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Open Recommendations (88 total)

Slot-Controlled Airports: FAA's Rules Could Be Improved to Enhance Competition and Use of Available Capacity

GAO-12-902
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Transportation With respect to possible future regulatory action, the DOT Secretary should consider requiring airlines to schedule a certain percentage, or all, of their slot allocations, similar to practices maintained elsewhere in the world.
Open
The Department concurs that any future rulemaking should consider changes to the minimum slot usage rules to improve slot utilization at the slot controlled airports and provide greater harmonization with industry standards applied at airports outside the U.S. The FAA and the Department of Transportation stated that they will evaluate the circumstances at the New York City area airports and DCA and, if necessary, will consider steps to improve slot utilization, including future rulemaking. Previously, DOT said it continues to evaluate options, including potential future rulemaking activities. We believe this recommendation continues to have merit. In March 2024, GAO reached out to DOT to see whether it had taken steps to address the recommendation and DOT officials stated that there were no additional updates at this time. GAO will continue to monitor DOT's efforts regarding this recommendation.

Telecommunications: Agencies Need Better Controls to Achieve Significant Savings on Mobile Devices and Services

GAO-15-431
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Transportation To help the department effectively manage spending on mobile devices and services, the Secretary of Transportation should ensure procedures to monitor and control spending are established department-wide. Specifically, ensure that (1) procedures include assessing devices for zero, under, and over usage; (2) personnel with authority and responsibility for performing the procedures are identified; and (3) the specific steps to be taken to perform the process are documented.
Open – Partially Addressed
As of January 2024, the Department of Transportation had partially implemented the recommendation. Specifically, the Office of the Chief Information Officer's Resource Management Office Customer and Contract Support team developed procedures for assessing mobile device usage. However, the department has not specified which of its components the procedures apply to. We will continue to monitor the department's efforts to fully implement the recommendation.

Capital Investment Grants Program: FTA Should Improve the Effectiveness and Transparency of Its Reviews

GAO-20-512
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Transportation The FTA Administrator should take steps to ensure its staff communicates information, such as the reason why a project is not advancing, to sponsors in a timely manner and in writing upon the sponsor's request. (Recommendation 3)
Open
DOT did not concur with this recommendation. At the time of GAO's report, the Department stated that FTA already does this and plans to continue to do so. The Department also noted that FTA provided GAO with examples of its communication with project sponsors regarding the status of projects and reiterated that FTA staff are in communication with project sponsors on a recurring basis to discuss their projects. However, in light of the concerns raised by the findings in the report, GAO continues to believe FTA staff could take steps to ensure its staff communicate information to project sponsors in a timely manner and in writing upon request. For example, as noted in the report, several project sponsors GAO interviewed told stated that it took weeks, months, or longer for FTA to make certain decisions, and that FTA did not communicate information to them in a timely manner. In the report, GAO noted the value of documenting agency review decisions and informing sponsors in a timely manner so that the project sponsor can promptly address potential problems. Without FTA taking action to ensure FTA staff communicates information to project sponsors in a timely manner and in writing upon request, some project sponsors may continue to have questions about FTA actions. In March 2024 DOT stated that FTA's position on this recommendation has not changed. Specifically, FTA does not anticipate taking action on this recommendation in their planned guidance update.

GPS Disruptions: DOT Could Improve Efforts to Identify Interference Incidents and Strengthen Resilience

GAO-23-105335
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Transportation The Secretary of DOT should ensure the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology documents DOT's process to identify GPS interference incidents affecting transportation safety across modes, including identifying the necessary controls and data sources to ensure that the process results in complete and accurate information. (Recommendation 1)
Open
DOT concurred with this recommendation. In December 2023, DOT officials told us that the Department was taking several steps to implement our recommendation. Specifically, DOT officials told us that the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology's Office of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing has established a GPS Interference Detection and Mitigation initiative to meet requirements identified in Space Policy Directive-7. As part of this initiative, DOT developed a draft concept of operations to document DOT's process to completely and accurately identify GPS interference incidents affecting transportation safety across modes. Additionally, DOT has partnered with the Department of Defense to develop and deploy an automated GPS interference detection and mitigation capability. DOT expects to finalize its draft concept of operations and implement automated detection technologies in early 2024. We will continue to monitor DOT's efforts to implement this recommendation.

Discretionary Transportation Grants: DOT Should Better Align Its Application Evaluation Process with Federal Guidance

GAO-24-106280
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Transportation The Secretary of Transportation should ensure that the RAISE NOFO identifies all selection factors, such as those used when creating a selection portfolio or other process to facilitate award decisions. (Recommendation 4)
Open
As of March 2024, DOT stated that it concurred with this recommendation and agreed to provide additional information on its planned actions by May 2024. However, in its written response to GAO's report, DOT also stated that it sufficiently notified potential applicants that geographic diversity would be a selection factor through its statement in the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) that "the Secretary selects projects from the Highly Rated List for award, consistent with the selection criteria and statutory requirements for geographic and modal diversity." However, as stated in our report, DOT guidance requires DOT to disclose policy factors used during the selection process in an objective and clear way. While DOT's NOFO informed applicants that award selections would be consistent with statutory requirements for geographic diversity, it did not inform applicants of how DOT would implement the geographic diversity requirement. We maintain that knowing that DOT established a goal of awarding one grant to each state or territory would have provided applicants with clear and objective information that they can use to assess their odds of receiving an award and factor into their application decision. As such, we believe that DOT should fully implement our recommendation to ensure that the RAISE NOFO identifies all selection factors used to assist the Secretary in making award decisions. DOT agreed to provide details on its planned actions to address this recommendation by May 2024. GAO will monitor DOT's efforts regarding this recommendation.

