Surface Transportation:
Research Funding, Federal Role, and Emerging Issues
RCED-96-233: Published: Sep 6, 1996. Publicly Released: Sep 6, 1996.
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Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on surface transportation research, focusing on: (1) public and private funding for surface transportation research; (2) the transportation community's views on such research and the Department of Transportation's (DOT) ability to fulfill that role; and (3) issues that the transportation community believes that Congress and DOT should address during the reauthorization of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA).
GAO found that: (1) between fiscal years 1992 and 1996, DOT provided $2.9 billion for surface transportation research programs to five modal agencies, with the Federal Highway Administration (FHwA) receiving $2.1 billion; (2) FHwA allocated almost half of its funding to its Intelligent Transportation Systems Program, and other agencies conducted research on vehicle and driver safety, high-speed ground transportation, mass transit operations, and advanced transportation technologies; (3) ISTEA has encouraged greater public and private cooperation as well as university involvement, and states have increased the amount of federal and state money they spend on such research; (4) the transportation community generally agreed that DOT should lead the nation's surface transportation research program and serve as a focal point for technology transfer, since it has broader interests and a wider perspective than the other parties; (5) DOT has improved external and internal coordination of its surface transportation research program, but lacks the resources and authority to create an integrated framework or strategic plan for surface transportation research; and (6) the transportation community believes that the surface transportation research program does not adequately address the total surface transportation system, giving limited attention to system assessment, policy, and intermodal research, and does not include enough basic, long-term, high-risk research to respond to complex, persistent problems.
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Puerto Rico:
Perspectives on the Potential to Expand Air Cargo OperationsGAO-21-21: Published: Oct 29, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 29, 2020.
Sep 30, 2020
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Supplemental Material For GAO-20-686:
Transit Asset Management: Survey of TAM Program ParticipantsGAO-20-687SP: Published: Sep 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 30, 2020. -
Transit Asset Management:
FTA Should Clarify Performance Data and Develop a Plan to Guide Future Program ImprovementsGAO-20-686: Published: Sep 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 30, 2020.
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