Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Encyclopedia
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), as part of the United States Department of Transportation
, compiles, analyzes, and makes accessible information on the nation's transport
ation systems; collects information on intermodal transportation and other areas as needed; and improves the quality and effectiveness of DOT's statistical programs through research, development of guidelines, and promotion of improvements in data acquisition and use. BTS is part of RITA
.
. Since 1998 when the Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21st Century was enacted in 1998, an external advisory council, the Advisory Council for Transportation Statistics (ACTS), has advised the BTS director on the quality and objectivity relating to BTS data and analysis. ACTS meetings are open to the public and held 2-3 times per year. The Deputy Secretary of Transportation established the Committee on Transportation Statistics (CTSTAT) in January 2000 to assist in bringing together data and statistical experitise. BTS chairs the committee, but all operating administrations take part, as well as the DOT Inspector General
, DOT Chief Information Officer, and the DOT Assistant Secretaries for Policy and Budget Programs. On February 20, 2005 BTS became part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration
.
One popular database included in the TranStats collection is the airline on-time performance database, which includes on-time performance of every flight, airline, and airport in the United States.
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
, compiles, analyzes, and makes accessible information on the nation's transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
ation systems; collects information on intermodal transportation and other areas as needed; and improves the quality and effectiveness of DOT's statistical programs through research, development of guidelines, and promotion of improvements in data acquisition and use. BTS is part of RITA
Research and Innovative Technology Administration
The Research and Innovative Technology Administration is a unit of the United States Department of Transportation . It was created in 2005 to advance transportation science, technology, and analysis, and to improve the coordination of transportation research within the Department and throughout...
.
History
BTS was created in 1992 under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency ActIntermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 is a United States federal law that posed a major change to transportation planning and policy, as the first U.S. federal legislation on the subject in the post-Interstate Highway System era...
. Since 1998 when the Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21st Century was enacted in 1998, an external advisory council, the Advisory Council for Transportation Statistics (ACTS), has advised the BTS director on the quality and objectivity relating to BTS data and analysis. ACTS meetings are open to the public and held 2-3 times per year. The Deputy Secretary of Transportation established the Committee on Transportation Statistics (CTSTAT) in January 2000 to assist in bringing together data and statistical experitise. BTS chairs the committee, but all operating administrations take part, as well as the DOT Inspector General
Office of Inspector General for the Department of Transportation
The Office of Inspector General for the Department of Transportation is one of the Inspector General offices created by the Inspector General Act of 1978...
, DOT Chief Information Officer, and the DOT Assistant Secretaries for Policy and Budget Programs. On February 20, 2005 BTS became part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration
Research and Innovative Technology Administration
The Research and Innovative Technology Administration is a unit of the United States Department of Transportation . It was created in 2005 to advance transportation science, technology, and analysis, and to improve the coordination of transportation research within the Department and throughout...
.
TranStats
TranStats is BTS's "Intermodal Transportation Database" that includes databases and statistics for aviation, highway, maritime, rail, pipeline, pedestrians, and more. Data include financial, safety, usage, and environmental information.One popular database included in the TranStats collection is the airline on-time performance database, which includes on-time performance of every flight, airline, and airport in the United States.