[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 23, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3139-S3144]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SARBANES (for himself, Mr. Reid, Mr. Murkowski, Mrs. 
        Boxer, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Moynihan, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Kerry, and 
        Mrs. Murray):
  S. 690. A bill to provide for mass transportation in national parks 
and related public lands; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources.


                      transit in parks (trip) act

  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation, 
entitled the ``Transit in Parks Act'' or TRIP, to help ease the 
congestion, protect our nation's natural resources, and improve 
mobility and accessibility in our National Parks and Wildlife Refuges. 
I am pleased to be joined by Senators Reid, Murkowski, Boxer, Kennedy, 
Moynihan, Schumer, Kerry, and Murray who are cosponsors of this 
important legislation.
  The TRIP legislation is a new federal transit grant initiative that 
is designed to provide mass transit and alternative transportation 
services for our national parks, our wildlife refuges, federal 
recreational areas, and other public lands managed by three agencies of 
the Department of the Interior. I first introduced similar legislation 
on Earth Day, 1998 and, during consideration of the Transportation 
Equity Act for the 21st Century, or TEA-21, part of my original bill 
was included as section 3039, authorizing a comprehensive study of 
alternative transportation needs in our national park lands. The 
objective of this study is to better identify those areas with existing 
and potential problems of congestion and pollution, or which can 
benefit from mass transportation services, and to identify and estimate 
the project costs for these sites. The fiscal year 1999 Transportation 
Appropriations bill included $2 million to help fund this important 
study. I am pleased to report that much important research that will 
more fully examine the park transportation and resource management 
needs and outline potential solutions and benefits is underway.
  Before discussing the bill in greater detail, let me first provide 
some background on the management issues facing the National Park 
System.
  When the national parks first opened in the second half of the 
nineteenth century, visitors arrived by stagecoach along dirt roads. 
Travel through parklands, such as Yosemite or Yellowstone, was 
difficult and long and costly. Not many people could afford or endure 
such a trip. The introduction of the automobile gave every American 
greater mobility and freedom, which included the freedom to travel and 
see some of our nation's great natural wonders. Early in this century, 
landscape architects from the National Park Service and highway 
engineers from the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads collaborated to produce 
many feats of road engineering that opened the national park lands to 
millions of Americans.
  Yet greater mobility and easier access now threaten the very 
environments that the National Park Service is mandated to protect. The 
ongoing tension between preservation and access has always been a 
challenge for our national park system. Today, record numbers of 
visitors and cars has resulted in increasing damage to our parks. The 
Grand Canyon alone has five million visitors a year. It may surprise 
you to know that the average visitor stay is only three hours. As many 
as 6,000 vehicles arrive in a single summer day. They compete for 2,000 
parking spaces. Between 32,000 and 35,000 tour buses go to the park 
each year. During the peak summer season, the entrance route becomes a 
giant parking lot.
  In the decade from 1984 to 1994, the number of visits to America's 
national parks increased 25 percent, rising from 208 million to 269 
million a year. This is equal to more than one visit by every man, 
woman, and child in this country. This has created an overwhelming 
demand on these areas, resulting in severe traffic congestion, visitor 
restrictions, and in some instances vacationers being shut-out of the 
parks altogether. The environmental damage at the Grand Canyon is 
visible at many other parks: Yosemite, which has more than four million 
visitors a year; Yellowstone, which has more than three million 
visitors a year

[[Page S3140]]

and experiences such severe traffic congestion that access has to be 
restricted; Zion; Acadia; Bryce; and many others. We need to solve 
these problems now or risk permanent damage to our nation's natural, 
cultural, and historical heritage.
  My legislation builds upon two previous initiatives to address these 
problems. First is the study of alternative transportation strategies 
in our national parks that was mandated by the Intermodal Surface 
Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, ISTEA. This study, completed by 
the National Park Service nearly five years ago in May 1994, found that 
many of our most heavily visited national parks are experiencing the 
same problems of congestion and pollution that afflict our cities and 
metropolitan areas. Yet, overwhelmingly, the principal transportation 
systems that the Federal Government has developed to provide access 
into our national parks are roads primarily for private automobile 
access.
  Second, in November 1997, Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater 
and Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt signed an agreement to work 
together to address transportation and resource management needs in and 
around national parks. The findings in the Memorandum of Understanding 
entered into by the two departments are especially revealing:

       Congestion in and approaching many National Parks is 
     causing lengthy traffic delays and backups that substantially 
     detract from the visitor experience. Visitors find that many 
     of the National Parks contain significant noise and air 
     pollution, and traffic congestion similar to that found on 
     the city streets they left behind.
       In many National Park units, the capacity of parking 
     facilities at interpretive or science areas is well below 
     demand. As a result, visitors park along roadsides, damaging 
     park resources and subjecting people to hazardous safety 
     conditions as they walk near busy roads to access visitor use 
     areas.
       On occasion, National Park units must close their gates 
     during high visitation periods and turn away the public 
     because the existing infrastructure and transportation 
     systems are at, or beyond, the capacity for which they were 
     designed.

