Introduction

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a statistical agency within the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), compiles, analyzes, and publishes data and information needed for transportation decisionmaking, and generally coordinates DOT statistical programs. BTS also manages the National Transportation Library and the Office of Airline Information, and leads the federal effort in developing transportation geo-data to fulfill the vision of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI).

As one of the federal statistical agencies, BTS maintains a special degree of objectivity and independence. Our products include reports to Congress and the Secretary of Transportation along with stakeholders in the transportation community. Special protections are in place to maintain confidentiality in our data collection. We do not advocate policies or programs. Our efforts focus on getting-and helping to objectively interpret-data that can be used to better inform decisionmaking, regardless of what the data show.