Story ID: 
DOT Streamlining Systems, Consolidating FAA
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: FAA employees spread throughout Washington will move into DOT headquarters
Word Count: 396
The U.S. Department of Transportation is undertaking a “1DOT” consolidation initiative that will involve streamlining processes, consolidating administrative functions, modernizing its own infrastructure, and bringing together modal administrations both operationally and physically, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy informed employees this week.
Plans call for streamlining systems, eliminating redundancies, and transferring FAA employees to the DOT headquarters at New Jersey Avenue in the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.
Noting that DOT runs more than 425 information systems, Duffy called the department’s IT and HR systems outdated, expensive, unsecure, and somewhat redundant. Of those systems, 45 running across seven data centers are at the end of their lifespans. Despite the breadth of the infrastructure, DOT still has gaps in operating systems related to product management and artificial intelligence, he said.
“This complicated web of technology is more than just a nuisance. Less efficiency means longer wait times for project completion, grants signed, or safety reviews conducted,” he said. “1DOT will bring the Department into the 21st century with the consolidation of upgraded technology.”
Plans call for beginning to sunset legacy systems over the next few weeks, he said. “It’s long overdue and will have a significant impact on our ability to get the job done.”
As for the FAA relocation, Duffy said the agency has spread out over a “patchwork of federal buildings” separate from DOT. “Over the years, this dislocation has created unnecessary complexities between the department and the agency,” he said. “This distance has made responsiveness, accountability, and transparency a challenge.”
At the same time, FAA’s facilities are in a state of disrepair, he maintained. “Decrepit offices, non-potable water, and unsanitary spaces have come to define the primary agency responsible for the safety of the national airspace. The FAA’s IT and HR networks have become tangled and housed on systems incompatible with DOT,” according to Duffy. “This kind of a work environment is not fair to hard-working men and women of the FAA, and it is unbecoming of any federal agency, let alone one with a critical safety mission.”
This consolidation will occur gradually, leveraging existing space and a clear transition plan to minimize disruptions. DOT officials said the timelines and next steps would be outlined in the coming weeks, but the affected unions have been notified.