  The challenge for park management is twofold: to conserve and protect 
the nation's natural, historical, and cultural resources, while at the 
same time ensuring visitor access and enjoyment of these sensitive 
environments.
  The Transit in Parks Act will go far to meeting this challenge. The 
bill's objectives are to develop new and expanded mass transit services 
throughout the national parks and other public lands to conserve and 
protect fragile natural, cultural, and historical resources, to prevent 
adverse impact on those resources, and to reduce pollution and 
congestion, while at the same time facilitating appropriate visitor 
access and improving the visitor experience. This new federal transit 
grant program will provide funding to three Federal land management 
agencies in the Department of the Interior--the National Park Service, 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management--
that manage the 378 various parks within the National Park System, 
including National Battlefields, Monuments and National Seashores, as 
well as the National Wildlife Refuges and federal recreational areas. 
The program will allocate capital funds for transit projects, including 
rail or clean fuel bus projects, joint development activities, 
pedestrian and bike paths, or park waterway access, within or adjacent 
to national park lands. The bill authorizes $50 million for this new 
program for each of the fiscal years 2000 through 2003. It is 
anticipated that other resources--both public and private--will be 
available to augment these amounts in the initial phase.
  The bill formalizes the cooperative arrangement in the 1997 MOU 
between the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of the 
Interior to exchange technical assistance and to develop procedures 
relating to the planning, selection and funding of transit projects in 
national park lands. The projects eligible for funding would be 
developed through the TEA-21 planning process and selected in 
consultation and cooperation with the Secretary of the Interior. The 
bill provides funds for planning, research, and technical assistance 
that can supplement other financial resources available to the Federal 
land management agencies. It is anticipated that the Secretary of 
Transportation would select projects that are diverse in location and 
size. While major national parks such as the Grand Canyon or 
Yellowstone are clearly appropriate candidates for significant transit 
projects under this section, there are numerous small urban and rural 
Federal park lands that can benefit enormously from small projects, 
such as bike paths or improved connections with an urban or regional 
public transit system. Project selection should include the following 
criteria: the historical and cultural significance of a project; 
safety; and the extent to which the project would conserve resources, 
prevent adverse impact, enhance the environment, improve mobility, and 
contribute to livable communities.
  The bill also identifies projects of regional or national 
significance that more closely resemble the Federal transit program's 
New Starts projects. Where the project costs are $25 million or 
greater, the projects will comply with the transit New Starts 
requirements. No single project will receive more than 12 percent of 
the total amount available in any given year. This ensures a diversity 
of projects selected for assistance.
  I firmly believe that this program can create new opportunities for 
the Federal land management agency to partner with local transit 
agencies in gateway communities adjacent to the parks, both through the 
TEA-21 planning process and in developing integrated transportation 
systems. This will spur new economic development within these 
communities, as they develop transportation centers for park visitors 
to connect to transit links into the national parks and other public 
lands.
  Mr. President, the ongoing tension between preservation and access 
has always been a challenge for the National Park Service. Today, that 
challenge has new dimensions, with overcrowding, pollution, congestion, 
and resource degradation increasing at many of our national parks. This 
legislation--the Transit in Parks Act--will give our Federal land 
management agencies important new tools to improve both preservation 
and access. Just as we have found in metropolitan areas, transit is 
essential to moving large numbers of people in our national parks--
quickly, efficiently, at low cost, and without adverse impact. At the 
same time, transit can enhance the economic development potential of 
our gateway communities.
  As we begin the final countdown to a new millennium, I cannot think 
of a more worthy endeavor to help our environment and preserve our 
national parks, wildlife refuges, and federal recreational areas than 
by encouraging alternative transportation in these areas. My bill is 
strongly supported by the American Public Transit Association, the 
National Parks and Conservation Association, the Surface Transportation 
Policy Project, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Community 
Transportation Association of America, the Environmental Defense Fund, 
American Planning Association, Bicycle Federation of America, Friends 
of the Earth, Izaak Walton League of America, National Association of 
Counties, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Rails-to-Trails 
Conservancy, Scenic America, The Wilderness Society, and the 
Environmental and Energy Study Institute, and I ask unanimous consent 
that the bill, and a section-by-section analysis, and letters of 
support be printed in the Record.
  Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to support this important 
legislation and to recognize the enormous environmental and economic 
benefits that transit can bring to our national parks.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 690

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Transit in Parks (TRIP) 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. MASS TRANSPORTATION IN NATIONAL PARKS AND RELATED 
                   PUBLIC LANDS.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 53 of title 49, United States 
     Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

     ``Sec. 5339. Mass transportation in national parks and 
       related public lands

       ``(a) Policies, Findings, and Purposes.--
       ``(1) Development of transportation systems.--It is in the 
     interest of the United

[[Page S3141]]

