GAO: GOVERNMENT TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH NEEDS MORE COORDINATION

GAO: GOVERNMENT TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH NEEDS MORE COORDINATION    A U.S. General Accounting Office report said the Transportation Department’s research efforts need more coordination and measurements.
   DOT’s Research and Special Programs Administration is responsible for coordinating and evaluating research efforts by the department agencies to promote the efficient use of research funds, which totaled more than $1 billion in fiscal year 2002. RSPA is also responsible for carrying out multimodal research.
   In its report to the House Appropriations Committee, GAO recommended that DOT and RSPA develop strategies to identify “potential research duplication” and to evaluate research results.
   “DOT reviewed a draft of this report and generally agreed with its contents but did not comment on the report’s recommendations,” GAO said.