BTS Budget Request Reflects Sharpened Focus

The fiscal year 2004 President's Budget includes $35.5 million for the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). The budget request proposes to sharpen the agency's focus around five core data program and two crosscutting research programs.

The core data programs will collect timely and reliable freight, travel, economics, airline, and geospatial data. The research programs will develop and publish key indicators of national transportation system performance and improve statistical methods and standards to address transportation-specific problems.

BTS' activities are aimed at informing transportation policymakers, planners, and researchers—the people who solve transportation problems. Activities planned for 2004 include:

• Freight Statistics—replace infrequent, incomplete freight flow survey with continuous data collection program that fills critical gaps.
• Travel Statistics—enhance the current National Household Travel Survey by making it more frequent and capturing better data on underrepresented populations.
• Transportation Economics—explain how transportation activity, investment, and disruption impact the larger economy.
• Airline statistics—deliver timely data and analysis on airline activity, performance, and financial condition.
• Geospatial Information—map transportation and related data for planning, policy, and security.
• Transportation System Performance—develop reliable indicators of transportation system performance.
• Methods and Standards—ensure that BTS data meet the highest standards of accuracy, reliability, and confidentiality.

The budget requires approval by Congress.