Leadership of the DOT is provided by the Secretary
of Transportation, who is the principal adviser to the President
in all matters relating to federal transportation programs. The
Secretary is assisted by the Deputy Secretary in this role. The
Office of the Secretary (OST) oversees the formulation of national
transportation policy and promotes intermodal transportation. Other
responsibilities range from negotiation and implementation of international
transportation agreements, assuring the fitness of US airlines,
enforcing airline consumer protection regulations, issuance of regulations
to prevent alcohol and illegal drug misuse in transportation systems
and preparing transportation legislation.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversees
the safety of civil aviation. The safety mission of the FAA is first
and foremost and includes the issuance and enforcement of regulations
and standards related to the manufacture, operation, certification
and maintenance of aircraft. The agency is responsible for the rating
and certification of airmen and for certification of airports serving
air carriers. It also regulates a program to protect the security
of civil aviation, and enforces regulations under the Hazardous
Materials Transportation Act for shipments by air. The FAA, which
operates a network of airport towers, air route traffic control
centers, and flight service stations, develops air traffic rules,
allocates the use of airspace, and provides for the security control
of air traffic to meet national defense requirements. Other responsibilities
include the construction or installation of visual and electronic
aids to air navigation and promotion of aviation safety internationally.
The FAA, which regulates and encourages the U.S. commercial space
transportation industry, also licenses commercial space launch facilities
and private sector launches.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) coordinates
highway transportation programs in cooperation with states and other
partners to enhance the country's safety, economic vitality, quality
of life, and the environment. Major program areas include the Federal-Aid
Highway Program, which provides federal financial assistance to
the States to construct and improve the National Highway System,
urban and rural roads, and bridges. This program provides funds
for general improvements and development of safe highways and roads.
The Federal Lands Highway Program provides access to and within
national forests, national parks, Indian reservations and other
public lands by preparing plans and contracts, supervising construction
facilities, and conducting bridge inspections and surveys. The FHWA
also manages a comprehensive research, development, and technology
program.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was
established within the Department of Transportation on January 1,
2000, pursuant to the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999
[Public Law No. 106-159, 113 Stat. 1748 (December 9, 1999)]. Formerly
a part of the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration's primary mission is to prevent commercial
motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries. Administration activities
contribute to ensuring safety in motor carrier operations through
strong enforcement of safety regulations, targeting high-risk carriers
and commercial motor vehicle drivers; improving safety information
systems and commercial motor vehicle technologies; strengthening
commercial motor vehicle equipment and operating standards; and
increasing safety awareness. To accomplish these activities, the
Administration works with Federal, state, and local enforcement
agencies, the motor carrier industry, labor safety interest groups,
and others.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) promotes
safe and environmentally sound rail transportation. With the responsibility
of ensuring railroad safety throughout the nation, the FRA employs
safety inspectors to monitor railroad compliance with federally
mandated safety standards including track maintenance, inspection
standards and operating practices. The FRA conducts research and
development tests to evaluate projects in support of its safety
mission and to enhance the railroad system as a national transportation
resource. Public education campaigns on highway-rail grade crossing
safety and the danger of trespassing on rail property are also administered
by FRA.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) assists
in developing improved mass transportation system for cities and
communities
nationwide. Through its grant programs, FTA helps plan, build,
and operate transit systems with convenience, cost and accessibility
in mind. While buses and rail vehicles are the most common type
of public transportation, other kinds include commuter ferryboats,
trolleys, inclined railways, subways, and people movers. In providing
financial, technical and planning assistance, the agency provides
leadership and resources for safe and technologically advanced
local transit systems while assisting in the development of local
and
regional traffic reduction. The FTA maintains the National Transit
library (NTL), a repository of reports, documents, and data
generated
by professionals and others from around the country. The NTL is
designed to facilitate document sharing among people interested
in transit and transit related topics.
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) promotes development
and maintenance of an adequate, well-balanced, United States merchant
marine, sufficient to carry the Nation's domestic waterborne commerce
and a substantial portion of its waterborne foreign commerce, and
capable of serving as a naval and military auxiliary in time of
war or national emergency. MARAD also seeks to ensure that the United
States enjoys adequate shipbuilding and repair service, efficient
ports, effective intermodal water and land transportation systems,
and reserve shipping capacity in time of national emergency.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) is responsible for reducing deaths, injuries and economic
losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes. NHTSA sets and enforces
safety performance standards for motor vehicles and equipment, and
through grants to state and local governments enables them to conduct
effective local highway safety programs. NHTSA investigates safety
defects in motor vehicles, sets and enforces fuel economy standards,
helps states and local communities reduce the threat of drunk drivers,
promotes the use of safety belts, child safety seats and air bags,
investigates odometer fraud, establishes and enforces vehicle anti-theft
regulations and provides consumer information on motor vehicle safety
topics. Research on driver behavior and traffic safety is conducted
by NHTSA to develop the most efficient and effective means of bringing
about safety improvements. A toll-free Auto Safety Hotline, 1-888-DASH-2-DOT,
furnishes consumers with a wide range of auto safety information.
Callers also can help identify safety problems in motor vehicles,
tires and automotive equipment such as child safety seats.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) oversees
the safety of more than 800,000 daily shipments of hazardous materials in
the United States and 64 percent of the nation's energy that is transported
by pipelines. PHMSA is dedicated solely to safety by working toward the
elimination of transportation-related deaths and injuries in hazardous
materials and pipeline transportation, and by promoting transportation
solutions that enhance communities and protect the natural environment.
The Research & Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) is an agency whose mission is to identify and facilitate solutions to the challenges and opportunities facing America's transportation system. RITA's focus is to promote transportation research that will foster the use of innovative technology. RITA includes the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, an organization dedicated to enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency, and responsiveness of other Federal organizations with critical transportation-related functions and missions. With responsibility for research policy and technology sharing, the agency partners with national and international organizations and universities. RITA also includes the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the Transportation Safety Institute and the University Transportation Centers program.
The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
(SLSDC) operates and maintains a safe, reliable and efficient waterway
for commercial and noncommercial vessels between the Great Lakes
and the Atlantic Ocean. The SLSDC, in tandem with the Saint Lawrence
Seaway Authority of Canada, oversees operations safety, vessel inspections,
traffic control, and navigation aids on the Great Lakes and the
Saint Lawrence Seaway. Important to the economic development of
the Great Lakes region, SLSDC works to develop trade opportunities
to benefit port communities, shippers and receivers and related
industries in the area.
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) is an independent,
bipartisan, adjudicatory body organizationally housed within the
DOT. It is responsible for the economic regulation of interstate
surface transportation, primarily railroads, within the United States.
The STB's mission is to ensure that competitive, efficient, and
safe transportation services are provided to meet the needs of shippers,
receivers, and consumers. The Board is charged with promoting, where
appropriate, substantive and procedural regulatory reform in the
economic regulation of surface transportation, and with providing
an efficient and effective forum for the resolution of disputes.
The Board continues to strive to develop, through rulemakings and
case disposition, new and better ways to analyze unique and complex
problems, to reach fully justified decisions more quickly, to reduce
the costs associated with regulatory oversight, and to encourage
private-sector negotiations and resolutions to problems where appropriate.
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