Portal:Federal Transit Administration

Federal Transit Administration

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transportation systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT. Headed by an Administrator who is appointed by the President of the United States, the FTA functions through a Washington, D.C., headquarters office and ten regional offices which assist transit agencies in all states, the District of Columbia, and the territories. Until 1991, it was known as the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA).

Public transportation includes buses, subways, light rail, commuter rail, monorail, passenger ferry boats, trolleys, inclined railways, and people movers. The federal government, through the FTA, provides financial assistance to develop new transit systems and improve, maintain, and operate existing systems. The FTA oversees grants to state and local transit providers, primarily through its ten regional offices. These providers are responsible for managing their programs in accordance with federal requirements, and the FTA is responsible for ensuring that grantees follow federal mandates along with statutory and administrative requirements.

Freedom of Information Act edit

The objectives of FOIA legislation and rules are to

  • Ensure an Informed Citizenry
  • Guard against Corruption
  • Hold the Decision Makers Accountable

The law requires that "Virtually every 'record' possessed by a Federal Agency must be made available in one form or another to any "person" who asks for it." It applies to every Federal Agency "Record" including anything in Written or Electronic Form or letters, Memos, Tables, Charts, Graphs. Anyone can file a FOIA request for any reason whatsoever - motive is irrelevant. (Material excerpted from FTA FOIA guidance dated May 2008.)

FTA Oversight Contractors edit

FTA in its internal FOIA guidance notes that its Consulting Contractors (such as but not limited to its Project Management Oversight and Financial Management Oversight Contractors) are considered to be USDOT Employees for Purposes of FOIA (Page 6 of the 2008 guidance). These works are considered to be official government works and therefore public domain.

FTA Report Disclaimers edit

FTA noted in its 2008 guidance that all products and related materials should contain disclaimers. It is important for the reader to understand that these products and all subsidiary reports were prepared solely for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). It is also important to observe that these reports and related materials contain assessment should not be relied upon by any party, except FTA or the project sponsor, in accordance with the purposes of the assessment at the time the materials were delivered. FTA's assessment process is a tool for analyzing project development and management and is iterative in nature. The status of any FTA assessment may be altered at any time by new information, changes in circumstances, or further developments in the project, including any specific measures a sponsor may take to mitigate the risks to project costs, budget and schedule, or the strategy a sponsor may develop for project execution. (Material excerpted from FTA disclaimer)

Works edit

About edit

FTA on Wikisource edit

 

Some or all works listed in this portal are in the public domain in the United States because they are works of the United States federal government (see 17 U.S.C. 105).

 

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