DOT 49-16
U.S. Department of Transportation Receives A+ Rating on Small Business Scorecard DOT earns “A” or higher for 7th consecutive year
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) earned an “A+” rating on the federal government’s annual Small Business Procurement Scorecard released yesterday by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The Department is one of three agencies to receive the highest grade for meeting its small business federal contracting goals in FY2015. For the past seven years, DOT has received an “A” or higher rating for continued commitment to America’s small businesses.
“This scorecard makes it clear, in category after category: when the USDOT is asked to meet a goal for working with small businesses, we not only reach it, we exceed it,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “These seven years of ‘A’ ratings reflect how seriously we take our commitment to small businesses, to promoting jobs, and to increasing access to opportunity for millions of Americans. The message to local businesses across the country is to join us, because we want to work with you.”
The SBA’s annual Small Business Procurement Scorecard measures how well federal agencies reach their small business and socio-economic prime contracting and subcontracting goals. The goals measured include targets for small businesses, women-owned small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and small businesses located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZones).
As part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to strengthen the economy and promote job creation, DOT has awarded more than $14.1 billion in contracts to small businesses since FY2009.
In FY2015, DOT exceeded an overall goal of 44 percent small business contracting participation by awarding 50.94 percent − or $793.3 million − to small businesses. DOT awarded 22.76 percent of contracts to small disadvantaged businesses, more than quadrupling the 5 percent goal; and awarded 9.11 percent of contracts to women-owned small business, nearly doubling the 5 percent goal. In addition, DOT reached the 3 percent goal for contract contracting with service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses at 3.6 percent; and exceeded the contracting goal for HUBZone small businesses at 10.73 percent, more than triple the 3 percent goal. DOT’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) and Office of Procurement work to expand opportunities for small businesses to compete for and win federal contracts. “We pride ourselves in helping a diverse base of small businesses grow and develop, including supporting women, disabled veterans, and disadvantaged owners,” said OSDBU Director Brandon Neal. Under the leadership of Secretary Foxx, DOT has made small and disadvantaged businesses a priority. The Department’s Bonding Education Program has helped 1,153 businesses achieve bonding capacity - 426 of which since July 2013. DOT’s Small Business Transportation Research Centers have helped over 4,200 companies with procurement, technical, and financial assistance. In addition, DOT has strengthened the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program and increased enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. For more information about DOT’s OSBDU, please visit www.transportation.gov/osdbu.
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U.S. Department of Transportation Receives A+ Rating on Small Business Scorecard
USDOT Picks Three New WMATA Board Members to Tackle Safety Culture
FTA 15-16 Thursday, April 28, 2016 Contact: Angela Gates Tel: 202-366-3669
USDOT Picks Three New WMATA Board Members to Tackle Safety Culture
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx announced the appointment of three new Federal representatives, each with considerable expertise in safety, to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) board of directors.
The incoming appointees will bring to the board extensive backgrounds in transportation safety. They include two new Principal Directors with voting authority: Carol Carmody, former Vice Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and David Strickland, former Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The incoming Alternate Director will be Robert Lauby, Chief Safety Officer of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Anthony E. Costa, a Senior Advisor to the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA), will remain an Alternate Director. The appointments will be effective June 1, 2016. More information on these new board members is below.
“Building a safety culture is not easy and requires relentless focus at every level. These three new Federal members will build on our promise to bring a laser-like focus on making the transit system of our nation’s capital as safe as possible.” said Secretary Foxx. “All three of the outgoing board members Mort Downey, Harriet Tregoning, and Anthony Giancola have provided excellent service on the WMATA board, and we thank them for bringing such great commitment to guiding WMATA through serious and complicated issues over the last few years.”
Leaving the WMATA board in May, 2016 after distinguished service as Federal representatives are Mortimer L. Downey, a former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation, who has served for six years, becoming the Chairman in January 2015, Harriet Tregoning, an expert in urban planning and smart growth, who has served since 2014, and Anthony R. Giancola, who served in the Civil Engineer Corps of the U.S. Navy for 20 years.
The Metro Board of Directors is composed of eight voting and eight alternate directors. Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, and the federal government appoint two voting and two alternate directors each.
“The WMATA board plays a crucial role in setting the direction for the agency as it strives to address infrastructure challenges and establish a robust safety culture,” said FTA Acting Administrator Carolyn Flowers. “The temporary FTA WMATA Safety Oversight Office is on the job, but we are eager to see the local jurisdictions take responsibility and set up a permanent safety oversight agency.”
