The Subcommittee on Highways and Transit is responsible for the development of national surface transportation policy, construction and improvement of highway and transit facilities, implementation of highway and transit safety programs and research activities, and regulation of commercial motor vehicle operations. Within this scope of responsibilities, the Subcommittee has jurisdiction over many U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) programs, including the following:

• Federal-aid Highway Program administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
• Federal transit programs administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
• Highway safety grants and research programs administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
• Commercial motor vehicle safety programs and regulations administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

• Surface transportation research administered by FHWA, FTA, FMCSA, NHSTA and coordinated through the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST)

Many of these agencies, especially FTA and FMCSA, also have security oversight and enforcement responsibilities as part of their regulatory functions. In addition, the Subcommittee has jurisdiction over certain provisions of the Clean Air Act pertaining to air quality compliance through the transportation planning and project development process administered by FHWA and FTA.