The
United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the
United States Department of Transportation, a member of the
President's
Cabinet, and thirteenth in the
Presidential Line of Succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Transportation on October 15, 1966, by President
Lyndon B. Johnson's signing of the Department of Transportation Act. The Department's mission is "to develop and coordinate policies that will provide an efficient and economical national transportation system, with due regard for need, the environment, and the national defense." The Secretary of Transportation oversees eleven agencies, including the
Federal Aviation Administration, the
Federal Highway Administration, and the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In April 2008,
Mary Peters launched the official blog of the Secretary of Transportation called The Fast Lane.