CONGESTION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM The Committee supports further collaborative efforts between the Federal Highway Administration, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the New York Department of Transportation, the New York City Department of Transportation, New Jersey Transit, New Jersey Turnpike Authority, New Jersey Highway Administration, Palisades Interstate Park Commission, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority and other local authorities, and the private sector, aimed at managing the congestion problem in northeastern New Jersey and the New York metropolitan region. The allowance provided by the Committee includes funds for TRANSCOM, to be made available through the States of New York and New Jersey Transportation Departments, to be used as follows: The Committee expects TRANSCOM to solicit cost-sharing on these, and other, projects, and encourages the affected jurisdictions to continue joint efforts to reduce congestion. This allowance is in addition to any IVHS research funding provided for in the Traffic Operations Research Program. The Committee directs FHWA to ensure that information on results and successful strategies are widely disseminated. NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAYS STUDY The allowance includes $1,000,000 for a national study of scenic and historic roads. A National Scenic Byways Program has enormous potential to enhance travel and tourism along scenic routes, and to provide new economic development opportunities. The Secretary should submit a report to the Committee in 1 year, in an effort: (1) to update for the use of Congress a nationwide inventory of existing scenic byways; (2) to develop guidelines for the establishment of a National Scenic Byways Program, including recommended techniques for maintaining and enhancing the scenic, recreational, and historic qualities associated with each byway; (3) to conduct case studies of the economic impact of scenic byways on travel and tourism; and (4) to analyze potential safety consequences and environmental impacts associated with scenic byway designation. INTERSTATE 80/INTERSTATE 94 CONGESTION STUDY The allowance includes $500,000 for a study of potential solutions to heavy traffic congestion problems in the I-80/I-94, Chicago, IL, and Gary, IN, bistate area. The Secretary shall carry out a feasibility study to identify and examine means of relieving congestion on the Borman and Kingery Expressways (Interstate 80/94) in northwest Indiana and northeast Illinois. The scope of the study shall include, but not be limited to an analysis of costs and identification of the benefits of: (1) constructing new roadways to relieve congestion; (2) improving, upgrading, and expanding existing roadways to relieve congestion; (3) implementing low-cost operational and traffic management improvements; and (4) relieving tolls and other means of encouraging greater use of the Chicago skyway and portions of the Indiana toll road to increase east-west highway capacity. In carrying out the study, the Secretary shall work with both State highway departments and the appropriate regional planning agencies. Further, the study's work shall be coordinated with existing transportation planning efforts in the region. APPALACHIAN REGIONAL CORRIDOR CONSTRUCTION The Committee allowance includes a restoration of 20 FTE's, and up to an additional 10 FTE's, to be used in support of the continued construction of the Appalachian regional corridors in West Virginia. These personnel are used in planning, engineering, design, and contract administration activities. BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON PARKWAY The Committee directs the Federal Highway Administration to investigate the cause of the August 31, 1989, collapse of the bridge under construction where Maryland Route 198 crosses the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. The Committee directs FHWA to prepare a report of its findings and include an assessment of the safety of the other bridges and ramps being upgraded under the Baltimore-Washington Parkway improvement program, and to submit such a report to the Committee within 90 days of the date of enactment. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA APPORTIONMENT The Committee recommends that the $5,000,000 of fiscal year 1982 interstate highway trust fund apportionment for the District of Columbia that remains available from the $40,000,000 authorized to construct the Washington Union Station parking garage and related facilities be reprogrammed to the Northeast corridor improvement project. In Senate Report No. 97-253, accompanying the fiscal year 1982 Department of Transportation and Related Agencies appropriations bill, the Committee directed the Secretary to authorize the District to use its fiscal year 1982 federally aided highway funds to fund the parking garage. The District has used $35,000,000 of the $40,000,000 apportioned to it for the project. The remaining sums will be used by Amtrak to complete the facilities related to the parking garage project, including demolition of the old station and extension of the railroad tracks to the new station. TRUCKING R&D PROGRAMS The Committee continues its interest in improving medium and heavy truck safety and in reducing urban and suburban traffic congestion. Therefore, the Committee recommends $500,000 above the budget for research and educational programs. These programs should focus on, but not necessarily be limited to, the following four areas: (1) to develop and document the benefits and costs of the commercial driver's license in States deemed successful in implementing the CDL Program; (2) to address fatigue and sleep issues (such as fatigue countermeasures and rest stop factors), in an effort to reduce truck accidents by increasing driver alertness; (3) to review and document key elements of various voluntary trucking company programs to rehabilitate, if appropriate, drivers who have