     States to encourage and promote the development of 
     transportation systems for the betterment of the national 
     parks and other units of the National Park System, national 
     wildlife refuges, recreational areas, and other public lands 
     in order to conserve natural, historical, and cultural 
     resources and prevent adverse impact, relieve congestion, 
     minimize transportation fuel consumption, reduce pollution 
     (including noise and visual pollution), and enhance visitor 
     mobility and accessibility and the visitor experience.
       ``(2) General findings.--Congress finds that--
       ``(A) section 1050 of the Intermodal Surface Transportation 
     Efficiency Act of 1991 (Public Law 102-240) authorized a 
     study of alternatives for visitor transportation in the 
     National Park System which was released by the National Park 
     Service in May 1994;
       ``(B) the study found that--
       ``(i) increasing traffic congestion in the national parks 
     requires alternative transportation strategies to enhance 
     resource protection and the visitor experience and to reduce 
     congestion;
       ``(ii) visitor use, National Park Service units, and 
     concession facilities require integrated planning; and
       ``(iii) the transportation problems and visitor services 
     require increased coordination with gateway communities;
       ``(C) on November 25, 1997, the Department of 
     Transportation and the Department of the Interior entered 
     into a Memorandum of Understanding to address transportation 
     needs within and adjacent to national parks and to enhance 
     cooperation between the departments on park transportation 
     issues;
       ``(D) to initiate the Memorandum of Understanding, and to 
     implement President Clinton's `Parks for Tomorrow' 
     initiative, outlined on Earth Day, 1996, the Department of 
     Transportation and the Department of the Interior announced, 
     in December 1997, the intention to implement mass 
     transportation services in the Grand Canyon National Park, 
     Zion National Park, and Yosemite National Park;
       ``(E) section 3039 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 
     21st Century authorized a comprehensive study, to be 
     conducted by the Secretary of Transportation in coordination 
     with the Secretary of the Interior, and submitted to Congress 
     on January 1, 2000, of alternative transportation in national 
     parks and related public lands, in order to--
       ``(i) identify the transportation strategies that improve 
     the management of the national parks and related public 
     lands;
       ``(ii) identify national parks and related public lands 
     with existing and potential problems of adverse impact, high 
     congestion, and pollution, or which can benefit from 
     alternative transportation modes;
       ``(iii) assess the feasibility of alternative 
     transportation modes; and
       ``(iv) identify and estimate the costs of those alternative 
     transportation modes;
       ``(F) many of the national parks and related public lands 
     are experiencing increased visitation and congestion and 
     degradation of the natural, historical, and cultural 
     resources;
       ``(G) there is a growing need for new and expanded mass 
     transportation services throughout the national parks and 
     related public lands to conserve and protect fragile natural, 
     historical, and cultural resources, prevent adverse impact on 
     those resources, and reduce pollution and congestion, while 
     at the same time facilitating appropriate visitor mobility 
     and accessibility and improving the visitor experience;
       ``(H) the Federal Transit Administration, through the 
     Department of Transportation, can assist the Federal land 
     management agencies through financial support and technical 
     assistance and further the achievement of national goals to 
     enhance the environment, improve mobility, create more 
     livable communities, conserve energy, and reduce pollution 
     and congestion in all regions of the country; and
       ``(I) immediate financial and technical assistance by the 
     Department of Transportation, working with Federal land 
     management agencies and State and local governmental 
     authorities to develop efficient and coordinated mass 
     transportation systems within and adjacent to national parks 
     and related public lands is essential to conserve natural, 
     historical, and cultural resources, relieve congestion, 
     reduce pollution, improve mobility, and enhance visitor 
     accessibility and the visitor experience.
       ``(3) General purposes.--The purposes of this section are--
       ``(A) to develop a cooperative relationship between the 
     Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of the Interior 
     to carry out this section;
       ``(B) to encourage the planning and establishment of mass 
     transportation systems and nonmotorized transportation 
     systems needed within and adjacent to national parks and 
     related public lands, located in both urban and rural areas, 
     that enhance resource protection, prevent adverse impacts on 
     those resources, improve visitor mobility and accessibility 
     and the visitor experience, reduce pollution and congestion, 
     conserve energy, and increase coordination with gateway 
     communities;
       ``(C) to assist Federal land management agencies and State 
     and local governmental authorities in financing areawide mass 
     transportation systems to be operated by public or private 
     mass transportation authorities, as determined by local and 
     regional needs, and to encourage public-private partnerships; 
     and
       ``(D) to assist in the research and development of improved 
     mass transportation equipment, facilities, techniques, and 
     methods with the cooperation of public and private companies 
     and other entities engaged in the provision of mass 
     transportation services.
       ``(b) Definitions.--In this section--
       ``(1) the term `Federal land management agency' means the 
     National Park Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife 
     Service, or the Bureau of Land Management;
       ``(2) the term `national parks and related public lands' 
     means the national parks and other units of the National Park 
     System, national wildlife refuges, recreational areas, and 
     other public lands managed by the Federal land management 
     agencies;
       ``(3) the term `qualified participant' means a Federal land 
     management agency, or a State or local governmental 
     authority, acting alone, in partnership, or with another 
     Governmental or nongovernmental participant;
       ``(4) the term `qualified mass transportation project' 
     means a project--
       ``(A) that is carried out within or adjacent to national 
     parks and related public lands; and
       ``(B) that--
       ``(i) is a capital project, as defined in section 
     5302(a)(1) (other than preventive maintenance activities);
       ``(ii) is any activity described in section 5309(a)(1)(A);
       ``(iii) involves the purchase of rolling stock that 
     incorporates clean fuel technology or the replacement of 
     existing buses with clean fuel vehicles or the deployment of 
     mass transportation vehicles that introduce new technology;
       ``(iv) relates to the capital costs of coordinating the 
     Federal land management agency mass transportation systems 
     with other mass transportation systems;
       ``(v) involves nonmotorized transportation systems, 
     including the provision of facilities for pedestrians and 
     bicycles;
       ``(vi) involves the development of waterborne access within 
     or adjacent to national parks and related public lands, 
     including watercraft, as appropriate to and consistent with 
     the purposes described in subsection (a)(3); or
       ``(vii) is any transportation project that--