Secretary Foxx continues to call on the Governors, Mayor and legislative leaders to establish the new State Safety Oversight Agency to assume its responsibility for Metrorail.
“I met with each of the jurisdictions a year ago and urged them to stand up a new safety oversight office. They have not done so. Given the continued urgency, we will be forced to use every available lever at our discretion to force action as soon as possible to improve safety for the traveling public,” Foxx said. “No more excuses.”
Incoming Board Members
Carol J. Carmody served for five years as a member of the NTSB and was appointed Vice Chairman by President Clinton. She served twice as acting chairman of the NTSB, her role leading the initial investigation into the September 11, 2001 attacks; she oversaw NTSB efforts to assist the FBI and other agencies with recovery and identification of aircraft parts and victims. Following her government service, Ms. Carmody joined the National Academy of Public Administration as Director of Transportation Initiatives before retiring.
David Strickland served as the fourteenth NHTSA Administrator. At NHTSA he oversaw a broad range of vehicle safety and policymaking programs, including setting vehicle safety standards, investigating possible safety defects, and tracking safety-related recalls. In addition, Mr. Strickland brought national attention to child passenger safety issues and was a leader in the campaigns to fight impaired and distracted driving.
Robert Lauby is currently FRA Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety and Chief Safety Officer. He has 35 years of railroad and rail transit experience involving safety, security, and accident investigation.. In this role, he provides regulatory oversight for freight, intercity and commuter railroad safety in the United States and oversees the development and enforcement of safety regulations and programs related to the railroad industry.
The FAST Act, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama in December 2015, transferred the authority to appoint Federal representatives to the WMATA board from the head of the GSA to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
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BTS Statistics Release: February 2016 North American Freight Numbers
BTS 25-16 Advisory Thursday, April 28, 2016 Contact: Dave Smallen Tel: 202-366-5568
BTS Statistics Release: February 2016 North American Freight Numbers
Two transportation modes – rail and truck – carried more U.S. freight by value with North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico in February 2016 than in February 2015. However, the total value of cross-border freight carried on all modes fell 2.0 percent from February 2015 to $84.0 billion in February 2016 in current dollars, according to the TransBorder Freight Data released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).
Freight by Mode The value of commodities moving by rail increased 6.0 percent, the largest increase from 2015 to 2016 of any mode. The 6.0 percent year-over-year growth in the value of rail freight is largely due to an increase in imports of vehicles and parts, the largest commodity carried by rail. The value of commodities moved on trucks increased by 4.7 percent from 2015 to 2016. The value of freight on other modes declined: air 1.7 percent; pipeline 35.6 percent; and vessel 41.0 percent. A drop in the price of crude oil in 2015-2016 played a key role in the large declines in the dollar value of goods shipped by vessel and pipeline. Crude oil (a component of mineral fuels) comprises a large share of the commodities carried by these modes. Average monthly prices for crude petroleum and refined fuel are available from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Trucks carried 67.4 percent of U.S.-NAFTA freight and continued to be the most heavily utilized mode for moving goods to and from both U.S.-NAFTA partners. Trucks accounted for $29.3 billion of the $45.0 billion of imports (65.1 percent) and $27.3 billion of the $39.0 billion of exports (70.0 percent).
Rail remained the second largest mode by value, moving 15.6 percent of all U.S.-NAFTA freight, followed by vessel, 4.3 percent; pipeline, 4.0 percent; and air, 3.8 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 87.0 percent of the total value of U.S.-NAFTA freight flows.
U.S.-Canada Freight From February 2015 to February 2016, the value of U.S.-Canada freight flows fell 5.5 percent to $42.6 billion even as two modes of transportation – rail and truck – carried a higher value of U.S.-Canada freight than a year earlier.
Lower crude oil prices contributed to a year-over-year decrease in the value of freight moved between the U.S. and Canada. Crude oil is a large share of freight carried by pipeline and vessel, which were down 36.9 percent and 47.2 percent respectively year-over-year. U.S-Canada air freight value declined 3.2 percent because of a 31.3 percent decline in the value of shipments of aircraft and aircraft parts.
Trucks carried 61.5 percent of the value of the freight to and from Canada. Rail carried 16.6 percent followed by pipeline, 7.4 percent; air, 4.8 percent; and vessel, 2.7 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 85.4 percent of the value of total U.S.-Canada freight flows.
U.S.-Mexico Freight From February 2015 to February 2016, the value of U.S.-Mexico freight grew 2.0 percent to $41.4 billion as three out of the five transportation modes – truck, rail, and air – carried more U.S.-Mexico freight value than in February 2015. Freight carried by truck increased 7.7 percent. Rail freight value rose 4.7 percent while air freight value increased 1.2 percent. Vessel freight value decreased by 37.4 percent, while pipeline freight value dropped by 11.9 percent, both due mainly to lower crude oil prices.
