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U.S. Department of Transportation

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Department of Transportation
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Secretary:Sean Duffy
Year created:1966
Official website:DOT.gov



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Department Secretaries
Marco Rubio • Scott Bessent • Pete Hegseth • Pam Bondi • Doug Burgum • Brooke Rollins • Lori Chavez-DeRemer • Robert F. Kennedy Jr. • Scott Turner • Howard Lutnick • Sean Duffy • Chris Wright • Linda McMahon • Doug Collins • Kristi Noem

The Department of Transportation is a United States executive department established in 1966. The department was formed to ensure "a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people."[1]

Agencies run by the department include the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Federal Transportation Administration (FTA), Federal Highway Administration (FHA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Highway Traffic Safety Administration (FHTSA), the Maritime Administration (MARAD), and more.[2]

Sean Duffy is the current secretary of transportation. Click here to read more about his confirmation process.

History

The Transportation Department was formed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966. Like the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Transportation Department has its roots based on the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Upon its formation, the department inherited agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration and gained regulatory power over recent federally constructed roadways and railway programs.[3] The following is a list of important dates throughout the history of the department:[4]

  • 1966: Department of Transportation formed by Public Law 89-670
  • 1966: Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMTA) formed
  • 1967: Department of Transportation officially operational
  • 1968: Federal motor vehicle standards come into effect
  • 1970: Amtrak formed
  • 1976: Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act passed, allowing "free zones" where railroads can raise and lower fares without federal review
  • 1977: Mandates on automatic seatbelts or airbags reinstated starting in 1984
  • 1990: Smoking prohibited on domestic flights lasting fewer than six hours
  • 1990: National System of Interstate and Defense Highways redesignated the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways
  • 2002: Transportation Security Administration formed then transferred to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Mission

The Department of Transportation website states the following mission:

“ To ensure our nation has the safest, most efficient and modern transportation system in the world; that improves the quality of life for all American people and communities, from rural to urban, and increases the productivity and competitiveness of American workers and businesses.[5] ”
—Transportation Department[6]

Leadership

Sean Duffy is the secretary of transportation.

Note: Votes marked "N/A" represent voice votes or unrecorded votes. Missing votes will be added as they are researched.


Organization

The following was the U.S. Department of Transportation's organizational chart as of May 2020:

DOT-Org-Chart-2017 .png

Office of the Secretary of Transportation

According to the department's official website, the Office of the Secretary:[7]

  • Oversees national transportation policies;
  • Negotiates and implements international transportation policies;
  • Regulates United States airlines; and
  • Issues preventative regulations in transportation policy in regard to drug and alcohol abuse.

Noteworthy events

U.S. Department of Transportation cancels California high-speed rail grants

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on May 16, 2019, canceled nearly $1 billion in high-speed rail grants issued to the California High Speed Rail Authority. The federal government canceled the grants in response to the state’s failure to comply with the terms of the original 2010 agreement and failure to make reasonable progress on the project, according to the notice.[8]

DOT had notified California rail officials in February that it intended to cancel $929 million in grants for construction of the high-speed rail system between Los Angeles and San Francisco. DOT officials also announced that they were, in its words, “actively exploring every legal option” to recoup $2.5 billion that was previously granted to the project for allegedly violating terms of funding.

The California High Speed Rail Authority filed a federal lawsuit challenging the DOT decision on May 21, 2019.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms United States Department of Transportation. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

U.S. Department of Transportation - Google News

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ U.S. Department of Transportation, "About DOT," accessed February 26, 2024
  2. ↑ Department of Transportation, "Budget Highlights: Fiscal Year 2016," accessed October 12, 2015
  3. ↑ Washington Post, "Transportation Department," accessed January 2, 2014
  4. ↑ U.S Department of Transportation, "Office of the Historian," accessed January 2, 2014
  5. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  6. ↑ U.S. Department of Transportation, "Safety First," accessed June 23, 2025
  7. ↑ U.S. Department of Transportation, "Office of the Secretary," accessed December 31, 2013
  8. ↑ ABC30, "Trump administration promises to not give away money revoked from California's high-speed rail project as lawsuit proceeds," May 22, 2019
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