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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (DOT)
COMPONENTS WITH OUTSTANDING REQUESTS AS OLD AS TWO YEARS,
BUT UNABLE TO DETERMINE AGENCY BACKLOG
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Recordkeeping Issues - When the Archive contacted
DOT in April 2003, it was told that the agency still had not
begun processing any 2003 FOIA requests because of its backlog
from 2002. The Archive was also informed that the agency has
decentralized FOIA processing and coordination with the many
components would be time-consuming. The Archive limited the
search for the initial request to the Office of the Secretary,
but has not received anything. The Archive later filed requests
with the five DOT components that receive the greatest number
of FOIA requests (Federal Aviation Administration, Coast Guard,
Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration, Federal Railroad
Administration, and Office of the Secretary of Transportation).
It has received acknowledgments from several of those agencies,
but has received a response only from the Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration. |
Ten Oldest - Nothing yet received in response to
initial FOIA request. Response from Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration included nine requests dating from June
11, 2001. |
Workload Statistics - Although DOT's reported statistics
from 1998 through 2002 indicate that the agency has received
a decreasing number of FOIA requests (down 13% from 20,476
in 1998 to 17,910 in 2002), the number processed each year
rose for several years, but ultimately has remained somewhat
steady (up .8% from 17,406 processed in 1998 to 17,540 processed
in 2002). DOT's processing rate per year -- a comparison of
the number of requests processed to the number received --
increased from 85.01% in 1998 to 97.93% in 2002. |
Backlog Statistics - DOT's backlog of pending FOIA
requests has decreased (from 4362 FOIA requests pending at
the end of 1998 to 3885 FOIA requests pending at the end of
2002). DOT's backlog as a percentage of FOIA requests processed
each year has decreased from 25.06% in 1998 to 22.15% in 2002.
Its backlog rate per year -- a comparison of the number of
requests pending at the end of the year to the number received
during that year -- has increased from 13.35% in 1998 to 21.69%
in 2002. |
Processing Time - Under its two track system, DOT
reports a median processing time for simple requests well
within the statutory timeframes (8 days in 2002) and a median
of 39 days in 2002 for complex requests. The median days that
backlogged requests have been pending is reported as 41 for
2002. |
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