Trucks carried 73.5 percent of the value of freight to and from Mexico. Rail, carried 14.6 percent followed by vessel, 5.8 percent; air, 2.8 percent; and pipeline, 0.6 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 88.7 percent of the value of total U.S.-Mexico freight flows.
See BTS Transborder Statistics Release for summary tables and additional data. See North American Transborder Freight Data on the BTS website for additional data for surface modes since 1995 and all modes since 2004.
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U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx and Baltimore Mayor Rawlings-Blake Break Ground on Transformative Re-Connect West Baltimore Project
DOT 47-16 Thursday, April 28, 2016 Contact: OST Press Office Tel.: (202) 366-4570
U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx and Baltimore Mayor Rawlings-Blake Break Ground on Transformative Re-Connect West Baltimore Project
BALTIMORE - U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake today participated in the groundbreaking of the Re-Connect West Baltimore project, a reconfiguration of the Fulton Avenue Bridge and other infrastructure improvements that will help improve connections to neighborhoods that have been cut off from downtown Baltimore since the construction of the U.S. Route 40 extension in the 1970s. This bridge project will provide thousands of area residents increased bicycle and pedestrian accessibility and improved connections to employment centers, commercial districts, and the West Baltimore Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) station.
“This project exemplifies how transportation not only has the ability to take people to opportunity, but also bring opportunity to them,” said Secretary Foxx. “By working together with the community and local leadership, we are making major strides toward the city’s long-term vision of a sustainable transportation network in West Baltimore that will provide affordable commuting options for low-income populations.”
The event also marked the one year anniversary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT)’s Ladders of Opportunity Transportation Empowerment Pilot (LadderSTEP). Last spring, the City of Baltimore was selected to participate in the pilot, which provides technical assistance to certain cities by convening public and nonprofit entities to advance game-changing community revitalization projects. In Baltimore, LadderSTEP has focused on the area near the West Baltimore MARC Station to support neighborhood revitalization and strategic site development. The city’s participation in LadderSTEP helped facilitate the use of Federal funds and permits the city to use their existing local hire law for a federally funded project for the first time on the Fulton Ave Bridge under the Department’s Local Labor Hiring Pilot Program. The pilot program is designed to encourage local hiring on the Re-Connect West Baltimore Project through incentives of up to $100,000 for contractors to employ Baltimore City residents.
“The City of Baltimore is proud to have been chosen as one of only seven cities in the nation to participate in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s LadderSTEP Transportation Empowerment pilot program,” said Mayor Rawlings-Blake. “We are excited to leverage the LadderSTEP program to improve areas near the West Baltimore MARC Station, where existing transportation access provides a good starting point for neighborhood revitalization, and to provide more job opportunities to local workers.”
Last month, Secretary Foxx launched a national dialogue on the history and legacy of transportation infrastructure projects that divided neighborhoods, cut off residents from economic centers, and left communities with limited transportation and mobility options. As the nation begins to rebuild and repair infrastructure to accommodate future challenges outlined in the Department’s Beyond Traffic framework, Secretary Foxx proposed three principles for connecting people to opportunity: recognize that transportation connects people to opportunity and can invigorate communities; establish that while we cannot change the past, future transportation projects must connect and strengthen communities; and build transportation facilities that best serve the communities impacted by them.
Transportation infrastructure plays a critical role in connecting Americans to economic opportunity and choices made at the federal, state and local level can strengthen communities, create pathways to jobs and improve the quality of life for all. In supporting President Obama’s Ladders of Opportunity initiative, the Department’s DOT Connects agenda works to empower transportation leaders, grantees and communities to revitalize, connect, and create workforce opportunities that lift more Americans into the middle class through initiatives, program guidance, tools and standards.
To learn more about U.S. DOT’s opportunity initiatives, please visit https://www.transportation.gov/opportunity.
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Monitoring Your Collectors and Collection Site(s) – an Employer Brochure
April is Safety Month at the U.S. Department of Transportation. In furtherance of our safety goal, the Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance is announcing its most recent publication – What Employers Need to Know about Monitoring Collection Sites. This easy to ready brochure will provide employers with the basics to maintaining oversite of collectors and collection sites, each who play a key role in the safety mission. You can view the brochure from the 'Employer Brochure' page https://www.transportation.gov/odapc/employer_brochure.
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