Department of Transportation

Budget, Performance and Financial Snapshot Fiscal Year 2008

Who We Are

Mission: The national objectives of general welfare, economic growth and stability, and the security of the United States require the development of transportation policies and programs that contribute to providing fast, safe, efficient, and convenient transportation at the lowest cost consistent with those and other national objectives, including the efficient use and conservation of the resources of the United States. The Strategic Plan can be found at http://www.dot.gov/stratplan2011/index.htm.

Organization: The Department of Transportation is comprised of ten operating administrations: Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Transit Administration , Maritime Administration, St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration, and Research and Innovative Technology Administration. The organization chart can be found at http://www.dot.gov/dotorgchart.htm.

Personnel: DOT employs about 53,000 people, predominantly in the U.S. The average age is over 45 with more than 18 years of federal service. 78 percent of the workforce are employed in mission critical occupations. For information about DOT's Strategic Human Capital Plan, see http://dothr.ost.dot.gov/pdf/dot200711strathcplan.pdf.

Budgetary Resources: The budget includes $67.0 billion in appropriations, obligation limitation, user fees, and exempt obligations. This is approximately $223 per person.


Budget Snapshot

Total Spending FY 2005-2009
Total Outlays
 Mandatory $839 $906 $871 $991 $1,183
 Discretionary $56,093 $59,236 $60,826 $67,671 $69,921
Total $56,932 $60,142 $61,697 $68,662 $71,104
$ in millions
Top 5 Programs By Budget
  Top 5 Programs
  Federal Highway Administration Federal Aviation Administration Federal Transit Administration Federal Railroad Administration National Highway Safety Administration
2008 $38,993 $14,582 $10,788 $1,713 $902
2009 $40,637 $14,643 $10,135 $1,091 $851
$ in millions

Performance Snapshot

Accomplishments: DOT has consistently met or exceeded its safety goals. In the air, fatalities in commercial air travel have continued to decline for the last 11 years. On our roads, programs targeting driver behavior, such as seatbelt use campaigns, and programs designed to promote use of advanced vehicle technologies, such as stability control systems, have decreased fatality rates in multiple light vehicle categories. On the commercial side, large truck and bus fatalities have continued to decline over the past three years.

Challenges: Solutions for the growing congestion problem require fundamental changes to our Nation's surface and air transportation planning and management approach, such as shifts in transportation financing and transportation management technologies, that take years to develop and deploy.
Financial Snapshot
Clean Opinion on Financial Statements Yes
Timely Financial Reporting Yes Material Weaknesses 0
Improper Payment Rate .4% Total Assets $61,300
Total Liabilities $14,800 Net Cost of Operations $66,000
$ in millions
  Footnote: None.

Summary of Department of Transportation Ratings for Fiscal Year 2008

 
                        FY 2008 Performance
Results per Strategic Goal
  Met/Exceeded     Not met but improved over prior years
  Not met target     Data not yet available
Budget per Strategic Goal
($ in millions)
Strategic Goal: Safety
Enhance public health and safety by working toward the elimination of transportation-related deaths and injuries.
 
Sample chart
          
2008 Actual = $21,430
Performance Measure(s)* 2006 Results 2007 Results 2008 Target 2008 Results 2009 Target
Passenger vehicle occupant highway fatality rate per 100 million passenger vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT). 1.11 1.05 1.06 1.03   1.02
Number of commercial air carrier fatalities per 100 million persons onboard. NA NA 8.7 .4   8.62
Rail-related accidents and incidents per million train-miles. 18.03 16.56 18.45 15.74   17.00
Strategic Goal: Reduced Congestion
Reduce congestion and other impediments to using the Nation's transportation system.
 
Sample chart
          
2008 Actual = $38,154
Performance Measure(s)* 2006 Results 2007 Results 2008 Target 2008 Results 2009 Target
Percent of total annual urban-area travel conditions occurring in congested conditions. 28.4 27.8 32.3 27.3   31.9
Average percent change in transit boardings per transit market (150 largest transit agencies). 2.1 2.5 1.5 2.5   1.9
Percent of all flights arriving within 15 minutes of schedule at the 35 Operational Evolution Plan airports due to NAS-related delays. 88.10 86.96 88.00 87.29   88.22
Strategic Goal: Global Connectivity
Facilitate an international transportation system that promotes economic growth and development.
 
Sample chart
          
2008 Actual = $1,430
Performance Measure(s)* 2006 Results 2007 Results 2008 Target 2008 Results 2009 Target
Number of potential air transportation consumers (in billions) in international markets traveling between the U.S. and countries with Open Skies and open trans-border aviation agreements. 3.01 3.83 3.85 3.94   3.87
Strategic Goal: Environmental Stewardship
Promote transportation solutions that enhance communities and protect the natural and built environment.
 
Sample chart
          
2008 Actual = $7,188
Performance Measure(s)* 2006 Results 2007 Results 2008 Target 2008 Results 2009 Target
12-month moving average of the number of areas in a transportation emissions conformity lapse. 1.3 0.0 6.0 0.0   6.0
Strategic Goal: Security, Preparedness and Response
Balance transportation security requirements with the safety, mobility and economic needs of the Nation and be prepared to respond to emergencies that affect the viability of the transportation sector.
 
Sample chart
          
2008 Actual = $900
Performance Measure(s)* 2006 Results 2007 Results 2008 Target 2008 Results 2009 Target
Percentage of DoD-required shipping capacity complete with crews available within mobilization timelines. 93 97 94 97   94
  * This measure was selected from a number of performance measures aimed at the specific strategic goal