Budget in Brief Table of Contents | DOT.gov
U.S. Department of Transportation
Fiscal Year 2009 Budget In Brief
Overview
Global Connectivity
The U.S. and global transportation systems are inextricably linked to the Nation’s economic growth. Transportation is a key economic and productivity enabler, connecting people with work, school, and community services, and connecting American enterprise with domestic and global markets. The U.S. transportation system handles about 5 trillion passenger-miles of travel and 4.4 trillion ton-miles of freight every year — generated by more than 293 million people and 7.2 million businesses.
An intermodal domestic and international approach is central to DOT’s role in promoting global connectivity. For the freight industry, efficient connections between transportation modes, and efficient transport within each mode, are essential to the competitive position of U.S. products in global markets. Increasing foreign trade requires transportation system capacity around our ports and borders. The U.S. freight system currently carries about 19 billion tons of cargo each year that has a value of $13 trillion, and forecasts suggest a 70 percent increase in tonnage of general cargo and international trade movements, and a tripling of freight by value by 2020.
Our strategies to address transportation in the global economy have two synergistic thrusts: (1) opening international transportation markets; and (2) the improvement of essential, intermodal transportation linkages. Both are needed to achieve the outcomes that will yield better global connectivity and a more competitive, cost-effective transportation marketplace. The FY 2009 budget request includes $1.4 billion to meet this challenge.
Reduced barriers to trade in transportation goods and services, and enhanced international competitiveness of U.S. transport providers and manufacturers
- Increase International Aviation Service. The 2009 budget requests $3.5 million for the Office of the Secretary to increase opportunities for air transportation consumers in international markets by continuing to pursue open skies aviation agreements with our international partners. While our domestic airline industry continues to undergo major changes, our efforts to further liberalize internationally poses even more complex and controversial issues. Common to all of the aviation issues currently facing DOT is the need for in-depth and intensive analysis of airline practices, mergers, and international alliances. As the United States seeks greater international liberalization, the Department of Transportation is seeking an understanding of the long-term trends in the airline industry’s operating and competitive structures in order to formulate and execute effective negotiating strategies that will ensure pro-competitive liberalization. In addition to pursuing aviation goals, OST provides direction and coordination to the modal international activities and Secretarial international outreach.
- Preserve and Enhance U.S. Maritime Connections with the International Community. The budget request includes $13 million for maritime programs that preserve and enhance our maritime connections with the global marketplace. MARAD continues its efforts to reduce and eliminate international trade barriers that impede the competitiveness of U.S. shipping companies in the international market, and to license additional offshore deepwater entry points for liquid natural gas and petroleum imports. The budget request will also allow MARAD to ensure that Federal agencies and other shippers of government-funded cargos comply with cargo preference laws designed to assure appropriate use of U.S.-flag ships to transport abroad certain government-funded cargos.
- Increase Access of the U.S. Mass Transportation Industry to International Markets. The budget includes $1 million for FTA to promote human capacity building in developing countries, which not only benefits those countries, but also helps develop future markets for U.S. transit goods and services. In FY 2009, FTA will continue to carry out activities to inform and educate the American public transportation industry about international best practices and technologies. Also, FTA will provide participating companies access to senior decision-makers in foreign markets through trade missions and other trade-related events.
Efficient movement of passengers and cargo throughout the domestic and international supply chain
- Increase Freight Travel Efficiency. Consistent with the Department’s Freight Action Plan, the budget request includes funding in FY 2009 for FHWA, RITA, FMCSA and the Office of the Secretary to improve global connectivity in freight, reduce travel time in major freight corridors, and reduce border-crossing delays. The goal in FY 2009 is to reduce the average annual buffer index rating1 to below the national average in at least 50 percent of the freight corridors now being monitored. FHWA programs include the border and corridor programs, which work together to reduce bottlenecks in and around seaports and land borders with Canada and Mexico, and parts of the Intelligent Transportation Systems program for improved freight technology, efficiency, and security. This request also includes funds for FHWA and RITA to improve the quality and availability of freight data, freight professional capacity-building efforts, and freight technology development and evaluation.
- Maintain a High Level of Seaway System Availability. The FY 2009 budget request includes a request of $31.8 million for the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) to maintain 99 percent system and lock availability in the U.S. portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway during the navigation season and to begin a multi-year Capital Investment Plan-Seaway Asset Renewal Program (ARP) to rehabilitate the 50-year-old Seaway lock infrastructure. The SLSDC achieved its goal in FY 2007 at 99.4 percent system availability. In FY 2009, the agency will continue to perform operations and maintenance activities, as well as start long-term asset renewal improvements on the U.S. portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway between Montreal and Lake Erie, to ensure the reliability and availability of the commercial waterborne route.
1 The buffer index (BI) rating is a measure of travel time reliability and variability. The BI represents the extra time (or time cushion) that would have to be added to the average travel time between points to ensure an on-time arrival 95% of the time.
Harmonized and standardized regulatory and facilitation requirements
- Increase the Standardization and Harmonization of Standards and Practices. The Department of Transportation is requesting funding in FY 2009 for FAA to increase the number of bilateral and multilateral agreements that promote aviation safety by enhancing international cooperation and efficiency in civil aviation. FAA will continue to promote increased external funding for training and technical assistance programs that help civil aviation authorities around the world meet international safety standards. The agency will also expand training and technical assistance programs that help civil aviation authorities meet international safety standards, and will continue its work with global partners to promote wider adoption of NextGen safety technologies. In addition, for greater connectivity, FAA will target efforts to promote seamless global operations in cooperation with international partners and the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Expanded opportunities for all businesses, especially women-owned, veteran-owned, and disadvantaged businesses
- Increase Opportunities for Small Businesses including Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB), Veteran-Owned Businesses (VOB), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVOB), 8a, Hub Zone, and Women-Owned Businesses (WOB). The budget request includes $5.3 million for outreach and technical assistance to small businesses in general, including disadvantaged, veteran-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, 8a, Hub Zone and women-owned businesses. These resources will promote the awarding of DOT direct contracts to SDBs, VOBs, SDVOBs, 8as, Hub Zones, and WOBs in FY 2009. To assist WOBs and VOBs to successfully compete, DOT and the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) conduct outreach, training, and offer financial assistance.
DOT’s Global Connectivity Performance Budget is distributed as follows:
