Government 101: Duties of the Secretary of Transportation

The secretary of transportation is the chief executive of the US Department of Transportation (USDOT), a federal agency that oversees the nation's public transportation programs and infrastructure. The office of the secretary is in Washington, DC.

The president nominates the secretary of transportation, who must be confirmed by a majority vote in the US Senate. In 2021, Pete Buttigieg (the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana) became secretary of transportation under President Joe Biden. He succeeded Elaine Chao, who served in President Donald Trump’s administration.

The secretary of transportation is assisted by a deputy secretary of transportation, an under secretary of transportation for policy, an assistant secretary for transportation policy, a general counsel, and an inspector general, among other roles.

The role of transportation secretary continues to evolve. Here are key touchpoints in the history of the department:

• Creation of the department: The US Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) and the role of its managing cabinet secretary were both established in 1966 during the Lyndon B. Johnson Administration. The DOT’s first day of operation was in 1967.
• Assemblage of agencies: From the outset, the DOT absorbed other federal agencies, including the Civil Aeronautics Board, the Bureau of Public Roads, the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, the Great Lakes Pilotage Association, the Car Service Division of the Interstate Commerce Commission, the Panama Canal, the Coast Guard, and what is now called the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Some of these agencies no longer exist or no longer fall under the DOT.
• Calibration of scope: In subsequent presidential administrations, different responsibilities have been added and subtracted from the department. A few agencies that presently fall under the DOT include the Federal Highway Administration, the Maritime Administration, and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) (the latter also controls railroad safety standards for Amtrak, as its own separate agency).
• Cross-department collaboration: In recent years, the secretary of transportation has been tasked with creating jobs via infrastructure projects and with working with the EPA to improve emissions standards—in addition to existing tasks overseeing transportation safety.

The secretary of transportation oversees many aspects of transportation policy that is conducted by federal agencies within the US Department of Transportation (USDOT).

• Highway administration: Via the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the USDOT builds and maintains national highways, funds state highways, and sets safety standards for infrastructure projects.
• Passenger vehicle safety and standards: Via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the department sets safety standards, emissions standards, and public safety codes.
• Commercial vehicle safety and standards: The department's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) functions much like the NHTSA, only for commercial vehicles.
• Aviation safety and standards: Within the USDOT, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sets rules, regulations, and safety standards related to the nation's air travel.
• Railroad administration: The DOT operates the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to regulate standards and safety among the nation's railways. The Surface Transportation Board (STB), which also handles these matters, was spun off as a separate agency during the Barack Obama Administration.
• Maritime administration: The Department of Transportation governs maritime transportation through two agencies, the Maritime Administration office (MARAD) and the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC), which concerns itself with the Great Lakes, their connecting rivers, and the St. Lawrence River that empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
• Protecting public health: Through the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the department seeks to prevent the release of harmful pollutants through oil pipelines and similar infrastructure.
• Granting funds to states: In addition to financing and building federal transportation projects, the USDOT funds state transportation initiatives via the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

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