       ``(I) enhances the environment;
       ``(II) prevents adverse impact on natural resources;
       ``(III) improves Federal land management agency resources 
     management;
       ``(IV) improves visitor mobility and accessibility and the 
     visitor experience;
       ``(V) reduces congestion and pollution, including noise and 
     visual pollution;
       ``(VI) conserves natural, historical, and cultural 
     resources (other than through the rehabilitation or 
     restoration of historic buildings); and
       ``(VII) incorporates private investment; and

       ``(5) the term `Secretary' means the Secretary of 
     Transportation.
       ``(c) Federal Agency Cooperative Arrangements.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall develop a 
     cooperative relationship with the Secretary of the Interior, 
     which shall provide for--
       ``(A) the exchange of technical assistance;
       ``(B) interagency and multidisciplinary teams to develop 
     Federal land management agency transportation policy, 
     procedures, and coordination; and
       ``(C) the development of procedures and criteria relating 
     to the planning, selection, and funding of qualified mass 
     transportation projects, and implementation and oversight of 
     the project plan in accordance with the requirements of this 
     section.
       ``(2) Project selection.--The Secretary, after consultation 
     and in cooperation with the Secretary of the Interior, shall 
     determine the final selection and funding of projects in 
     accordance with this section.
       ``(d) Types of Assistance.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may contract for or enter 
     into grants, cooperative agreements, or other agreements with 
     a qualified participant to carry out a qualified mass 
     transportation project under this section.
       ``(2) Other uses.--A grant or cooperative agreement or 
     other agreement for a qualified mass transportation project 
     under this section also is available to finance the leasing 
     of equipment and facilities for use in mass transportation, 
     subject to regulations the Secretary prescribes limiting the 
     grant or cooperative arrangement or other agreement to 
     leasing arrangements that are more cost effective than 
     purchase or construction.
       ``(e) Limitation on Use of Available Amounts.--The 
     Secretary may not use more than 5 percent of the amount made 
     available for a fiscal year under section 5338(j) to carry 
     out planning, research, and technical assistance under this 
     section, including the development of technology appropriate 
     for use in a qualified mass transportation project. Amounts 
     made available under this subsection are in addition to 
     amounts otherwise available for planning, research, and 
     technical assistance under this title or any other provision 
     of law.
       ``(f) Planning Process.--In undertaking a qualified mass 
     transportation project under this section--
       ``(1) if the qualified participant is a Federal land 
     management agency--
       ``(A) the Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary of 
     the Interior, shall develop transportation planning 
     procedures that are

[[Page S3142]]

