Department of Transportation

Department of Transportation - one of the Cabinet departments, created in 1966. This department establishes the overall transportation policy of the nation. The Secretary of Transportation, who heads the department, the staff of the department and state and local officials work together to determine policies for highways, railroads, aviation, urban mass transit, oil and gas pipelines, ports, waterways and other transportation-related issues. These policies affect other programs, such as energy conservation, land planning and technological change. Among the agencies and offices of the Department of Transportation are: the United States Coast Guard; the Federal Aviation Administration; the Federal Railroad Administration; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; the Federal Transit Administration; the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation; the Maritime Administration; the Research and Special Programs Administration; and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.