

Response Time for CMC and COOP Map Requests

*Excludes Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  Over a two week period, BTS produced 23 distinct map products including some showing current road conditions that were updated frequently.  No hours were recorded for these requests

Rapid response to CMC and COOP map requests is critical in emergency situations.  BTS is working to reduce the required product creation time even for the most complex requests.

Cost

(annual, efficiency)

Improve cost efficiencies in the production of BTS’ major published reference products (Transportation Statistics Annual Report, National Transportation Statistics, and the Pocket Guide to Transportation Statistics).

Long-Term Goal: $475,000 (inflation adjusted) in 2007 and 2008

Total Costs of BTS Annual Reference Reports

As BTS gains experience in the production of its major reference products, it has been able to increase cost efficiencies over time.

Cost

(annual, efficiency)

Improve cost efficiencies in acquiring international freight data (Transborder data).

Long-Term Goal: $165,000 (inflation adjusted) in 2007, $160,000 (inflation adjusted) in 2008

Cost of Acquiring International Freight Data, 1998-2005

As BTS gains experience in the production of its international freight data, it has been able to increase cost efficiencies over time.

Dissemination

(annual, output)

Increase the number of National Atlas Transportation Database (NTAD) CD-ROMs distributed (to broaden the customer base for this product).

Long-Term Goal:  long term:  2,700 in 2007, 2,900 in 2008

Total Distribution of the NTAD CD, 2004-2005

BTS is actively working to increase the user base for NTAD CD-ROM.  The public may order this product directly through BTS.  In addition, BTS distributes its newly updated product directly to the GIS community at the annual ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute) International User Conference on GIS and mapping software.

Dissemination

(long-term, outcome)

Increase the number of datasets downloaded from TranStats (broaden customer usage for this product).

Long-Term Goal: long term: 120,000 in 2007, 125,000 in 2008

User downloads from the TranStats database are a major indication of utility in the transportation community.

Total Downloads from TranStats, FY 2003--FY 2005

Mission Achievement

(annual, outcome)

Improve coverage of legislative mandates in the annual Transportation Statistics Annual Report (TSAR) (degree to which we support our legislative mandate).

Long-Term Goal:  100.0%

The BTS legislation mandates coverage of 12 areas in the TSAR.  BTS now covers all 12 of these areas.

Mission Achievement

(long-term, outcome)

Track and increase the number of BTS products that contribute to the accomplishment of important, established government goals (meeting the agency mission).

BTS continuously works with all elements of the Department of Transportation to accomplish DOT goals and meet government mandates. Examples follow.

Evidentiary Support for DOT Aviation Rulings

Case No. 04-1436, Federal Express Corporation, petitioner v. Department of Transportation and Norman Y. Mineta, Secretary, United States Department of Transportation, Respondents.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Congress enacted the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act which authorized compensation to the air carriers of up to five billion dollars for “direct losses” caused by orders halting air traffic and for “incremental losses” directly caused by the terrorist attacks and incurred between September 11 and December 31, 2001. A cost savings rule promulgated by DOT established that the carriers could not be compensated for losses that they recovered through other cost savings.  Although the Federal Express Corporation challenged this rule, the evidentiary support work by BTS through the airline information systems enabled the Justice Department to successfully defend this DOT ruling.  The savings to the U.S. taxpayers totaled over $30 million.

Alaska Mail Rate Setting

As mandated by the Rural Service Improvement Act, Alaska bush carriers report their traffic data to the Bureau of Transportation (BTS) Office of Airline Information (OAI) via the T-100 Reporting System, which is comprised of two types of records: (1) Nonstop Segment Records and (2) On-Flight Market Records.   BTS processes the data for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) which uses the market (MKT) and segment (SEG) files to determine the “qualified” air carriers for the tender of non-priority bypass mail in the Intra-Alaska Bypass Mail System.  These data are also used by the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (Aviation) to establish payment rates to the bush carriers for carrying mail.