     consistent with sections 5303 through 5305; and
       ``(B) the General Management Plans of the units of the 
     National Park System shall be incorporated into the planning 
     process;
       ``(2) if the qualified participant is a State or local 
     governmental authority, or more than 1 State or local 
     governmental authority in more than 1 State, the qualified 
     participant shall comply with sections 5303 through 5305;
       ``(3) if the national parks and related public lands at 
     issue lie in multiple States, there shall be cooperation in 
     the planning process under sections 5303 through 5305, to the 
     maximum extent practicable, as determined by the Secretary, 
     between those States and the Secretary of the Interior; and
       ``(4) the qualified participant shall comply with the 
     public participation requirements of section 5307(c).
       ``(g) Government's Share of Costs.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish the 
     Federal Government share of assistance to a qualified 
     participant under this section.
       ``(2) Considerations.--In establishing the Government's 
     share of the net costs of a qualified transportation project 
     under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider--
       ``(A) visitation levels and the revenue derived from user 
     fees in the national parks and related public lands at issue;
       ``(B) the extent to which the qualified participant 
     coordinates with an existing public or private mass 
     transportation authority;
       ``(C) private investment in the qualified mass 
     transportation project, including the provision of contract 
     services, joint development activities, and the use of 
     innovative financing mechanisms;
       ``(D) the clear and direct benefit to a qualified 
     participant assisted under this section; and
       ``(E) any other matters that the Secretary considers 
     appropriate to carry out this section.
       ``(3) Non-federal share.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, Federal funds appropriated to any Federal 
     land management agency may be counted toward the non-Federal 
     share of the costs of any mass transportation project that is 
     eligible for assistance under this section.
       ``(h) Selection of Qualified Mass Transportation 
     Projects.--In awarding assistance for a qualified mass 
     transportation project under this section, the Secretary 
     shall consider--
       ``(1) project justification, including the extent to which 
     the project would conserve the resources, prevent adverse 
     impact, and enhance the environment;
       ``(2) the location of the qualified mass transportation 
     project, to assure that the selection of projects--
       ``(A) is geographically diverse nationwide; and
       ``(B) encompasses both urban and rural areas;
       ``(3) the size of the qualified mass transportation 
     project, to assure a balanced distribution;
       ``(4) historical and cultural significance of a project;
       ``(5) safety;
       ``(6) the extent to which the project would enhance livable 
     communities;
       ``(7) the extent to which the project would reduce 
     pollution, including noise and visual pollution;
       ``(8) the extent to which the project would reduce 
     congestion and improve the mobility of people in the most 
     efficient manner; and
       ``(9) any other matters that the Secretary considers 
     appropriate to carry out this section.
       ``(i) Projects of Regional or National Significance.--
       ``(1) General authority.--In addition to other qualified 
     mass transportation projects, the Secretary may select a 
     qualified mass transportation project that is of regional or 
     national significance, or that has significant visitation, or 
     that can benefit from alternative transportation solutions to 
     problems of resource management, pollution, congestion, 
     mobility, and accessibility. Such projects shall meet the 
     criteria set forth in paragraphs (1) through (4) of section 
     5309(e), as applicable.
       ``(2) Project selection criteria.--
       ``(A) Considerations.--In selecting a qualified mass 
     transportation project described in paragraph (1), the 
     Secretary shall consider, as appropriate, in addition to the 
     considerations set forth in subsection (h)--
       ``(i) visitation levels;
       ``(ii) the use of innovative financing or joint development 
     strategies;
       ``(iii) coordination with the gateway communities; and
       ``(iv) any other matters that the Secretary considers 
     appropriate to carry out this subsection.
       ``(B) Certain locations.--For fiscal years 2000 through 
     2003, projects described in paragraph (1) may include the 
     following locations:
       ``(i) Grand Canyon National Park.
       ``(ii) Zion National Park.
       ``(iii) Yosemite National Park.
       ``(iv) Acadia National Park.
       ``(C) Limit.--No project assisted under this subsection 
     shall receive more than 12 percent of the total amount made 
     available under this section in any fiscal year.
       ``(D) Full funding grant agreements.--A project assisted 
     under this subsection whose net project cost is greater than 
     $25,000,000 shall be carried out through a full funding grant 
     agreement in accordance with section 5309(g).
       ``(j) Undertaking Projects in Advance.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may pay the Government's 
     share of the net project cost to a qualified participant that 
     carries out any part of a qualified mass transportation 
     project without assistance under this section, and according 
     to all applicable procedures and requirements, if--
       ``(A) the qualified participant applies for the payment;
       ``(B) the Secretary approves the payment; and
       ``(C) before carrying out that part of the project, the 
     Secretary approves the plans and specifications in the same 
     way as other projects assisted under this chapter.
       ``(2) Interest.--The cost of carrying out a part of a 
     project referred to in paragraph (1) includes the amount of 
     interest earned and payable on bonds issued by the State or 
     local governmental authority, to the extent proceeds of the 
     bond are expended in carrying out that part. However, the 
     amount of interest under this paragraph may not exceed the 
     most favorable interest terms reasonably available for the 
     project at the time of borrowing. The applicant shall 
     certify, in a manner that is satisfactory to the Secretary, 
     that the applicant has shown reasonable diligence in seeking 
     the most favorable financial terms.
       ``(3) Cost change considerations.--The Secretary shall 
     consider changes in project cost indices when determining the 
     estimated cost under paragraph (2).
       ``(k) Project Management Oversight.--The Secretary may use 
     not more than 0.5 percent of amounts made available under 
     this section for a fiscal year to oversee projects and 
     participants in accordance with section 5327.
       ``(l) Relationship to Other Laws.--
       ``(1) In general.--Except as otherwise specifically 
     provided in this section, but subject to paragraph (2) of 
     this subsection, the Secretary shall require that all grants, 
     contracts, cooperative agreements, or other agreements under 
     this section shall be subject to the requirements of sections 
     5307(d), 5307(i), and any other terms, conditions, 
     requirements, and provisions that the Secretary determines 
     are necessary or appropriate to carry out this section, 
     including requirements for the distribution of proceeds on 
     disposition of real property and equipment resulting from the 
     project assisted under this section.
       ``(2) Labor standards.--Sections 5323(a)(1)(D) and 5333(b) 
     apply to assistance provided under this section.
       ``(m) State Infrastructure Banks.--A project assisted under 
     this section shall be eligible for funding through a State 
     Infrastructure Bank or other innovative financing mechanism 
     otherwise available to finance an eligible mass 
     transportation project under this chapter.
       ``(n) Asset Management.--The Secretary may transfer the 
     Department of Transportation interest in and control over all 
     facilities and equipment acquired under this section to a 
     qualified participant for use and disposition in accordance 
     with property management rules and regulations of the 
     department, agency, or instrumentality of the Federal 
     Government.
       ``(o) Coordination of Research and Deployment of New 
     Technologies.--The Secretary may undertake, or make grants or 
     contracts (including agreements with departments, agencies, 
     and instrumentalities of the Federal Government) or other 
     agreements for research, development, and deployment of new 
     technologies that will conserve resources and prevent adverse 
     environmental impact, improve visitor mobility, accessibility 
     and enjoyment, and reduce pollution, including noise and 
     visual pollution, in the national parks and related public 
     lands. The Secretary may request and receive appropriate 
     information from any source. This subsection does not limit 
     the authority of the Secretary under any other provision of 
     law.
       ``(p) Report.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
     Secretary of the Interior, shall report annually to the 
     Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
     of Representatives and to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
     and Urban Affairs of the Senate, on the allocation of amounts 
     to be made available to assist qualified mass transportation 
     projects under this section. Such reports shall be included 
     in each report required under section 5309(p).''.
       (b) Authorizations.--Section 5338 of title 49, United 
     States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(j) Section 5339.--
       ``(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
     to carry out section 5339 $50,000,000 for each of fiscal 
     years 2000 through 2003.
       ``(2) Availability.--Amounts made available under this 
     subsection for any fiscal year shall remain available for 
     obligation until the last day of the third fiscal year 
     commencing after the last day of the fiscal year for which 
     the amounts were initially made available under this 
     subsection.''.
       (c) Conforming Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 53 of 
     title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
     the following:

``5339. Mass transportation in national parks and related public 
              lands.''.

