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Open Recommendations

Pedestrians and Cyclists: Better Information to States and Enhanced Performance Management Could Help DOT Improve Safety
GAO-21-405
May 20, 2021
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The NHTSA Administrator should take steps to collect information on the range of countermeasures implemented by states and analyze that information to help advance what is known about countermeasures' effectiveness and then share results with states. (Recommendation 1)
Open
In its written comments to our draft report, DOT concurred with our first recommendation and stated that FHWA and NHTSA will collect information on state and local use of countermeasures and assess smaller-scale changes in safety outcomes that could demonstrate the level of effectiveness. We are encouraged by this response, and note that by sharing the results of these analyses with states, as we have recommended, DOT could help states make more informed decisions to improve safety. We will continue to monitor NHTSA's efforts to address this recommendation.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The NHTSA Administrator should more fully use performance management practices to guide its pedestrian and cyclist safety activities, such as (1) by developing performance measures for NHTSA and the program offices responsible for implementing pedestrian and cyclist safety activities to demonstrate how these activities contribute to safety goals, and (2) by using performance information to make any necessary changes to advance pedestrian and cyclist safety efforts. (Recommendation 2)
Open
In its written comments to our report, DOT partially concurred with this recommendations and stated that that it will review available evaluation metrics and data and explore their use as part of a comprehensive performance management framework. According to DOT, this framework will consider output measures that are directly linked to DOT's national pedestrian and bicyclist safety efforts, and use safety outcome data to inform how to shape pedestrian and cyclist safety programs. We believe that DOT's stated plan could be a useful first step in developing performance measures that demonstrate how their activities contribute to safety goals. Without such measures, NHTSA will continue to lack performance information necessary to improve their efforts and ensure their various pedestrian and cyclist safety activities are resulting in expected improvements in safety. As such, we believe NHTSA should fully implement our recommendations, and we will continue to monitor its efforts to do so.
Federal Highway Administration The FHWA Administrator should more fully use performance management practices to guide its pedestrian and cyclist safety activities, such as (1) by developing performance measures for FHWA and the program offices responsible for implementing pedestrian and cyclist safety activities to demonstrate how these activities contribute to safety goals, and (2) by using performance information to make any necessary changes to advance pedestrian and cyclist safety efforts. (Recommendation 3)
Open
In its written comments to our report, DOT partially concurred with this recommendations and stated that that it will review available evaluation metrics and data and explore their use as part of a comprehensive performance management framework. According to DOT, this framework will consider output measures that are directly linked to DOT's national pedestrian and bicyclist safety efforts, and use safety outcome data to inform how to shape pedestrian and cyclist safety programs. We believe that DOT's stated plan could be a useful first step in developing performance measures that demonstrate how their activities contribute to safety goals. Without such measures, FHWA will continue to lack performance information necessary to improve their efforts and ensure their various pedestrian and cyclist safety activities are resulting in expected improvements in safety. As such, we believe FHWA should fully implement our recommendation, and we will continue to monitor its efforts to do so.

FAA Workforce: Better Assessing Employees' Skill Gaps Could Help FAA Prepare for Changes in Technology
GAO-21-310
May 13, 2021
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Office of Human Resource Management The Assistant Administrator for Human Resource Management should ensure that planned skill gap assessments, conducted in coordination with FAA offices, are based on quantitative information about gaps in all critical skills for employees across all mission-critical occupations.
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Transportation Safety: DOT Has Taken Steps to Verify and Publicize Drug and Alcohol Testing Data but Should Do More
GAO-21-296
Mar 17, 2021
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4 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Transportation The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrators of FAA, FMCSA, FRA, FTA, and PHMSA to: (1) evaluate the different processes used by each modal administration to verify drug and alcohol testing data—including comparing data to records during inspections, checking data for errors manually or with software, and contacting employers that do not submit a report or submit an incomplete report—and (2) determine what, if any, additional steps should be taken to improve the reliability of the information. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should direct the Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy to: (1) evaluate the different processes used by USCG to verify drug and alcohol testing data—including comparing data to records during inspections, checking data for errors manually or with software, and contacting employers that do not submit a report or submit an incomplete report—and (2) determine what, if any, additional steps should be taken to improve the reliability of the information. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance The Director of ODAPC should disclose known limitations of drug and alcohol testing data on DOT's website, consistent with key actions for open government data. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance The Director of ODAPC should reach out to potential users in the public to determine if there is a broader audience for the public data, consistent with key actions for open government data, and if a broader audience is identified, engage with users to evaluate the benefits and costs of adopting additional key actions for open government data and any other possible improvements to the website. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems: FAA Could Strengthen Its Implementation of a Drone Traffic Management System by Improving Communication and Measuring Performance
GAO-21-165
Jan 28, 2021
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Federal Aviation Administration The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration should provide stakeholders with additional information on the timing and substance of future UTM testing and implementation efforts, using FAA's UTM website or other appropriate means. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Federal Aviation Administration The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration should develop performance goals and measures for its UTM implementation plan. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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