The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Bureau of Transportation Statistics is the Department of Transportation’s statistical branch.  BTS was formally established during the  George H.W. Bush Administration in February 1990 https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/531 in its Statement of National Transportation Policy which expressed concern about data gaps in multiple transportation sectors along with insufficient financial information on financial and operating characteristics of smaller transportation carriers.

Transportation modes documented by BTS resources include aviation, bicycles and pedestrian, highway, maritime and inland waterways, pipelines, rail, and transit.  Geographic coverage is provided for the following areas:  rural, county, state, national, and international with maps and other geospatial imagery included.  Topics addressed include Introduction to Transportation Statistics An Introduction to Transportation Statistics | Bureau of Transportation Statistics , airlines and airports, energy and environment, freight transportation, infrastructure, passenger traffic, safety, system performance, and transportation and the economy.

This is an example of BTS resources State Transportation by the Numbers | Bureau of Transportation Statistics documenting multiple aspects of Indiana’s transporation infrastructure.  It’s website also includes the National Transportation Library (NTL)  National Transportation Library | Bureau of Transportation Statistics featuring multiple full text resources on various historical and contemporary transportation policymaking topics.

This blog post was submitted by Bert Chapman, Purdue University.