The+Department+of+Transportation

Mission Statement: Serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future.

Current Leaders of the Department: 1. Secretary of Transportation: Ray LaHood 2. Deputy Secretary of Transportation: Vice Admiral Thomas J. Barrett 3. Chief of Staff: Joan DeBoer

Current Issues facing the Department: A. Economic Recovery Act: 1. "U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Announces $229 Million in Economic Recovery Funds for Aviation" (Bill Adams, Office of Public Affairs, March 27, 2009)- This article discusses how The U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced the investment of more than $229 million for aviation infrastructure under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This action was intended to boost the economy by providing jobs in the surrounding areas of the airport.

2. "Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Brings $36 Million in Federal Recovery Act Funds to Pay for Central Phoenix/East Valley LIght Rail" (Bill Adams, Office of Public Affairs, March 27, 2009)- This article discusses how Arizona's economy is to be stimulated by $36 Million in Federal Recovery Act funds with a current light rail project.

3. "President Obama, Vice President Biden, Transportation Secretary LaHood Announce 2,000th Transportation Project Under Economic Recovery Act" (The White House, Office of the Press Secretarty, April 13, 2009)- The 2,000th project involves investing $68 million into widening I-94 in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, in an effort is to improve safety and ease congestion.

B. Airline Travel: 1. "U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Announces $10.5 Million in Economic Recovery Funds for Pennsylvania Airports, Including $5 Million for Philadelphia International Airport" (Jill Zuckman, Office of Public Affairs, April 15. 2009)- The U.S. Department of Transportation is issuing more funds for airports and airline travel. Out of the $10.5 Million, $5 Million will be going to the Philadelphia International Airport in order to create jobs and build onto the airport.

2. "January 2009 Passenger Airline Employment Down 6.9 Percent from January 2008" (Dave Smallen, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, March 17, 2009)- Due to the poor economic conditions, airline employment is down almost 7 percent from last year. Only 390,000 people are working on scheduled passenger carriers which is the lowest amount since 1993.

3. "FAA Bird Strike Database Will Be Available to Public On Friday" (Laura Brown, Federal Aviation Administration, April 22, 2009)- The FAA will make its Bird Strike database available to the public on April 24, 2009.)- The Federal Aviation Administration is making the Bird Strike Database public on Friday, April 24, 2009. Parts of the database have been open to the public since 1993 but this is the first time all of it can be viewed.

Recommendation 1: In the area of transportation, President Barack Obama should spent as much time and money as possible on combining resources with the energy department to make hybrid or solar vehicles more easily available to the public, and at an affordable rate.

Recommendation 2: Concerning airline travel, the president should spend more of the goverments money towards airports on employing more workers, and less money on arcitecural expansion, unless it's reasonably necessary.