General Description of the Department of Transportation's Regulatory Responsibilities

The Department of Transportation (DOT) consists of nine operating administrations, the Office of the Secretary, and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, each of which has a statutory responsibility for a wide range of regulations. For example, DOT regulates safety in the aviation, motor carrier, railroad, mass transit, motor vehicle, maritime, commercial space, and pipeline transportation areas. DOT regulates aviation consumer and economic issues and provides financial assistance and issues the necessary implementing rules for programs involving highways, airports, mass transit, the maritime industry, railroads, and motor vehicle safety. It issues regulations carrying out such disparate statutes as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Uniform Time Act. It regulates the construction and operation of bridges over navigable waters, the prevention of oil pollution, and the security of commercial aviation and passenger vessels. Finally, DOT has responsibility for developing policies that implement a wide range of regulations that govern internal programs such as acquisitions and grants, access for the disabled, environmental protection, energy conservation, information technology, property asset management, seismic safety, security, and the use of aircraft and vehicles. A list of all the areas for which DOT has regulatory responsibility is provided under the Departmental element responsible for initiating action in the next section.