       (d) Technical Amendments.--Chapter 53 of title 49, United 
     States Code, is amended--
       (1) in section 5309--

[[Page S3143]]

       (A) by redesignating subsection (p) as subsection (q); and
       (B) by redesignating the second subsection designated as 
     subsection (o) (as added by section 3009(i) of the Federal 
     Transit Act of 1998 (112 Stat. 356-357)) as subsection (p);
       (2) in section 5328(a)(4), by striking ``5309(o)(1)'' and 
     inserting ``5309(p)(1)''; and
       (3) in section 5337, by redesignating the second subsection 
     designated as subsection (e) (as added by section 3028(b) of 
     the Federal Transit Act of 1998 (112 Stat. 367)) as 
     subsection (f).
                                  ____


             Section-by-Section of the Transit in Parks Act

       I. Amends Federal Transit laws by adding new section 5339, 
     ``Mass Transportation in National Parks and Related Public 
     Lands.''
       II. Statement of Policies, Findings, and Purposes:
       To encourage and promote the development of transportation 
     systems for the betterment of national parks and related 
     public lands and to conserve natural, historical, and 
     cultural resources and prevent adverse impact, relieve 
     congestion, minimize transportation fuel consumption, reduce 
     pollution and enhance visitor mobility and accessibility and 
     the visitor experience.
       To that end, this program establishes federal assistance to 
     certain Federal land management agencies and State and local 
     governmental authorities to finance mass transportation 
     capital projects, to encourage public-private partnerships, 
     and to assist in the research and deployment of improved mass 
     transportation equipment and methods.
       III. Definitions:
       (1) eligible ``Federal land management agencies'' are: 
     National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau 
     of Land Management (all under Department of the Interior).
       (2) ``national parks and related public lands'': eligible 
     areas under the management of these agencies
       (3) ``qualified mass transportation project'': a capital 
     mass transportation project carried out within or adjacent to 
     national parks and related public lands, including rail 
     projects, clean fuel vehicles, joint development activities, 
     pedestrian and bike paths, waterborne access, or projects 
     that otherwise better protect the national parks and related 
     public lands and increase visitor mobility and accessibility.
       IV. Federal Agency Cooperative Arrangements:
       Implements the Memorandum of Understanding between the 
     Departments of Transportation and the Interior for the 
     exchange of technical assistance, the development of 
     transportation policy and coordination, and the establishment 
     of criteria for planning, selection and funding of capital 
     projects under this section. The Secretary of Transportation 
     selects the projects, after consultation with Secretary of 
     the Interior.
       V. Assistance:
       To be provided through grants, cooperative agreements, or 
     other agreements, including leasing under certain conditions, 
     for an eligible capital project under this section. Not more 
     than 5% of the amounts available can be used for planning, 
     research and technical assistance, and these amounts can be 
     supplemented from other sources.
       VI. Planning Process:
       The Departments of Transportation and Interior shall 
     cooperatively develop a planning process consistent with the 
     TEA-21 planning process in sections 5303 through 5305 of the 
     Federal Transit laws.
       VII. Government's Share of the Costs:
       In determining the Federal Transit Administration share of 
     the project costs, the Secretary of Transportation must 
     consider certain factors, including visitation levels and 
     user fee revenues, the coordination in the project 
     development with a public or private transit authority, 
     private investment, and whether there is a clear and direct 
     financial benefit to the applicant. The intent is to 
     establish criteria for a sliding scale of assistance, with a 
     lower Government share for large projects that can attract 
     outside investment, and a higher Government share for 
     projects that may not have access to such outside resources. 
     In addition, funds from the Federal land management agencies 
     can be counted as the local share.
       VIII. Selection of Projects:
       The Secretary shall consider: (1) project justification, 
     including the extent to which the project conserves the 
     resources, prevents adverse impact and enhances the 
     environment; (2) project location to ensure geographic 
     diversity and both rural and urban projects; (3) project size 
     for a balanced distribution; (4) historical and cultural 
     significance; (5) safety; (6) the extent to which the project 
     would enhance livable communities; (7) the reduction of 
     pollution, including noise and visual pollution; (8) the 
     reduction of congestion and the improvement of the mobility 
     of people in the most efficient manner; and (9) any other 
     considerations the Secretary deems appropriate. Projects 
     funded under this section must meet certain transit law 
     requirements.
       IX. Projects of Regional or National Significance:
       This is a special category that sets forth criteria for 
     special, generally larger, projects or for those areas that 
     may have problems of resource management, pollution, 
     congestion, mobility, and accessibility that can be addressed 
     by this program. Additional project selection criteria 
     include: visitation levels; the use of innovative financing 
     or joint development strategies; coordination with the 
     gateway communities; and any other considerations the 
     Secretary deems appropriate. Projects under this section must 
     meet certain Federal Transit New Starts criteria. This 
     section identifies some locations that may fit these 
     criteria. Any project in this category that is $25 million or 
     greater in cost will have a full funding grant agreement 
     similar to Federal Transit New Starts projects. No project 
     can receive more than 12% of the total amount available in 
     any given year.
       X. Undertaking Projects in Advance:
       This provision applies current transit law to this section, 
     allowing projects to advance prior to receiving Federal 
     funding, but allowing the advance activities to be counted so 
     the local share as long as certain conditions are met.
       XI. Project Management Oversight:
       This provision applies current transit law to this section, 
     limiting oversight funds to 0.5% per year of the funds made 
     available for this section.
       XII. Relationship to Other Laws:
       This provision applies certain transit laws to all projects 
     funded under this section and permits the Secretary to apply 
     any other terms or conditions he deems appropriate.
       XIII. State Infrastructure Banks:
       A project assisted under this section can also use funding 
     from a State Infrastructure Bank or other innovative 
     financing mechanism that funds eligible transit projects.
       XIV. Asset Management:
       This provision permits the Secretary of Transportation to 
     transfer control over a transit asset acquired with Federal 
     funds under this section in accord with certain Federal 
     property management rules.
       XV. Coordination of Research and Deployment of New 
     Technologies:
       This provision allows grants for research and deployment of 
     new technologies to meet the special needs of the national 
     park lands.
       XVI. Report:
       This requires the Secretary of Transportation to submit a 
     report on projects funded under this section to the House 
     Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate 
     Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, to be included 
     in the Department's annual project report.
       XVII. Authorization:
       $50,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated for the 
     Secretary to carry out this program for each of the fiscal 
     years 2000 through 2003.
       XVIII. Technical Amendments:
       Technical corrections to the transit title in TEA-21.
                                                   American Public


