The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is a federal agency responsible for national transportation policy. The DOT, established in 1966, oversees numerous federal regulatory programs ranging from intermodal transportation to the St. Lawrence Seaway. The DOT negotiates and implements international transportation agreements, ensures the safety of U.S. airlines, and regulates interstate surface-transportation systems. Changes in DOT regulations affect location and distribution decisions of U.S. and international business managers and safety standards for vehicles in the United States. Following are some major DOT programs.
• The Bureau of Transportation Statistics compiles, analyzes, and publishes national transportation statistics. Commodity flow and American travel statistics are used to analyze changing patterns of U.S. business and consumer transportation.
• The U.S. Coast Guard, most widely known for rescuing stranded sailors, also manages waterway systems, intercepts illegal drug traffic, and promotes boater safety.
• The FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) oversees the safety of civil aviation. FAA regulations direct aircraft and airport management and maintenance procedures. FAA allocation of airport terminal space significantly affects airline market competition. The FAA has been criticized for lagging in upgrading airport traffic control systems.
• The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) coordinates interstate highway programs. The Federal-Aid Highway Program, financed with gasoline taxes, is a major source of funding for highway development around the country. Critics of U.S. transportation policy often point to FHWA funding of highways, rather than mass transportation systems, as an example of misguided federal priorities.
• The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, created in 2000, focuses on commercial motor vehicle safety.
• The Federal Railroad Administration promotes and inspects railroads, with a focus on safety and environmental concerns.
• The Federal Transit Administration assists in developing mass-transportation systems in urban areas.
• The Maritime Administration promotes the maintenance of U.S. merchant-marine (domestically owned marine transportation) resources through preferences for U.S.- flag vessels in transportation of goods involving federal funding or support; and provides subsidies for maintaining U.S.-flag vessels, repair, and shipbuilding facilities.
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) directs highway safety programs, including defining and enforcing safety performance standards for motor vehicles, investigating safety defects, and setting and enforcing fuel economy standards. The NHTSA has frequently been criticized for capitulating to automobile manufacturers’ demands, resulting in reduced fueleconomy standards.
• The Research and Special Programs Administration oversees rules governing safe transportation and packaging of hazardous materials.
• The St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation operates and maintains the Saint Lawrence Seaway.
• The Surface Transportation Board is responsible for economic regulation of interstate shipping, primarily rail transportation. The board adjudicates complaints regarding the pricing practices of railroads.
• The Transportation Administrative Service Center provides technical support for DOT administration of other government agencies.