| MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY |
U.S. Department of Transportation
2007 Budget in Brief
I
am pleased to present the President's fiscal year 2007 budget request for the
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). President Bush is requesting $65.6
billion in budgetary resources to support major investments in transportation
nationwide that are vital to the health of our economy and the American way of
life.
President Bush has proposed a plan that will address the needs of our current system in a responsible way, while at the same time laying the groundwork for America's transportation system for the future. As our transportation needs continue to grow and change, we must explore new and innovative ways to provide reliable transportation services that work better and cost less. Consequently, the 2007 budget introduces alternative financing ideas that may provide answers for our resource needs in the future.
Last summer, the "Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users" (SAFETEA-LU) reauthorized our surface transportation programs for the next four years, providing a record $286 billion investment and a continued focus on improvements in highway safety. Statistics show our past efforts are paying off. Our early estimates show in 2005, the highway fatality rate reached an historic low of 1.43 fatalities per 100 million vehicle-miles traveled. Still, annual highway deaths continue to hover around 43,000 - a number that is still too high. The President's 2007 budget provides nearly $140 million to help focus on the highest priority impaired driving needs.
The President's 2007 budget plan for the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration continues the funding envisioned in SAFETEA-LU. Even though SAFETEA-LU has just recently passed, we are already thinking about new ways to fund these programs in the future. That is why the 2007 budget plan proposes a $100 million pilot program to demonstrate the viability of alternatives to the gas tax for financing highway construction and managing congestion. The lessons learned from this pilot program will help inform future decisions on financing surface transportation needs.
The President's 2007 budget plan provides $13.7 billion to fund aviation. $8.4 billion of this request will address the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) operational needs and keep the current plan on track for hiring needed safety inspectors and air traffic controllers. The demand for air transportation continues to rise, placing more burdens on our current systems. To address future needs, the FAA is partnering with other Federal agencies in planning for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS). This multi-agency effort is exploring new ways to manage air transportation through the use of modern technology. As a first step, the 2007 budget provides funding for this effort, including $80 million to support FAA's deployment of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). ADS-B will replace current radar systems and provide more accurate surveillance coverage. The President's budget includes nearly $2.8 billion in grants for future airport construction. This funding level is sufficient to address construction needs for all current planned runways.
The President's 2007 budget requests $900 million for Amtrak. $500 million of this funding will provide for capital needs and maintenance of existing infrastructure, including the Northeast Corridor. The remaining $400 million will fund new "Efficiency Incentive Grants" tied directly to continued progress toward reform. In addition, our plan assumes continuation of an effort begun in 2006 that would assess fees for capital investment and maintenance costs by transit agencies for their use of the Northeast Corridor. We recognize that this budget will require Amtrak to accelerate its efforts to address its costs, but we believe the recommendations recently made by the independent Government Accountability Office and the Department of Transportation Inspector General, as well as the company's own strategic plan, provide a roadmap for success.
The President's plan includes full funding for the Maritime Administration's Maritime Security Program. This fleet of vessels manned by U.S. mariners, many who are trained at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, is critical to the support of our troops abroad. The President's budget includes $15 million for capital investment improvements to the Academy.
These are just a few of the highlights included in the President's 2007 budget plan. Further details on the President's 2007 request are included in this "Budget in Brief."
I look forward to working with the Congress on plans for 2007. Together we will put in place a plan for transportation that will keep our Nation moving in the right direction.
Norman Y. Mineta
Secretary