                                          Transit Association,

                                 Washington, DC, January 25, 1999.
     Hon. Paul S. Sarbanes,
     Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
         Urban Affairs, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Sarbanes: Thank you for forwarding us a copy 
     of the ``Transit in Parks (TRIP) Act'' which would amend 
     federal transit law at chapter 53, title 49 U.S.C.
       The Act would authorize federal assistance to certain 
     federal agencies and state and local entities to finance mass 
     transit projects generally for the purpose of addressing 
     transportation congestion and mobility issues at national 
     parks. Among other things, the bill would implement the 
     Memorandum of Understanding between the Departments of 
     Transportation and Interior regarding joint efforts of those 
     federal agencies to encourage the use of public 
     transportation at national parks.
       We strongly supported that Memorandum of Understanding, and 
     I am just as pleased to support your efforts to improve 
     mobility in our national parks. Public transportation clearly 
     has much to offer citizens who visit these national 
     treasures, where congestion and pollution are significant--
     and growing--problems. Moreover, this legislation should 
     broaden the base of support for public transportation, a key 
     principle APTA has been advocating for many years. In that 
     regard, we will be reviewing your bill with APTA's 
     legislative leadership.
       We also look forward to participating in the study of these 
     issues you were successful in including in TEA 21.
       I applaud you for introducing the legislation, and look 
     forward to continuing to work with you and your staff. Let us 
     know what we can do to help your initiative!
           Sincerely yours,
                                                William W. Millar,
     President.
                                  ____

                                                February 24, 1999.
     Hon. Paul Sarbanes,
     U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Sarbanes: This letter expresses our support 
     for the legislation you are introducing, the Transit in Parks 
     Act, which provides a direct funding source for alternative 
     transportation projects in our national parks and other 
     federally-managed public lands. As you know, many of these 
     areas are experiencing unprecedented numbers of visitors 
     resulting in severe traffic

[[Page S3144]]

     congestion and degradation of some of the country's most 
     valuable and treasured natural, cultural and historic 
     resources.
       You bill's establishment of a new program within the 
     Federal Transit Administration, dedicated to enhancing 
     transit options in and adjacent to these park lands, can have 
     a powerful, positive effect on the future integrity of the 
     park lands and their resources by reducing the need for 
     access by automobile, improving visitor access, and enhancing 
     the visitor experience.
       We appreciate your leadership, which has been critical in 
     bringing attention to this emerging issue. The programs 
     funded through TRIP will be a major building block in what we 
     hope will be a broad effort to lessen the impacts of 
     visitation on these most important natural areas. We look 
     forward to working with you to move this legislation to 
     enactment.
           Sincerely,
         American Planning Association; American Public Transit 
           Association; Bicycle Federation of America; Community 
           Transportation Association of America; Environmental 
           Defense Fund; Environmental and Energy Study Institute; 
           Friends of the Earth; Izaak Walton League of America; 
           National Association of Counties; National Trust for 
           Historic Preservation; Natural Resources Defense 
           Council; Rails-to-Trails Conservancy; Scenic America; 
           Surface Transportation Policy Project; The Wilderness 
           Society.
                                  ____

