Department of Transportation

What We Looked AtIn 2012, Congress directed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop a plan for the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)—also known as drones—into the National Airspace System. As part of its integration and oversight of UAS, FAA compiles data in its UAS...

What We Looked AtThe Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act (IPERA) requires Federal agencies to report improper payment estimates for all programs identified as susceptible to significant improper payments. It requires agencies to limit improper payments to less than 10 percent of their...

What We Looked AtEstablished in 1982 at 5 low-activity control towers, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Contract Tower (FCT) Program currently consists of 254 contract towers in 46 states operated by 3 contractors and the Air National Guard. Managing about 28 percent of the Nation’s air...

What We Looked AtThe Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is responsible for determining whether proposed and existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities meet Federal safety standards. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, LNG exports from the United...

What We Looked AtPreventing accidents in railroad operations that result from employees' illicit drug and/or alcohol impairment is critical to ensuring the safety of the traveling public. Illicit drug use discovered during investigation of fatal railroad accidents and a recent increase in the...

What We Looked AtIn support of its mission to operate the National Airspace System, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) relies on an expansive portfolio of capital assets—including infrastructure, technology, and systems. These capital investments contribute to the multibillion-dollar...

What We Looked AtWe performed a quality control review (QCR) on the single audit that BDO USA, LLP performed for the Interurban Transit Partnership’s (ITP) fiscal year that ended September 30, 2018. During this period, ITP expended approximately $8.1 million from the U.S. Department of...

What We Looked AtAccording to U.S. Bank, Department of Transportation (DOT) employees made more than 327,000 purchase card transactions—totaling $223.7 million—from October 2016 through March 2018. In 2013, we reported several internal control weaknesses in the Department’s purchase card program...

What We Looked AtWe performed a quality control review (QCR) on the single audit that RSM US LLP performed for the City of Corpus Christi's (City) fiscal year that ended September 30, 2018. During this period, the City expended approximately $9.2 million from U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)...

What We Looked AtOn March 9, 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) established requirements for air carriers to implement a formal, top down approach to identifying and managing safety risks, known as safety management systems (SMS). However, recent events have raised concerns about FAA's...