Mass Transit:
FTA's New Starts Commitments for Fiscal Year 2003
GAO-02-603: Published: Apr 30, 2002. Publicly Released: Apr 30, 2002.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
- Accessible Text:
Contact:
(202) 512-8984
contact@gao.gov
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
youngc1@gao.gov
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.
Feb 18, 2021
-
General Aviation:
Stakeholders Expressed Mixed Views of FAA Policies on Private Pilot Expense SharingGAO-21-285: Published: Feb 18, 2021. Publicly Released: Feb 18, 2021.
Jan 28, 2021
-
Unmanned Aircraft Systems:
FAA Could Strengthen Its Implementation of a Drone Traffic Management System by Improving Communication and Measuring PerformanceGAO-21-165: Published: Jan 28, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 28, 2021.
Jan 7, 2021
-
Aircraft Noise:
Better Information Sharing Could Improve Responses to Washington, D.C. Area Helicopter Noise ConcernsGAO-21-200: Published: Jan 7, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 7, 2021.
Dec 18, 2020
-
Automated Technologies:
DOT Should Take Steps to Ensure Its Workforce Has Skills Needed to Oversee SafetyGAO-21-197: Published: Dec 18, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 18, 2020.
Dec 17, 2020
-
Emergency Responder Safety:
States and DOT Are Implementing Actions to Reduce Roadside CrashesGAO-21-166: Published: Dec 17, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 17, 2020.
Nov 24, 2020
-
Reagan National Airport:
Information on Effects of Federal Statute Limiting Long-Distance FlightsGAO-21-176: Published: Nov 24, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 24, 2020.
Nov 19, 2020
-
Federal-Aid Highways:
States and Local Governments Reported Benefits to Federal Highway Fund Swapping, but Impacts Cannot be Definitively DeterminedGAO-21-88: Published: Oct 20, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 19, 2020.
Nov 16, 2020
-
Aviation Certification:
FAA Needs to Strengthen Its Design Review Process for Small AirplanesGAO-21-85: Published: Nov 16, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 16, 2020.
Nov 9, 2020
-
Aviation Safety:
FAA's Office of Aviation Safety Should Take Additional Actions to Ensure Its Workforce Has Needed SkillsGAO-21-94: Published: Nov 9, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 9, 2020.
Oct 29, 2020
-
Puerto Rico:
Perspectives on the Potential to Expand Air Cargo OperationsGAO-21-21: Published: Oct 29, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 29, 2020.
Looking for more? Browse all our products here