Improving Performance and Accountability

Maximizing the benefits of significant federal investments in transportation infrastructure and ensuring accountability for results should be a high priority and a key component to restructuring the federal approach.

• However, the largest highway, transit, and safety grant programs distribute funds through formulas that, in many cases, only indirectly relate to needs and that are typically not linked to performance. For example, traffic safety grants to states generally lack performance accountability mechanisms that would tie performance to receipt of the grants.

  Highlights of GAO-08-400 (PDF), Highlights of GAO-08-398 (PDF)

• Since the majority of surface transportation funds are distributed without regard to performance, it is difficult to assess the impact of recent record levels of federal highway expenditures. In addition, the programs often do not use the best tools or approaches, such as using more rigorous economic analysis to select projects.

  Highlights of GAO-08-400 (PDF)

• Metropolitan planning organizations are responsible for transportation planning in metropolitan areas; however, little is known about what has been achieved by their planning efforts. DOT oversees the planning efforts of these organizations, but this oversight focuses on their procedural compliance rather than on whether they are achieving specific transportation outcomes.

  Highlights of GAO-09-868 (PDF)

• The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included more than $48 billion for use by states in funding transportation infrastructure, including highways, rail, and transit. Although states have generally complied with the act's requirements, due to the need to select projects and obligate funds quickly, many states did not initially determine whether selected projects were located in economically distressed areas, as required by the act.

  Highlights of GAO-09-926T (PDF)

• Finally, while FAA has recently made progress in managing its air traffic control acquisitions, its performance measurement and reporting could be improved.

  Highlights of GAO-08-42 (PDF)

^ Back to topWhat Needs to Be Done

• As Congress considers the reauthorization of traffic safety grants to states, it will be faced with deciding whether these grant programs should be designed differently to focus more specifically on performance accountability. In addition, GAO suggests that Congress consider making the transportation planning process of Metropolitan Planning Organizations more performance based by, for example, identifying specific transportation outcomes

  Highlights of GAO-08-398 (PDF), Highlights of GAO-09-868 (PDF)

• GAO has also made recommendations to DOT intended to improve performance and accountability, including recommendations
• to develop clear guidance on identifying and giving priority to economically distressed areas for Recovery Act funding, and

  Highlights of GAO-09-829 (PDF)

• to FAA to identify or establish a vehicle for regular public reporting on overall, long-term performance in acquiring air traffic control systems.

  Highlights of GAO-08-42 (PDF)

^ Back to topKey Reports

Metropolitan Planning Organizations

Recovery Act

Federal-Aid Highways

Air Traffic Control

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