Book Description

DOT's Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA)-which includes the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)- oversees DOT's RD & T activities. GAO examined (1) how RITA's responsibilities for overseeing DOT's RD & T activities differ from those of its predecessor, the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA); (2) RITA's practices for coordinating, facilitating, and reviewing RD & T activities; (3) the progress DOT has made in implementing GAO's 2003 recommendations on how to improve the coordination and evaluation of RD & T activities; and (4) how BTS identifies and monitors how well it serves its users. To address these issues, GAO reviewed relevant documentation and interviewed officials from RITA, BTS, and three operating administrations.