GAO reports $370 million annual cost from underused DOT facilities

In a report released on July 15, the Government Accountability Office highlighted that empty Department of Transportation properties are costing the federal government roughly $370 million annually in rent, operations, and maintenance. The audit covered 189 facilities, finding that 89 % did not meet the 60 % occupancy level mandated by the USE IT Act, with the agency’s largest buildings averaging only 34 % occupancy. Underutilized sites include the DOT headquarters and the Federal Aviation Administration headquarters in Washington, D.C. A DOT official said the agency is centralizing operations, relocating about 950 FAA employees to the DOT headquarters next summer and has already handed back one FAA building to the General Services Administration.

Despite these moves, the GAO warned that the department has no broader consolidation strategy for its roughly 50,000 staff, and no plans exist to improve space use beyond the FAA relocation. Iowa Senator Joni Ernst criticized the waste, urging Washington to apply “use it or lose it” rules to curb the spending.