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Transportation in the United States is governed by laws and regulations of the federal government. The Department of Transportation is responsible for carrying out federal transportation policy, and the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for security in transportation.
The Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution grants Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce, and this power was upheld by the Supreme Court in Gibbons v. Ogden . [1] Transportation regulations are created by agencies within the Department of Transportation, and the department is responsible for carrying out federal transportation policy. The mission statement of the Department of Transportation is "to deliver the world’s leading transportation system, serving the American people and economy through the safe, efficient, sustainable, and equitable movement of people and goods." [2] Congress is also authorized to establish post roads as part of the Postal Clause. Federal transportation policy is codified under Title 49 of the United States Code and Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
The need for federal transportation policy arose as the United States spread westward in the 19th century. The National Road was funded by the federal government in 1806 to connect the East Coast and the Midwest. The General Survey Act of 1824 authorized surveys to plan transportation routes that were considered to be of national importance. The Department of Transportation was established in 1967. The Hazardous Materials Transportation Act of 1975 tasked the Department of Transportation with regulating the transport of hazardous materials. Transportation policy was heavily deregulated in the 1970s and 1980s. Transportation planning was reformed by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991.
The September 11 attacks and the 2001 anthrax attacks prompted significant changes to transportation security policy in the 2000s. The Aviation and Transportation Security Act created the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which took over responsibilities for airport security from private companies. The Department of Homeland Security was created by the Homeland Security Act of 2002, and this department took control of the TSA, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the United States Coast Guard, among other agencies. [3]
Air transportation in the United States is overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration, which is responsible for airports, air traffic control, and aviation safety regulations. Regulations vary depending on the type of aircraft, with aircraft of different sizes and purposes subject to different regulations. [4] Other relevant organizations to aviation policy include the Transportation Security Administration, which is responsible for security in airports, and NASA, which is responsible for aviation research. Airports in the United States are typically publicly owned with operations contracted to private companies, though airports may be privatized under the Airport Investment Partnership Program of 1997. Foreign air carriers are required to comply with the International Civil Aviation Organization and to establish an aviation security agreement with the United States before operating in American airspace. [4]
The first federal aviation agency was created in 1915, when the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was established to conduct aeronautical research. [5] The Air Commerce Act of 1926 established the Aeronautic Branch within the Department of Commerce to regulate aviation, and the branch was reformed into the Bureau of Air Commerce in 1934. In 1938, the Civil Aeronautics Act replaced the Bureau of Air Commerce with the Civil Aeronautics Authority, granting the new agency regulatory powers over airline fares and routes. Two years later, the Civil Aeronautics Authority was split into the Civil Aeronautics Administration, which regulated air traffic control, and the Civil Aeronautics Board, which regulated aviation safety. The Federal Aviation Act of 1958 replaced the Civil Aeronautics Authority with the Federal Aviation Agency, which would later be named the Federal Aviation Administration. NACA was also replaced at this time, with NASA being established to expand aeronautic research to cover space travel research. [5] The National Transportation Safety Board was established in 1967 to take over the accident investigation powers of the Civil Aeronautics Board. The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 relinquished federal control over airline fares and routes and abolished the Civil Aeronautics Board.
Water transport in the United States is overseen by the Maritime Administration, the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, and the Federal Maritime Commission. The United States Merchant Marine is a fleet of civilian and federal owned ships that transports goods in American waters and serves as an auxiliary to the Navy. Federal courts have jurisdiction over maritime law.
The United States Shipping Board was created in 1916. The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 regulates maritime commerce and restricts cabotage. The Shipping Board was abolished in 1934 and replaced by the United States Maritime Commission in 1936. The Maritime Commission was replaced by the Maritime Administration in 1950.
Rail transportation in the United States is overseen by the Federal Railroad Administration. Amtrak is a government-owned corporation responsible for intercity rail.
