PREPARED
REMARKS
MARY PETERS,
ADMINISTRATOR
TRANSPORTATION
RESEARCH BOARD
SESSION ON
TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION
WASHINGTON, DC
10:15 A.M.
Thank you, Emil.
As you just heard, each of us have organized our reauthorization comments along three themes: Safer, Simpler, and Smarter.
So in my allotted time, I will try to give you as much “meat” as I can on our safety program, our efforts on environmental streamlining, and some “smarter” thoughts on ITS/Operations, freight management, and stewardship.
Transportation is essential to America’s security, economic prosperity, and quality of life.
In light of today’s global economy, it is more important than ever to have seamless transitions between modes of transportation, so that people and cargo can move effectively and efficiently. Intermodalism is the key to economic prosperity, and highways play an important part.
Highway infrastructure is good investment for the Nation in normal times and a wise policy during periods of economic recession. A $1 billion increase in federal-aid construction spending supports more than 47,500 jobs at the national economy level, generates over $1.3 billion in worker incomes, and stimulates almost $6.1 billion in economic activity.
Delivering transportation improvements that are environmentally sound, and that provide Americans with the mobility that they have come to expect in a timely manner is no small task. We need to engage the best thinking from all perspectives to do it well.
With ISTEA in 1991, Congress made a strong commitment to safety and mobility along with a commitment to preserve and protect the environment. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta was a key author of ISTEA and remains a champion of these core values.
TEA-21 maintained that balance of safety, mobility, and environmental concerns and the Bush Administration’s legislative proposal will seek a similar balance.
We’re all on the same team.
We must have a solid partnership among federal, state, and local government, the private sector, and all our citizens to keep America strong, America free and America beautiful.
While the basic framework for transportation decisions may be made on the federal level, we believe that local problems are best solved at the local level. You’ll notice that many of our programs and initiatives are designed to give state and local officials the ability to make their own decisions . . . the best decisions for their communities.
As Emil said, we look for the reauthorization proposal to have an increased emphasis on safety and more flexibility for states using existing funds to meet their needs.
At FHWA, we hope to reduce separate funding categories and to consolidate existing core programs. This will have the effect of streamlining the delivery of the Federal-aid program, as well as furthering state flexibility.
Regarding safety -- --
During the reauthorization outreach process, we listened carefully to ideas about how America can reduce deaths and injuries on our roadways.
More can and must be done to bring down this terrible death toll.
In fact, Dr. Runge of NHTSA, Annette Sandberg of Motor Carriers, really everyone at this table, are working together to structure our safety reauthorization proposals to provide strong federal leadership and support to states and localities to save lives.
FHWA is actively expanding a range of strategies to address crash types which result in the highest number of fatalities: roadway departure crashes, intersection-related crashes, and pedestrian deaths. We are working with states, localities and others to maximize the effectiveness of roadway safety programs.
We hope to emphasize:
A Strategic Approach to Safety: 115 deaths a day is simply unacceptable. Although we’ve been making some progress, we think that a renewed focus across all levels of government is needed. For states, we agree with the position of AASHTO, which has called for creation of comprehensive, data-driven strategic highway safety plans within each state DOT.
Flexibility at State and Local Levels to Address Priority Problems: We believe that action at the state and local levels is the most effective approach to addressing roadway safety needs. We look for support increased flexibility in the use of the full range of highway safety funds at the state level. We have coordinated extensively with NHTSA on these issues.
On the theme of simpler . . .
In Infrastructure, we are looking into elimination of some
sub-categories of funding so that the projects in these categories can be administered as a part of our core programs.
We
are also looking to the possibility of eliminating some restrictive provisions
in the area of innovative contracting. We
expect that this will encourage additional use by state DOTs.
We will continue our recent efforts to streamline environmental decision making while protecting the environment.
· Responded to President Bush’s executive order on environmental stewardship by identifying seven priority projects for streamlining attention, with additional projects to be announced.
