TRB Special Report 279 - The Marine Transportation System and the Federal Role: Measuring Performance, Targeting Improvement calls upon the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to take the lead in assessing the performance of and improving the nation's entire marine transportation system. In particular, the report recommends that the DOT should begin immediately to develop reports on the condition, performance, and use of the marine transportation system and seek a mandate from Congress to produce such reports on a regular basis, as it already does for the nation's highway and transit systems.