experienced controlled substance abuse problems; and (4) to review and recommend ways in which motor carrier and shipper practices and operations can be adjusted to reduce peak period congestion, including the identification of advanced driver information system needs for motor carriers. These funds are to be available only to a not-for-profit entity, which is to provide cost-sharing of an additional $100,000 of services, equipment, labor, overhead, or general and administrative expenses to supplement the $500,000 recommended above. BRIDGE INSPECTION TRAINING PROGRAM The Committee commends the Federal Highway Administration for proceeding with an expanded Federal effort to establish bridge inspection standards and to properly train inspectors. The Committee recognizes that the Nation's universities have considerable expertise in this area. The Committee, therefore, directs the Federal Highway Administration to incorporate such programs and expertise in its expanded bridge inspection program. FREEWAY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM The Committee directs the Federal Highway Administration to initiate the development of program guidelines and criteria for implementation of the smart car/smart street freeway management system. HIGHWAY ON-THE-JOB-TRAINING PROGRAM The Committee has included bill language to allow States to reinstate, at their discretion, the Highway On-the-Job-Training Program. This language provides that one-fourth of 1 percent of a State's interstate, primary, secondary, urban, bridge, hazard elimination, and rail-highway crossings apportionments shall be available to carry out skill training program. VALUATION OF CALIFORNIA RIGHT OF WAY The Committee has amended House bill language concerning the manner in which the Secretary is to determine the fair market value of rights of way. BLYTHEVILLE FRONTAGE ROADS The Committee urges the FHWA to study the feasibility of constructing frontage roads in Blytheville, AR, and to explore possible sources of Federal assistance. The Committee would also encourage FHWA to share this information with the Delta Development Commission located in Memphis, TN. WEST MEMPHIS FLOOD CONTROL The Committee urges the FHWA to review the additional burden of drainage water runoff caused by interstate highway construction around West Memphis, AR, and to try to develop a solution to the flood control problems caused by this additional water. HIGHWAY USE TAX EVASION The Committee has not agreed to the budget request for $2,000,000 to support additional efforts by the States and FHWA for highway tax compliance activities. However, the Committee strongly supports such activities and directs the FHWA to provide such assistance as is required. UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION CENTERS The Committee has included bill language clarifying that the highway share of the funding provided in Public Law 100-17 is contract authority, which will make it possible for the Department to release the funds to carry out the provisions of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1987. HIGHWAY SAFETY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (HIGHWAY TRUST FUND) Appropriations, 1989. House allowance Committee recommendation... $6,080,000 6,080,000 This activity seeks to identify, correct, and evaluate those critical elements that contribute to loss of life, disabling injuries, and property damage on American highways. The emphasis of research is to provide workable and timely solutions to a set of critical safety problems. Major projects involve improved traffic barriers, construction zone safety, traffic and pedestrian safety, and rural highway safety improvements. Under the budget request, this program would be funded by drawdown from the "Federal-aid highways" account and controlled within the limitation on general operating expenses. Under the limitation, the budget requested a total of $19,314,000 for research and development in both highways and highway safety. Of this amount, $6,080,000 was specifically for safety research and development. The Committee recommends $6,080,000 for highway safety research and development to be funded by drawdown from Federalaid highways under the "Limitation on general operating expenses" account. HIGHWAY-RELATED SAFETY GRANTS Section 402 of title 23, United States Code, authorizes programs to assist States and localities in implementing highway safety programs in accordance with uniform standards established by the Secretary. Most of the activities carried out under the FHWA standards involve development and implementation of systems, procedures, manuals, et cetera, to assist highway agencies in the orderly planning and implementation of safety construction and operational improvements. The Committee recommends $10,000,000 for liquidation of contract authority for highway-related safety grants. This is the same as the budget request and $595,000 above the House allowance. LIMITATION ON OBLIGATIONS The budget proposes a ceiling of $10,000,000 for this program. The Committee has set the obligation ceiling at $9,405,000, which is the same level provided in 1989 and $595,000 below the budget estimate for fiscal year 1990. RAILROAD-HIGHWAY CROSSINGS DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS Appropriations, 1989. House allowance Committee recommendation. $7,560,000 15,000,000 7,700,000 The railroad highway crossings demonstration projects are authorized by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973, as amended, and title III of the National Mass Transportation Assistance Act of 1974. Projects are funded under this authority for cities specified in law. The Federal share is derived two-thirds from the Highway Trust Fund and one-third from general funds. A total of 19 specific sites have been named in a variety of acts as eligible for the program and one has been withdrawn. The sites were chosen when a rail-highway crossing created a safety hazard, or impeded pedestrian or highway flow. |