STB Launches New Case Status Page to Increase Transparency and Accountability

As part of the agency’s commitment to promoting transparency and accountability, the Surface Transportation Board today announced the launch of the agency’s new Case Status page.  Since his appointment early last year, Chairman Patrick Fuchs has provided periodic updates to the public on the status of pending Board adjudicatory proceedings for the first time since the agency’s creation.  The new Case Status page makes those timing updates systematic by covering all pending proceedings, offering estimated decision dates whenever feasible, and providing weekly updates.

The Case Status page shows the current stage of proceedings before the agency, along with the timing of upcoming expected actions.  Dates provided in the “Next Action Expected” column reflect the Chairman’s anticipated timing for the next agency action in that proceeding, and any date listed represents the expected month of the next action.  Recently filed dockets may not appear immediately.  While many proceedings are in record-building or other statuses for which an estimated date for next action may not yet be feasible, when a proceeding has progressed to the Board Review phase, the Board will make every effort to provide a timing estimate.  The page typically will be updated on Wednesdays.  The new Case Status page can be accessed on the Board’s website by navigating to the Proceedings & Actions tab on the Board’s homepage or via the Case Status quick link.

“The Surface Transportation Board is committed to strengthening transparency across the agency to better serve the public,” said Chairman Fuchs.  “With the launch of the Case Status page, we’re giving the public clearer visibility into our work and setting more predictable expectations for Board actions, helping the marketplace plan with greater confidence and supporting the continued growth of the U.S. economy.”

The Case Status page is the newest step in a series of initiatives to increase transparency and accountability.  In May, the STB launched a beta version of its Open Data Portal, which makes agency data more accessible and usable by allowing users to export data across carriers and time periods and create basic visualizations.  Visit the Portal via the Reports and Data section of the Board’s website.

The Board has also recently improved its website to make the records search and service list functions easier to use.  Users can now: sort records; save records in custom folders; share and bookmark both records and search results; load more results at once; export service lists as Word or CSV files; and navigate all filings, decisions, and environmental comments in a docket from a single page.  Visit our records search page here.