Capital Investment Grants Program: FTA Should Address Several Statutory Provisions

GAO-18-462
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Transportation The FTA Administrator should initiate a rulemaking regarding the evaluation and rating process for Core Capacity Improvement projects, consistent with statutory provisions. (Recommendation 1)
Open
FTA has taken steps toward implementing this recommendation. In July 2021, FTA published a Request for Information Concerning the Capital Investment Grants Program in the Federal Register, which sought input from the industry on improvements that could be made to the evaluation process for projects seeking funding from the Capital Investment Grants Program. Last year, FTA also published a Notice of Availability of Initial Guidance Proposals for the Capital Investment Grants Program. This notice invited public comment on initial guidance proposals covering the topic of "Eligibility as a Core Capacity project." In March 2024 FTA told us they anticipate releasing comprehensive CIG policy guidance for public comment soon, with published final version to follow by the end of calendar year 2024. We will continue to monitor FTA's efforts to implement this recommendation.

Discretionary Transportation Grants: Actions Needed to Improve Consistency and Transparency in DOT's Application Evaluations

GAO-19-541
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Transportation The Secretary of Transportation should ensure that DOT, in its notice of funding opportunity and evaluation plan for each remaining INFRA-funding cycle, clarify the circumstances under which DOT may select applicants to receive requests for additional information. (Recommendation 1)
Open – Partially Addressed
In 2022, DOT issued a notice of funding opportunity for the Multimodal Projects Discretionary Grant Program, which combined the notice of funding opportunities for INFRA and two other discretionary grant programs. DOT also issued a combined evaluation plan for these three discretionary grant programs. In September 2023, we confirmed that DOT clarified, in the evaluation plan, the circumstances under with DOT may select applicants to receive requests for additional information. Specifically, the evaluation plan states that during the analysis phase of the review, if additional information is necessary to determine a project meets a requirement, DOT will reach out to that applicant to request information once from that applicant. The plan states that this approach applies to each requirement with the exception of cost effectiveness requirement. The plan also states that, during the Senior Review phase, DOT may seek clarifying information from that applicant a second time, or the first time for cost effectiveness if (1) the project received a high rating or (2) the Senior Review Team provides additional information that a project outcome area has benefits aligned with a High rating. DOT also issued a memo during the 2022 application review clarifying these processes. However, as of September 2023, DOT has not clarified the circumstances under with DOT may select applicants to receive requests for additional information in the notice of funding opportunity. GAO will continue to monitor implementation of this recommendation.

Automated Technologies: DOT Should Take Steps to Ensure Its Workforce Has Skills Needed to Oversee Safety

GAO-21-197
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Transportation The Director of DOT's Department of Human Resources should complete efforts to identify all cybersecurity occupations across the agency, and incorporate those related to overseeing the cybersecurity of automated technologies into its workforce planning efforts, such as the Workforce Transformation Chart. (Recommendation 1)
Open
DOT agreed with this recommendation. DOT completed identifying all cybersecurity occupations across the agency and had identified more than 2,000 positions with duties related to the safety of automated technologies. In March 2024, DOT noted that it planned to incorporate these positions into its Information Technology Workforce Plan by October 2024. To fully implement this recommendation, DOT needs to complete this plan, which we will review when it is available. GAO will continue to monitor DOT's efforts to implement this recommendation.

GPS Disruptions: DOT Could Improve Efforts to Identify Interference Incidents and Strengthen Resilience

GAO-23-105335
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Transportation The Secretary of DOT should ensure the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology develops a strategic approach to PNT resilience that fully aligns with key standards for a strategic approach to program management, including identifying objectives, outlining and prioritizing activities to achieve those objectives, and planning to address challenges. (Recommendation 2)
Open
DOT concurred with this recommendation. As of December 2023, DOT officials told us that the Department had developed a draft Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Strategic Plan that will address the Department's PNT research and activities, and align with both DOT-wide and Research, Development, and Technology-specific strategic goals and objectives. Officials said that they expect the PNT Strategic Plan to be finalized by April 2024. We will continue to monitor DOT's efforts to implement this recommendation.

Federal Research: Additional Actions Needed to Improve Public Access to Research Results

GAO-20-81
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Transportation The Secretary of Transportation should fully develop and implement a mechanism to ensure researcher compliance with the public access plan and associated requirements. (Recommendation 30)
Open
The Department of Transportation concurred with this recommendation. According to its response to our report, the Department will build upon existing compliance mechanisms to ensure researcher compliance with its public access plan and associated requirements. As part of this process, the Department reported that it plans to update its public access plan, and expects to complete these actions by December 31, 2020. On July 22, 2021, Transportation officials provided an update stating that the Department is working toward implementation of the identified actions by January 15, 2022. As of August 2023, we have requested an update from the Department. When we confirm what actions the Department has taken to implement this recommendation we will provide additional information.
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