Several Pacific Railroad Acts were passed in the 1860s to encourage the development of a transcontinental railroad, and the first transcontinental railroad was constructed to connect the eastern railroad networks to the West Coast in 1869. [6] Throughout the 19th century, railroads were privately owned, resulting in natural monopolies and price fixing, particularly among shorter routes. Congress responded by passing the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, the first law to create a federal regulatory body for a specific industry. The Interstate Commerce Act applied several regulations to railroad prices and established the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). [7] The powers of the ICC were expanded by laws such as the Elkins Act of 1903, the Hepburn Act of 1906, the Mann–Elkins Act of 1910, and the Valuation Act of 1913. The Railroad Safety Appliance Act of 1893 was passed as an early regulation of rail safety.
Congress funded high-speed rail with the High-Speed Ground Transportation Act of 1965. The 4R Act of 1976 and the Staggers Rail Act of 1980 deregulated railroads as part of an overhaul of American transportation policy. The ICC was replaced with the Surface Transportation Board in 1995.
Driving in the United States is overseen by the Federal Highway Administration. The federal government is responsible for the interstate highways, while most other roads are maintained by local and state governments. Road safety is a major concern in American transportation policy. About 95% of transportation-related deaths occur on streets, roads, and highways. [8] Road safety policy is overseen by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The United States is also a party to the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic.
In 1905, the Office of Public Roads was established by merging the Division of Tests and the Office of Public Road Inquiries. 10% of the excess funds produced by the Forest Service were appropriated for the production of federal roads serving national forests. Its name was changed to the Bureau of Public Roads in 1919. [9] The Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 was the first law to fund federal highways, and several Federal-Aid Highway Acts were passed through the 20th century to build on this law. [10] [11] The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1944 authorized the construction of interstate highways, and the federal government set standards with input from state administrations. Upon entering the Korean War military readiness became a concern and the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1952 increased funding for the highways to this end. President Eisenhower was a strong advocate for a national highway system, and his administration successfully pushed for further expansion in the Federal-Aid Highway Acts of 1954 and 1956. [11] The National Maximum Speed Law was enacted in 1974 and would not be repealed until 1995. The Motor Carrier Act of 1980 deregulated trucking.
The Highway Beautification Act establishes regulations for the environments surrounding federal highways. [12] Interstate Highway standards are regulated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Road signs are standardized by the Federal Highway Administration in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices . The Highway Trust Fund is used to finance federal road maintenance. Odometer fraud is a federal crime under the Federal Odometer Act. [13]
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic control, certification of personnel and aircraft, setting standards for airports, and protection of U.S. assets during the launch or re-entry of commercial space vehicles. Powers over neighboring international waters were delegated to the FAA by authority of the International Civil Aviation Organization.
The vast majority of passenger travel in the United States occurs by automobile for shorter distances and airplane or railroad for longer distances. Most cargo in the U.S. is transported by, in descending order, railroad, truck, pipeline, or boat; air shipping is typically used only for perishables and premium express shipments. Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.
The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was a regulatory agency in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including interstate bus lines and telephone companies. Congress expanded ICC authority to regulate other modes of commerce beginning in 1906. Throughout the 20th century, several of ICC's authorities were transferred to other federal agencies. The ICC was abolished in 1995, and its remaining functions were transferred to the Surface Transportation Board.
The United States Department of Transportation is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the president of the United States and is a member of the president's Cabinet.
The Airline Deregulation Act is a 1978 United States federal law that deregulated the airline industry in the United States, removing federal control over such areas as fares, routes, and market entry of new airlines. The act gradually phased out and disbanded the Civil Aeronautics Board, but the regulatory powers of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were not diminished over all aspects of aviation safety.
In the United States government, independent agencies are agencies that exist outside the federal executive departments and the Executive Office of the President. In a narrower sense, the term refers only to those independent agencies that, while considered part of the executive branch, have regulatory or rulemaking authority and are insulated from presidential control, usually because the president's power to dismiss the agency head or a member is limited.
