Public Transportation: FTA's Triennial Review Program Has Improved, But Assessments of Grantees' Performance Could Be Enhanced

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) oversees about $5.5 billion in federal funds each year to transit agencies serving urban areas (grantee), in part through its triennial review program, which evaluates grantee adherence to federal requirements at least once every 3 years. GAO recommended in a 1998 oversight report that FTA improve the program. The subcommittee requested that GAO review this program. GAO identified (1) the extent to which triennial reviews indicate that grantees met applicable federal requirements from fiscal years 2000 through 2008; (2) the strengths and weaknesses of the triennial review process; and (3) FTA's performance measures for the triennial review and the extent to which they meet key attributes of successful performance measures. GAO addressed these objectives by analyzing oversight data on 424 grantees that had three triennial reviews, reviewing triennial review reports and guidance, assessing FTA's performance measures; and interviewing FTA headquarters and regional officials, contractors who conduct the reviews, and grantees.