The partial shutdown of the federal government, which started at midnight on Sept. 30, is having an uneven impact on DOT employees and the programs they oversee.

 

Because FTA salaries are funded from the General Fund, 95 percent of FTA employees have been furloughed. However, more than 4,000 employees at FHWA, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will continue to work because the Highway Trust Fund, which is funded in large part by federal gas tax revenues, is the source of their revenue.

 

An additional 25,000 DOT employees—predominantly FAA ­employees whose duties fall within the emergency “life and safety” exception—are not subject to ­furloughs. While the federal public transportation program is funded for Fiscal Year 2014, ­without employees on duty, FTA is unable to obligate grants or make payments to grantees. The shutdown is the first in nearly two decades.