The United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is a standing committee of the United States Senate. Besides having broad jurisdiction over all matters concerning interstate commerce, science and technology policy, and transportation, the Senate Commerce Committee is one of the largest of the Senate's standing committees, with 28 members in the 117th Congress. The Commerce Committee has six subcommittees. It is chaired by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) as Ranking Member. The majority office is housed in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, and the minority office is located in the Hart Senate Office Building.
The Air Commerce Act of 1926 created an Aeronautic Branch of the United States Department of Commerce. Its functions included testing and licensing of pilots, certification of aircraft and investigation of accidents.
The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) was an agency of the federal government of the United States, formed in 1938 and abolished in 1985, that regulated aviation services and conducted air accident investigations. The agency was headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Transport Canada is the department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of road, rail, marine and air transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities (TIC) portfolio. The current Minister of Transport is Pablo Rodriguez. Transport Canada is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transportation policy, and assisting with rail, freight, and intermodal transportation issues. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation. The present Commissioner is Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti.
Alan Stephenson Boyd was an American attorney and transportation executive who led several large corporations and also served the U.S. Government in various transportation-related positions. He was the first United States Secretary of Transportation, appointed by Lyndon Johnson. Additionally, he served in executive positions with the Civil Aeronautics Board, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and was a president of Amtrak.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is the department of transportation for the State of Tennessee, with multimodal responsibilities in roadways, aviation, public transit, waterways, and railroads. It was established in 1915 as the Tennessee Department of Highways and Public Works, and renamed the Tennessee Department of Transportation in 1972. The core agency mission of TDOT is to provide a safe and reliable transportation system for people, goods, and services that supports economic prosperity in Tennessee. Since 1998, TDOT has been ranked amongst the top five in the nation for quality highway infrastructure. It is primarily headquartered in downtown Nashville and operates four regional offices in Chattanooga, Jackson, Knoxville, and Nashville.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines is the civil aviation authority of the Philippines and is responsible for implementing policies on civil aviation to assure safe, economic and efficient air travel. The agency also investigates aviation accidents via its Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board. Formerly the Air Transportation Office, it is an independent regulatory body attached to the Department of Transportation for the purpose of policy coordination.
Executive Schedule is the system of salaries given to the highest-ranked appointed officials in the executive branch of the U.S. government. The president of the United States appoints individuals to these positions, most with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. They include members of the president's Cabinet, several top-ranking officials of each executive department, the directors of some of the more prominent departmental and independent agencies, and several members of the Executive Office of the President.
The Colorado Department of Transportation is the principal department of the Colorado state government that administers state government transportation responsibilities in the state of Colorado. CDOT is responsible for maintaining 9,144 mile highway system, including 3,429 bridges with over 28 billion vehicle miles of travel per year. CDOT's Mission is "To provide the best multi-modal transportation system for Colorado that most effectively moves people, goods, and information." It is governed by the Transportation Commission of Colorado.
The policies of the United States of America comprise all actions taken by its federal government. The executive branch is the primary entity through which policies are enacted, however the policies are derived from a collection of laws, executive decisions, and legal precedents.
The Federal Aviation Act of 1958 was an act of the United States Congress, signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, that created the Federal Aviation Agency and abolished its predecessor, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA). The act empowered the FAA to oversee and regulate safety in the airline industry and the use of American airspace by both military aircraft and civilian aircraft.
The Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (HMTA), enacted in 1975, is the principal federal law in the United States regulating the transportation of hazardous materials. Its purpose is to "protect against the risks to life, property, and the environment that are inherent in the transportation of hazardous material in intrastate, interstate, and foreign commerce" under the authority of the United States Secretary of Transportation.
The infrastructure policy of the United States is the set of objectives and programs of the federal government to build, maintain, and regulate hard infrastructure in the United States. Infrastructure policy is overseen and carried out by several departments and agencies.
