Department of Transportation (DOT)
By: Nate N. and Joanna P.
Main Purposes
The DOT is a department in the US government that is responsible for creating railways for trains, better transit systems, and better roads. They also repair the roads, highways, bridges, etc. to make travel safer for drivers.
Mission
The mission statement is “Serve the US by ensuring 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,today and into the future .”
The symbol of The Department of Transportation
History
The DOT was established on April 1, 1967. It was established to ensure safer transportation and roads among drivers. The idea for the DOT was suggested in 1965 by the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Najeeb Halaby. Lyndon B. Johnson was responsible for having the DOT established.
Head of the Department
Anthony Foxx is the head of the DOT. He was appointed head of the DOT in 2013. He was appointed because he went to law school and was mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina from 2009 to 2013. His job in the department is to make decisions on when, and where the DOT works on roads, railways, or transit systems.
Headquarters
The DOT headquarters is located on New Jersey Avenue SE in Washington DC. It has 58,622 employees and it opened in Spring 2007.
Structure of the DOT
$ Budget $
About $79 billion is annually budgeted to the DOT. The money that is budgeted goes towards highway repairs and upkeep. The money is also used to create and extend railways to make transit systems more efficient.
Current Issues
1) Currently, the DOT is struggling with finding a solution to a law that allows truckers to drive extremely oversized rigs across roads and highways. They believe that the law is dangerous and are working to find a way to solve the problem.
2) The DOT could also be struggling with finding enough space to build new railways and roads in certain parts of the country.