DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
The President’s 2009 Budget will:
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Propose ways to manage the Nation’s airspace
more effectively to reduce travel delays;
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Advance strategies to curb transportation congestion;
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Ensure solvency of highway and surface transportation
programs;
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Take steps to rationalize the Nation’s intercity
passenger rail system; and
-
Improve transportation safety.
Managing the Nation’s Airspace More Effectively
-
Funds the Next Generation
Air Transportation System (NextGen). $688 million to modernize
the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) air traffic
control system, enabling the FAA to safely improve capacity and efficiency
to reduce congestion and flight delays to help travelers reach their
destination on time.
-
Moves from a ground-based radar surveillance system
to a more accurate satellite-based surveillance system.
-
Develops more efficient routes through the airspace
and improves arrival and departure management at airports.
-
Improves aviation weather information and decision-making.
Curbing Transportation Congestion
FAA is Actively Taking Steps to Reduce Air Traffic Delays
FAA is working to improve the efficiency and capacity of the air transportation system under the NextGen initiative. These images show tracks of aircraft departing from the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport before and after the implementation of required area navigation procedures. These procedures safely use tightly contained and repeatable departure tracks for aircraft, which increases capacity (adding 11 to 20 departures per hour), saves fuel, reduces aircraft taxi times, and reduces departure delays.
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Ensuring Solvency of Highway and Surface Transportation Programs
Taking Steps to Rationalize the Nation’s Intercity Passenger
Rail System
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Provides State matching grants. $100 million for State matching grants for intercity passenger rail
capital projects to empower States, not Amtrak, to address their transportation
goals and priorities.
Improving Transportation Safety
-
Bolsters rail safety. $191 million for the Federal Railroad Administration’s safety
program, which includes the hiring of bridge safety specialists and
tank car engineers and the development of technology for detecting track flaws that could lead to derailments.
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Invests in pipeline safety. $93 million for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s Pipeline
Safety Program, including significant increases for grants to States,
pipeline inspection and enforcement staffing, and technical assistance.
Major Savings and Reforms
Since 2001, the Department of Transportation has:
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Helped stabilize the airline industry following the
September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
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Helped improve the physical condition of the Nation’s
highways and bridges.
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Vehicle miles traveled on pavements with “good”
ride quality rose from 39.4 percent in 1997 to 44.2 percent in 2004.
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Bridges considered to be structurally deficient dropped
from 16.0 percent in 1998 to 13.1 percent in 2004.
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Worked with the Congress to reauthorize and implement
highway, public transportation, and highway safety programs that give
States more flexibility and target priority matters, such as safety
and mobility.
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Reached key highway safety goals, including improving
the national safety belt usage rate to a record high and reducing
the highway fatality rate.
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Completed the largest competitive sourcing effort
undertaken by a Federal agency, which will save taxpayers more than
$2 billion by consolidating FAA facilities and modernizing its technologies.
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Launched the NextGen initiative to transform the Nation’s
vital air transportation system, improve airline safety, and decrease
passenger delays.
Department of Transportation
(Dollar amounts in millions)
|
2007 Actual |
Estimate |
2008 |
2009 |
|
|
|
|
Spending |
|
|
|
Discretionary
Budgetary Resources: |
|
|
|
Federal Aviation
Administration 1 |
14,537 |
14,916 |
14,644 |
FAA Operations, Capital, and Research Programs (non-add) |
11,022 |
11,401 |
11,893 |
Federal Highway
Administration |
38,013 |
41,241 |
35,514 |
Federal Aid obligation limitation (non-add) |
37,990 |
41,216 |
39,399 |
Federal Aid cancellation of unavailable contract authority
(non-add) |
−3,472 |
−3,150 |
−3,150 |
Federal Aid cancellation of available contract authority
(non-add) |
— |
−1,026 |
— |
Federal Aid cancellation of contract authority for idle
projects
(non-add) |
— |
— |
−735 |
Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration |
517 |
530 |
541 |
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: |
|
|
|
Existing law |
821 |
838 |
730 |
Legislative proposal |
|
|
122 |
Federal Railroad
Administration |
1,478 |
1,561 |
1,091 |
Intercity Passenger Rail (non-add) |
1,294 |
1,355 |
900 |
Federal Transit
Administration |
9,952 |
9,491 |
10,136 |
Federal Maritime
Administration |
215 |
306 |
314 |
St. Lawrence Seaway
Development Corporation |
16 |
17 |
32 |
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration |
120 |
126 |
139 |
Research and Innovative
Technology Administration |
8 |
12 |
12 |
All other |
250 |
208 |
147 |
Total, Discretionary
budgetary resources 2 |
65,927 |
69,246 |
63,422 |
Memorandum: |
|
|
|
Total discretionary budgetary resources without 2009
mandatory
savings provisions |
65,927 |
69,246 |
67,307 |
Budget authority from enacted supplementals |
906 |
195 |
— |
|
|
|
|
Total, Discretionary
outlays |
60,826 |
67,671 |
69,921 |
|
|
|
|
Mandatory Outlays: |
|
|
|
Federal Aviation
Administration |
−256 |
−157 |
−14 |
Federal Highway
Administration |
979 |
1,103 |
1,044 |
Federal Railroad
Administration |
−1 |
15 |
−4 |
Federal Maritime
Administration |
221 |
155 |
175 |
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Administration |
13 |
25 |
29 |
All other |
−83 |
−150 |
−47 |
Total, Mandatory
outlays |
873 |
991 |
1,183 |
|
|
|
|
Total, Outlays |
61,699 |
68,662 |
71,104 |
|
|
|
|
Credit activity |
|
|
|
Direct Loan Disbursements: |
|
|
|
Transportation
Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program |
267 |
1,389 |
1,186 |
Railroad Rehabilitation
and Improvement Program |
100 |
600 |
600 |
Total, Direct
loan disbursements |
367 |
1,989 |
1,786 |
|
|
|
|
Guaranteed Loan
Disbursements: |
|
|
|
Transportation
Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program |
— |
40 |
80 |
Railroad Rehabilitation
and Improvement Program |
— |
100 |
100 |
Maritime Guaranteed
Loans (Title XI) |
30 |
75 |
75 |
Minority Resource
Business Center |
3 |
18 |
18 |
Total, Guaranteed
loan disbursements |
33 |
233 |
273 |
|
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Number of Programs |
|
2009 Savings |
Major Savings, Discretionary |
|
|
|
Reductions |
4 |
|
−2,332 |
|
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1 In 2008, the Airports Grant program has an
obligation limitation of $3,515 million, but only $17 million in new
contract authority. The program cannot award new grants until sufficient
contract authority is provided for 2008.
2 Includes discretionary budget authority,
obligation limitations, and cancellations.
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