                                                National Parks and


                                     Conservation Association,

                                    Washington, DC, March 9, 1999.
     Hon. Paul Sarbanes,
     Hart Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Sarbanes: On behalf of the National Parks and 
     Conservation Association (NPCA) and its nearly 400,000 
     members, I want to thank you for proposing a bill that will 
     enhance transit options for access to and within our national 
     parks. NPCA applauds your leadership and foresight in 
     recognizing the critical role that mass transit can play in 
     protecting our parks and improving the visitor experience.
       Visitation to America's national parks has skyrocketed 
     during the past two decades, from 190 million visitors in 
     1975 to approximately 270 million visitors last year. 
     Increased public interest in these special places has placed 
     substantial burdens on the very resources that draw people to 
     the parks. As more and more individuals crowd into our 
     national parks--typically by automobile--fragile habitat, 
     endangered plants and animals, unique cultural treasures, and 
     spectacular natural resources and vistas are being damaged 
     from air and water pollution, noise intrusion, and 
     inappropriate use.
       As outlined in your legislation, the establishment of a 
     program within the Federal Transit Administration dedicated 
     to enhancing transit options in and adjacent to the national 
     parks will have a powerful, positive effect on the future 
     ecological and cultural integrity of the parks. Your 
     initiative will boost the role of alternative transportation 
     solutions for national parks, particularly those most heavily 
     impacted by visitation such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, the 
     Grand Canyon, Acadia, Zion, and the Great Smoky Mountains. 
     For instance, development of transportation centers and auto 
     parking lots outside the parks, complemented by the use of 
     buses, vans, or rail systems, would provide much more 
     efficient means of handling the crush of visitation.
       Equally important, the legislation will provide an 
     excellent opportunity for the National Park Service (NPS) to 
     enter into public/private partnerships with states, 
     localities, and the private sector, providing a wider range 
     of transportation options than exists today. These 
     partnerships could leverage funds that NPS currently has 
     great difficulty accessing.
       NPCA wholeheartedly endorses your bill as a creative new 
     mechanism to fulfill the primary mission of the National Park 
     System: ``to conserve the scenery and the natural and 
     historic objects and the wildlife therein, and to provide for 
     the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as 
     will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future 
     generations.''
       We look forward to working with you to move this 
     legislation to enactment.
           Sincerely,
                                                Thomas C. Kiernan,
     President.
                                  ____



                            Natural Resources Defense Council,

                                 Washington, DC, February 2, 1999.
     Hon. Paul Sarbanes,
     U.S. Senate, Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Paul Sarbanes: On behalf of the 450,000 
     members of the Natural Resources Defense Council, I am 
     writing to support your Transit in Parks Act. Many of our 
     national parks are suffering from the impacts of too many 
     automobiles: traffic congestion, air and water pollution, and 
     disturbance of natural ecosystems resulting in the 
     degradation of national park natural and cultural resources 
     and the visitor's experience. Providing dedicated funding for 
     transit projects in our national parks as your bill would do 
     is a priority solution to these problems in the National Park 
     System.
       It is essential in many parks to get visitors out of their 
     automobiles by providing attractive and effective transit 
     services to and within national parks. A sound practical 
     transit system in many of our national parks will improve the 
     visitor's experience--making it more convenient and enjoyable 
     for families and visitors of all ages. Improved transit is 
     critical to diversifying transportation choices and providing 
     better access for the benefit of all park visitors. Air 
     pollutants from automobiles driven by visitors can exacerbate 
     respiratory health problems, damage vegetation, and 
     contribute to haze which too often obliterates park vistas. 
     To reduce the reliance on automobiles your bill would 
     authorize the funding so our national parks can provide 
     efficient and convenient transit systems which cost money to 
     build and operate.
       We commend and thank you for your dedication and leadership 
     on this issue and more generally to the protection of our 
     national parks. Please look to us to help you establish 
     public transit in the national parks.
           Sincerely
                                                Charles M. Clusen,
     Senior Policy Analyst.
                                  ____



                                   Environmental Defense Fund,

                                   New York, NY, February 3, 1999.
     Hon. Paul Sarbanes,
     U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Sarbanes: I am writing on behalf of the 
     Environmental Defense Fund and our 300,000 members to express 
     support for your bill, the Transit in Parks Act, which will 
     provide dedicated funding for transit projects in our 
     national parks. Too many of our parks suffer from the 
     consequences of poor transportation systems: traffic 
     congestion, air and water pollution, and disturbance of 
     natural ecosystems.
       Increased funding for attractive and effective transit 
     services to and within our national parks is essential to 
     mitigating these growing problems. A good working transit 
     system in a number of our national parks will make the park 
     experience not only more enjoyable for the many families that 
     travel there, it will help improve environmental conditions. 
     Having had the chance to experience the excellent transit 
     system in Denali National Park, I know how much of a 
     difference these systems can make.
       Air pollutants that exacerbate respiratory health problems, 
     damage vegetation, and contribute to haze which too often 
     obliterates the views at our parks, will be abated by 
     decreasing the number of cars and congestion levels in the 
     parks. Improved transit related to our parks is key to 
     diversifying transportation choices and access for the 
     benefit of all who might visit our national park system.
       We appreciate your leadership on this issue and your 
     dedication to the health of our national parks. We look 
     forward to working with you to move your legislation forward.
           Yours truly,
                                                       Fred Krupp,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____

                                          Community Transportation


                                        Association of America

                                Washington, DC, February 22, 1999.
     Hon. Paul Sarbanes,
     Committee on Banking and Urban Affairs, U.S. Senate, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Sarbanes: It is an honor to once again support 
     your efforts to provide alternative transportation strategies 
     in our national parks and other public lands. Our 
     Association's over thirteen hundred members provide public 
     and community transportation in many of the smaller 
     communities which border these national treasures. We 
     supported your proposal last year because we know as 
     neighbors of these facilities how transportation alternatives 
     will help keep these areas safe in the twenty-first century.
       All of us know the danger that congestion and the increase 
     in traffic pose for the future of these sites and locations. 
     Your efforts in the past, and more importantly this year, are 
     an important step forward to establish a dialogue on 
     protecting these areas that help make America's natural 
     beauty a continuous part of the nation's future. This work 
     was urgent last year and it remains urgent today. We support 
     your efforts because our need to begin is obviously overdue. 
     Every day that we fail to protect these areas diminishes 
     their future.
       We will work with you any way we can to help make your 
     proposed Transit in Parks legislation a reality. We look 
     forward to helping you move this important work forward.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Dale J. Marsico,
                                               Executive Director.
                                 ______