United States Department of Transportation

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United States Department of Transportation
US-DeptOfTransportation-Seal.svg
Seal of the United States Department of Transportation
Flag of the United States Department of Transportation.svg
Flag of the United States Department of Transportation
Usdot headquarters.jpg
Headquarters of the U.S. Department of Transportation
Department overview
Formed April 1, 1967; 56 years ago (1967-04-01)
Jurisdiction United States of America
Headquarters 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, D.C.
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Employees 58,622
Annual budget $77.2 billion USD (FY2014)[1]
Department executives
Child agencies
Website www.dot.gov
File:US-DeptOfTransportation-Seal1980.svg
The seal of the U.S. Department of Transportation prior to 1980.
File:Flag of the United States Department of Transportation (1967-1980).png
The flag of the U.S. Department of Transportation prior to 1980.

The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is a federal Cabinet department of the U.S. government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967. It is governed by the United States Secretary of Transportation.

Its mission is to "Serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible, and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future."

History

Prior to the Department of Transportation, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Transportation administered the functions now associated with the DOT. In 1965, Najeeb Halaby, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), suggested to President Lyndon B. Johnson that transportation be elevated to a cabinet-level post, and that the FAA be folded into the DOT.[2]

Agencies

Former Agencies

Related legislation

Budget

The DOT awarded $742.5 million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to 11 transit projects. The awardees include light rail projects. Other projects include both a commuter rail extension and a subway project in New York City, and a bus rapid transit system in Springfield, Oregon. The funds subsidize a heavy rail project in northern Virginia, completing the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's Metro Silver Line to connect Washington, D.C., and the Washington Dulles International Airport.[4] (DOT had previously agreed to subsidize the Silver Line construction to Reston, Virginia.)[5]

President Barack Obama's budget request for fiscal year 2010 also included $1.83 billion in funding for major transit projects, of which more than $600 million went towards 10 new or expanding transit projects. The budget provided additional funding for all of the projects currently receiving Recovery Act funding, except for the bus rapid transit project. It also continued funding for another 18 transit projects that are either currently under construction or soon will be.[4]

Following the same the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 delegates $600 million for Infrastructure Investments, referred to as Discretionary Grants.

The Department of Transportation was authorized a budget for Fiscal Year 2014 of $77.2 billion. The budget authorization is broken down as follows:[1]

Program Funding (in billions)
Management and Finance
Office of the Secretary $0.9
Office of the Inspector General $0.1
Surface Transportation Board $0
Operating Divisions
Federal Aviation Administration $15.6
Federal Highway Administration $41.0
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration $0.6
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration $0.8
Federal Transit Administration $10.9
Federal Railroad Administration $6.6
Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration $0.3
Maritime Administration $0.4
Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation $0
TOTAL $77.2

See also

Notes and references

  1. 1.0 1.1 2014 Department of Transportation Budget Request, pg 54, United States Department of Transportation, Accessed 2014-07-15
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External links