The Department of Transportation was established by an act of Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on October 15, 1966. The mission of the Department of Transportation, a cabinet-level executive department of the United States government, 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. It is the primary agency in the federal government with the responsibility for shaping and administering policies and programs to protect and enhance the safety, adequacy, and efficiency of the transportation system and services. The Department of Transportation consists of the Office of the Secretary and eleven individual Operating Administrations.