Mass Transit:
FTA's New Starts Commitments for Fiscal Year 2003
GAO-02-603: Published: Apr 30, 2002. Publicly Released: Apr 30, 2002.
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Since the early 1970's, the federal government has provided a large share of the nation's capital investment in urban mass transportation. Much of this funding has come through the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) New Starts Program, which helps pay for rail, bus, and trolley projects. The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century authorized about $6 billion in "guaranteed" funding for the New Starts program through fiscal year 2003. FTA's evaluation process assigns candidate projects individual ratings for project justification and local financial commitments. The process also assigns an overall rating intended to reflect the project's merit. FTA recommended four projects for funding commitments for fiscal year 2003 in its New Starts report and budget proposal. FTA evaluated 50 proposed projects for fiscal year 2003 and developed ratings for 31 of them. Twenty-seven of these projects were rated as "highly recommended" or "recommended." Although FTA has faced transit budget crunches for years, the agency will end the act's authorization period with $310 million in unused commitment authority. Proposals to limit the amount of New Starts funds would allow more projects to receive such funding, but could harm specific projects being developed and the local transportation planning process. For example, limiting New Starts funds to 60 percent of a project's cost for the 49 projects now in final design or preliminary engineering would "free up" $500 million for additional projects. However, only 20 percent of these projects plan to use New Starts funds for more than 60 percent of projected costs and would be affected by such a cap.
Sep 13, 2018
Positive Train Control:
Most Railroads Expect to Request an Extension, and Substantial Work Remains Beyond 2018GAO-18-692T: Published: Sep 13, 2018. Publicly Released: Sep 13, 2018.
Sep 5, 2018
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Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway:
Assessing Risks and Measuring Performance Could Improve Maritime TransportationGAO-18-610: Published: Sep 5, 2018. Publicly Released: Sep 5, 2018.
Jul 30, 2018
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Public Transit Partnerships:
Additional Information Needed to Clarify Data Reporting and Share Best PracticesGAO-18-539: Published: Jul 30, 2018. Publicly Released: Jul 30, 2018.
Jul 26, 2018
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Aviation Security:
Basic Training Program for Transportation Security Officers Would Benefit from Performance Goals and MeasuresGAO-18-552: Published: Jul 26, 2018. Publicly Released: Jul 26, 2018.
Jul 19, 2018
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Highway and Transit Projects:
Better Data Needed to Assess Changes in the Duration of Environmental ReviewsGAO-18-536: Published: Jul 19, 2018. Publicly Released: Jul 19, 2018.
Jul 12, 2018
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Aviation Security:
Actions Needed to Better Identify and Track U.S.-Bound Public Charter Operations from CubaGAO-18-526: Published: Jul 12, 2018. Publicly Released: Jul 12, 2018.
May 31, 2018
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Capital Investment Grants Program:
FTA Should Address Several Statutory ProvisionsGAO-18-462: Published: May 31, 2018. Publicly Released: May 31, 2018.
May 29, 2018
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Interstate Pipeline Inspections:
Additional Planning Could Help DOT Determine Appropriate Level of State ParticipationGAO-18-461: Published: May 29, 2018. Publicly Released: May 29, 2018.
May 24, 2018
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Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems:
FAA Should Improve Its Management of Safety RisksGAO-18-110: Published: May 24, 2018. Publicly Released: May 24, 2018.
Apr 9, 2018
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Rail Transit:
Federal Transit Administration Can Strengthen Safety Oversight by Improving Guidance to StatesGAO-18-310: Published: Mar 20, 2018. Publicly Released: Apr 9, 2018.
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