Expansion of Modal Coverage in Data Collection

Freight in America: A New National Picture (January 2006)

The largest single data source for estimating U.S. freight activity is the Commodity Flow Survey (CFS).  Although, this survey covers a large proportion of the nation’s domestic and export freight movements associated with manufacturing, mining, and wholesale trade; it does not capture all of the freight that moves on the U.S. freight system because many economic activities are not covered.  The composite estimates presented in this new report are the result of a joint effort by RITA, BTS, and the FHWA Office of Freight Management and Operations to develop a more complete picture of the nation’s commercial freight shipments.  This fuller composite picture draws on the CFS data and non-CFS freight data from several sources for economic sectors not covered in the CFS, such as retail, services, construction, and household goods movements—that traditionally are not perceived as freight “producers,” but that do handle freight in their daily operations.  It also includes shipments of agricultural products from farms to processing plants, logs and rough wood, fisher products, crude petroleum, and municipal solid waste. 

Broader Application of BTS Data

Border State Apportionment Calculations

The border-state apportionment calculations are is part of a coordinated border infrastructure program designed to improve the safe movement of motor vehicles at or across the border between the United States and Canada and the border between the United States and Mexico . BTS had the foresight to make this data available to the transportation community.  Consequently, Congress mandated the use of this data in the border-state apportionment calculations as a provision of SAFETEA-LU, Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users which authorizes the Federal surface transportation programs for highways, highway safety, and transit for the 5-year period 2005-2009.

Federal Subsidies to Passenger Transportation

In 2004, the DOT Deputy Secretary received a report on bus subsidies prepared by a private consulting firm working for the bus industry. The Deputy Secretary requested that BTS, as an independent statistical agency, conduct an analysis of Federal subsidies to passenger transportation to be used to validate the bus subsidies report. Using data from its biennial Government Transportation Financial Statistics series, BTS analyzed federal transportation revenues, expenditures, and net subsidies by mode of transportation, and prepared a report for the Deputy Secretary for use in policy decision making. The report outlined definitions of subsidies, alternative bases for normalizing subsidies (per passenger, per passenger mile, etc.) and metrics for directly comparing levels of subsidy across modes of transportation rather than on a single mode basis. The analysis was also posted on the BTS website, resulting in the information from the analysis being quoted in the Wall Street Journal in early 2005.

Homeland Security Infrastructure Program

The U.S. Department of Defense’s National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) spearheaded an effort to compile geospatial data on the nation’s critical infrastructure for use by agencies at all levels of government in security and disaster response planning.  The effort is called the Homeland Security Infrastructure Program (HSIP), and involves a number of Federal agencies, including the DOD, DOT, and the Department of Energy.  One of the key “industry” sectors in the HSIP is transportation.  BTS’ Congressionally mandated National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD) provides the core data layers for the transportation portion of the HSIP, which was released in 2005.

BTS Support in Rule-Making

Reporting Airline Delays and Cancellations

In 1987, close to 40 percent of all flights were either late or cancelled.  Imitation of on-time performance reporting created a market-based incentive for carriers to improve their service and scheduling.  However, by 2000, airline delays increased exponentially with the increase with airline operations.  The Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR 21) (April 5, 2000) called upon the Secretary to disclose to the public the nature and source of delays and cancellation.  The Air Transport Association (ATA) petitioned for a rulemaking to report causes of delays and cancellations.

In August 2000, a committee was established to make recommendations of causal reporting.  In January 2001, American, Delta, Southwest, United, the FAA, OST and BTS participated in a pilot program for causal reporting during which all parties worked together to develop procedures to have the carriers report the causes of flight delays and cancellations.  The plan incorporated air carrier inputs and resulted in a successful system that a negotiated rulemaking would have taken many more years to accomplish.  BTS began collecting details on the causes of flight delays in June 2003.  Summary statistics and raw data are made available to the public through posting on the BTS website at the time the Air Travel Consumer Report is released.