· We have reduced the median time for environmental impact statements by a full year.
·
Replaced or preserved 2.7 acres of wetlands for every acre of
wetland taken by highway projects.
To further streamline environmental reviews, we are considering delegating some federal environmental review responsibilities to project sponsors.
President Bush has said, “Mine is a results-oriented administration. When we say we expect results, we mean it.” And Secretary Mineta has made sure that we at DOT understand he means it too. We have developed a performance-based program that shows results.
For smarter, we want to improve planning through the Planning Capacity Building Program. We will assist MPOs in carrying out the transportation planning process, share best practices, provide training, technical assistance, and peer-to-peer exchanges.
An example of a “smarter” investment we plan to continue to emphasize is the ITS program.
Over the past 11 years, and the last two reauthorization cycles, we have invested over $2 billion in basic and applied ITS research, development, testing, and demonstrations, as well as other activities designed to accelerate the adoption and implementation of ITS applications.
This investment has paid off. 57 of the nation’s 75 largest metropolitan areas have achieved a significant level of integrated ITS deployment. Almost 100 states and metropolitan areas have adopted regional ITS architectures to guide their local ITS investments.
511 traveler information telephone number service is now available to 13 percent of the U.S. population and is growing rapidly. ITS technologies and systems in commercial vehicles and in public transit are being rapidly deployed as well.
Annette, Jenna and Allan can attest to the importance of ITS to their modes. We are all working together to see that the ITS systems we develop work seamlessly across modes.
Though I can’t talk about specifics, the Administration’s ITS reauthorization proposal will continue to emphasize the two familiar and important themes of research and deployment.
The Administration will seek to continue a strong ITS program. It will include research, development, field testing, training and technical assistance activities consistent with DOT priorities to improve mobility, productivity, safety, and security.
Accelerating the pace of ITS deployment will continue to be a critical priority. The TEA-21 ITS Integration Program has been critical to planting the seeds for integrated ITS deployment in many areas across the country. We will seek to continue to provide incentives for states and metropolitan areas to invest in deployment of ITS technologies.
We also believe that it will remain vital to promote investment in traffic monitoring and information sharing technologies to help system operators make decisions on how to best manage the transportation system . . . and to help travelers make informed choices on when, where, and how to travel.
As with personal travel, movement of freight is slowed by congestion. In metropolitan areas with large marine, rail, truck, or air terminals, freight congestion issues can be particularly acute.
We are working closely with the freight community to identify bottlenecks, target investments to congested freight corridors and intermodal connectors, and coordinate public and private sector actions to help freight move more efficiently.
The Department is supporting improved analytical tools such as the Freight Analysis Framework to improve the ability of states and MPOs to plan and implement critical freight projects.
Captain Schubert of MARAD has some interesting insights on ways to handle freight congestion that he will share in a few minutes.
Our highway leadership role at FHWA is a challenging one . . . challenging across the board. It is particularly so in the case of our federal aid highway program since as a federal agency, we do not own or operate the highways. More important, neither do we have direct control over those who have the specific program and project management responsibility.
In trying to simply define what it is that we must do to achieve our vision, to accomplish our mission, and to meet our goals for the nation’s transportation needs, one word keeps surfacing, “stewardship.”
But what is stewardship?
Stewardship is the overarching responsibility that we have to the public. FHWA, in partnership with state DOTs, will ensure that whatever resources entrusted to us will be well managed and wisely used. It is, after all, the public’s money we are entrusted with.
Congress and the public rightfully hold us accountable for ensuring that federal highway funds are used in the most efficient and effective manner possible.
With stewardship, with the introduction of the Administration’s transportation bill in the new few weeks, comes our responsibility to raise the bar on the performance of our highway system.
I look forward to working with all interested parties to create the best “next transportation act” for the American people.
Now, Jenna Dorn will tell you what FTA is doing.
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