Headquarters Offices

• Office of the Administrator
• Office of Administration
• Office of Budget and Policy
• Office of Communications and Congressional Affairs
• Office of Chief Counsel
• Office of Civil Rights
• Office of Planning & Environment
• Office of Program Management
• Office of Research, Demonstration and Innovation

The Office of the Administrator is responsible for communicating the agency’s key initiatives on transit programs and disseminating policy guidance to transit stakeholders and grantees. The Administrator also ensures that grantees follow federal mandates along with statutory and administrative requirements. The Administrator, a Presidential appointee confirmed by Congress, leads a staff of more than 500 employees through a Washington, DC headquarters’ office and oversees 10 regional offices operations. The Administrator manages an annual budget of approximately $9 billion and coordinates public transit policies, plans, programs, and activities with other offices of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Congress, and other government agencies.  The Administrator also serves as the federal government’s chief advocate and supporter of public transit nationwide.

The Office of Administration develops and administers comprehensive programs to meet FTA's administrative and management support requirements in the following areas: organization and management planning, information resources management, human resources, contracting and procurement, and administrative services.

The Office of Budget and Policy is responsible for policy development, strategic and program planning, program evaluation, budgeting, and accounting. Specifically, the office implements and manages the overall policy process within FTA; provides policy direction on legislative proposals (particularly reauthorization legislation); prepares and coordinates statutory reports to Congress; manages the development and implementation of the strategic plan and program plan; conducts program evaluations; develops and justifies FTA budgets to the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, Office of Management and Budget, and Congress; ensures that funds are expended in accordance with Administration and congressional intent; performs accounting for all FTA funds; and provides a full range of accounting services for the Office of the Secretary and other customers.

FTA’s Office of Communications and Congressional Affairs is the agency’s lead office for media relations, public affairs, and Congressional relations, providing quick response support to the agency, the public, and Members of Congress on a daily basis. The office distributes information about FTA programs and policies to the public, the transit industry, and other interested parties through a variety of media. This office also coordinates the Administrator’s public appearances and is responsible for managing correspondence and other information directed to and issued by the Administrator and Deputy Administrator.

The Office of Chief Counsel provides legal advice and support to the Administrator and FTA management and coordinates with and supports the Department of Transportation General Counsel on FTA legal matters. This office also is responsible for reviewing development and management of FTA-sponsored projects, representing the Administration before civil courts and administrative agencies, and drafting and reviewing legislation and regulations to implement the Administration's programs.

The Office of Civil Rights ensures full implementation of civil rights and equal opportunity initiatives by all recipients of FTA assistance, and also ensures nondiscrimination in the receipt of FTA benefits, employment, and business opportunities. The office monitors the implementation of and compliance with the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 by investigating complaints and conducting compliance reviews.

The mission of the Office of Planning and Environment is to support the development of information that local, state, and federal officials use to make transportation investment decisions.  This entails working with our partners in the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to administer a national planning program that provides funding, guidance, technical support and oversight to state and local transportation agencies. The 10 region offices of FTA and the 52 division offices of FHWA help to convey the program to the states, local governments, and other transportation agencies. The Office also provides guidance and assistance to grantees considering projects that may seek New and Small Starts funding, as well as the ratings and evaluations of those projects for project advancement or FTA funding decisions.  Finally the Office ensures that federal environmental requirements are met through oversight and development of environmental policies, guidance and regulations.  

The Office of Program Management administers a national program of capital and operating assistance by managing financial and technical resources and by directing program implementation through the Regional Offices. The office provides procedures and program guidance to assist the field staff in grant program administration. TPM also assists the transit industry and state and local authorities in providing high levels of safety and security for transit passengers and employees through, technical assistance and training, and information dissemination.

The Office of Research, Demonstration and Innovation, which directs FTA’s research program, provides industry and policy makers with the information and skills to make good business decisions about transit technology, operational, and capital investments.  The program uses research results to identify best practices and shares this information with others who can benefit from it.  Through its research, FTA shows a range of outcomes that help direct where future transit investments should be made.  The program is driven by the FTA Strategic Research Plan and is focused on five strategic research goals: to provide transit research leadership, increase transit ridership, improve capital and operating efficiencies, improve safety and emergency preparedness, and to protect the environment and promote energy independence. The Multi-Year Research Program Plan provides descriptive summaries of existing FTA research projects for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 through FY 2011, and it links these projects to the goals and objectives of FTA’s Strategic Research Plan.  It also identifies future transit industry research needs, links these needs to FTA’s research goals and objectives, and describes new research areas and projects that FTA will consider for funding during the next five years.

FTA’s research program promotes and supports training and professional development, research into matters that affect or significantly interest the transit industry, transit community professional and educational organizations, international technology sharing endeavors, and innovations in transit and transit-related technologies.