FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 12, 1999
Contact: Bill Mosley
Tel.: (202) 366-5571
DOT 07-99
New Technology Supports
Transportation
Of the Future, Secretary Slater Says
President Clinton’s support of high-technology research is helping build a safer and more efficient transportation system for the 21st century, Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater said today.
In remarks to a special session on transportation and technological innovation at the Transportation Research Board’s 78th annual meeting, Secretary Slater said that the President’s priority on expanded public investment is reflected in such programs as the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), a $200 billion investment in American’s surface transportation system, as well as in high-technology Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).
"The President’s technology policy is part of what I call the new conceptual architecture required to move us toward the safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system this nation needs for the 21st century," the Secretary said. "Our plan calls for a transportation system that will play a key part of Vice President Gore’s comprehensive agenda to build livable communities for the 21st century, reflecting both the priority the President places on transportation in his strategy for economic growth and the importance he assigns to assuring that this investment is sensitive to the need for sustainable development."
ITS will improve the safety and efficiency of travel without having to build new roads, Secretary Slater said, saving taxpayers about 35 percent of the costs for infrastructure that would otherwise be needed. TEA-21 targets $1.3 billion for ITS, most of which will be used to deploy the technologies that will be the foundation for a nationwide intelligent transportation infrastructure. ITS will reduce transportation system operating costs by an estimated $3.5 billion to $7.4 billion over the next decade, he said, based on the recent success of innovations such as electronic tollbooths. This year, in partnership with the U.S. automobile industry, DOT will launch the Intelligent Vehicle Initiative, a project designed to protect drivers by using new technologies that prevent crashes.
The Secretary stressed the need for a trained workforce to build and operate the new transportation systems. This is why DOT established the Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Futures Program to help students develop their math, science and technology skills in order to qualify for a career in transportation. Already more than 370,000 students across the country have benefitted from the program, he said.
###