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US DOT History

A guide to the history of the US Department of Transportation

Digitized Collections

Icon for the Civil Aeronautics Regulations collection Civil Aeronautics Regulations, 1930-1968

Digitized copies of United States “Civil Aeronautics Regulations” reports, dating from 1930 to 1968. 

Access collection here: https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/collection_car

 Civil Aeronautics Manuals, 1938-1962

Digitized copies of Civil Aeronautics Manuals published from 1938 through 1962 by the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). Established by the 1938 Civil Aeronautics Act, CAB responsibilities included safety rulemaking, accident investigation, and economic regulation of the airlines. 

Access collection here: https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/collection_cams

Icon for FTA 50th Anniversary collection  FTA 50th Anniversary Collection, circa 1947-2001

This collection contains about 500 documents gathered and digitized in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Urban Mass Transportation Act, signed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964 to achieve, in his words, "better systems for getting our people to work and home again—and getting them there with speed and safety and economy and comfort." 

Access collection here: https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/collection_fta_50

 U.S. Coast Guard Circulars, 1960-2000

Digitized copies of US Coast Guard Circulars, dating from 1960-2000.  A Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) provides detailed guidance about the enforcement or compliance with certain Federal marine safety regulations and Coast Guard marine safety programs. 

Access collection here: https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/collection_uscgcirculars.

Icon for Investigations of Aircraft Accidents collection

 

  Investigations of Aircraft Accidents, 1934-1965

 

Digitized copies of United States "Civil Aeronautics Board Aircraft Accident Reports," dating from 1934 to 1965.

Access collection here: https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/collection_iaa

Icon for Investigations of Railroad Accidents collection Investigations of Railroad Accidents, 1911-1993

Digitized copies of the United States Interstate Commerce Commission railroad accident reports, dating from 1911 to 1993.

Access collection here: https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/collection_irr

Icon for Papers by Turner, Fairbank and MacDonald collection 

 Papers by Fairbank, Turner and MacDonald, 1919-1971

 

Digitized copies of papers by Herbert S. Fairbank, civil engineer at the Bureau of Public Roads; Frank Turner, former head of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA); and engineer and politician Thomas Harris MacDonald, former head of the Bureau of Public Roads. Papers include manuscripts, presentations, speeches and articles.

Access collection here: https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/collection_ftm_papers

National Conference on Street and Highway Safety, 1926-1936

Reports from the Committee on Uniform Traffic Regulation on meetings held from 1926 to 1938.

Access collection here: https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/collection_ncshs

Public Roads Magazine Public Roads Magazine, 1918-1994

Digitized copies of Public Roads, dating from 1918-to 1994, a quarterly magazine of the Federal Highway Administration,  Issues published in 1995 and later are available here: https://highways.dot.gov/public-roads/home.

Access collection here: https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/collection_pr_mag