[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 11, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2211-S2213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BINGAMAN:
  S. 354. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to 
establish the National Transportation Modeling and Analysis Program to 
complete an advanced transportation simulation model, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation 
that I believe will go a long way in helping to reduce congestion and 
improve safety and security throughout the Nation's transportation 
network. Today I am introducing the National Transportation Modeling 
and Analysis Program Establishment Act, or NATMAP for short.
  The purpose of this bill is to authorize the Secretary of 
Transportation to complete an advanced computer model that will 
simulate, in a single integrated system, traffic flows over every major 
transportation mode, including highways, air traffic, railways, inland 
waterways, seaports, pipelines, and other intermodal connections. The 
advanced model will simulate flows of both passenger and freight 
traffic.
  Our transportation network is a central component of our economy and 
fundamental to our freedom and quality of life. America's mobility is 
the engine of our free market system. The food we eat, the clothes we 
wear, the materials for our homes and offices, and the energy to heat 
our homes and power our businesses all come to us over the Nation's 
vast transportation network. Originating with a producer in one region, 
materials and products may travel via any number of combinations of 
truck, rail, airplane, and barge before reaching their final 
destinations.
  Today, the Internet connects the world electronically. But it is our 
transportation network that provides the vital links for the movement 
of both people and goods domestically and around the world. According 
to the latest statistics, our transportation industry carries over 11 
billion tons of freight per year worth about $7 trillion. Of the 3.7 
trillion ton-miles of freight carried in 1998, 1.4 trillion went by 
rail, 1 trillion by truck, 673 billion by domestic water 
transportation, 620 billion by pipeline, and 14 billion by air carrier.
  Individuals also depend on our transportation system--be it passenger 
rail, commercial airline, intercity bus, or the family car--for 
business travel or simply to enjoy a family vacation. Excluding public 
transit, passengers on our highways traveled a total of 4.2 trillion 
passenger-miles in 1998. Airlines carried another 463 billion 
passenger-miles. Transit companies and rail lines carried 50 billion.
  We are also interconnected to the world's transportation system, and, 
as I am sure every Senator well knows, foreign trade is an increasingly 
critical component of our economy. Our Nation's seaports, international 
airports, and border crossing with Canada and Mexico are the gateways 
through which passengers and cargo flow between America and the rest of 
the world. The smooth flow of trade, both imports and exports, would 
not be possible without a robust transportation network and the direct 
links it provides to our international ports of entry.
  It should be clear that key to our continuing economic strength is a 
transportation system that is safe, secure and efficient. Today, we are 
fortunate to have one of the best transportation networks in the world, 
and I believe we need to keep it that way. However, we are starting to 
see signs of strain from the dramatic increase in traffic. For example, 
according to the Department of Transportation, from 1980 to 2000, 
highway travel alone increased a whopping 80 percent. Between 1993 and 
1997, the total tons of freight activity grew by over 14 percent and 
truck activity grew by 21 percent. In the future, truck travel is 
expected to grow by more than 3 percent per year--nearly doubling by 
2020. As a result of the increased highway traffic, the operational 
performance, a measure of congestion, has deteriorated dramatically. 
For example, FHWA estimates that a typical trip that would take 20 
minutes in 1987 now takes over 30 minutes--a dramatic 50 percent 
increase.
  Meanwhile, the strong growth in foreign trade is putting increased 
pressure on ports, airports, and border crossings, as well as 
contributing to congestion throughout the transportation network. 
According to DoT, U.S. international trade more than doubled between 
1990 and 2000, rising from $891 billion to $2.2 trillion.
  Congestion and delay inevitably result when traffic rates approach 
the capacity of a system to handle that traffic. I do believe increased 
congestion in our transportation system is a growing threat to the 
nation's economy. Delays in any part of the vast network lead to 
economic costs, wasted fuel, increased pollution, and a reduced quality 
of life. Moreover, in the future new security measures could also 
increase delays and disruptions in the flow of goods through our 
international gateways.
  To deal with the ever-increasing loading of our transportation 
network we will need to find ways to improve system efficiency as well 
as to expand some critical elements of the system. However, in planning 
for any improvements, we must examine the impact on the whole 
transportation system that would result from a change in one part of 
the system That's exactly the goal of the bill I am introducing today.
  By simulating the Nation's entire transportation infrastructure as a 
single, integrated system, the National Transportation Analysis and 
Modeling Program will allow policy makers at the State, regional, and 
national levels to evaluate the implications of new transportation 
policies and actions. To ensure that all possible interrelated impacts 
are included, the model must simulate individual carriers and the 
transportation infrastructure used by each of the carriers in an 
interdependent and dynamic system. The advantage of this simulation of 
individual carriers and shipments is that the nation's transportation 
system can be examined at any level of detail--from the path of an 
individual truck to national multi-modal traffic flows.
  Some of the transportation planning issues that could be addressed 
with NATMAP include: What infrastructure improvements result in the 
greatest

[[Page S2212]]

gains to overall system security and efficiency? How would the network 
respond to shifts in population or trade flows? How would the system 
respond to major disruptions caused by a natural disaster or another 
unthinkable terrorist attack? What effect would system delays due to 
increased security measures have on traffic flow and congestion?
  Preliminary work on an advanced transportation model has been 
underway for several years at Los Alamos National Laboratory. As I'm 
sure most senators know, Los Alamos has a long and impressive history 
in computer simulations of complex systems, including the recent 
completion of the TRANSIMS model of transportation systems in 
metropolitan areas. The development of TRANSIMS for FHWA was originally 
authorized in section 1210 of TEA-21. NATMAP builds on the original 
work at LANL on the TRANSIMS model.
  The initial work at LANL on NATMAP, funded in part by DoT, DoD, and 
the lab's own internal research and development program, demonstrated 
the technical feasibility of building a nation-wide freight 
transportation model that can simulate the movement of millions of 
trucks across the nation's highway system. During this initial 
development phase, the model was called the National Transportation 
Network and Analysis Capability, or NTNAC for short. In 2001, with 
funding from the Federal Highway Administration, LANL further developed 
the model and completed an assessment of cargo flows resulting from 
trade between the U.S. and Latin America.
  These preliminary studies have clearly demonstrated the value to the 
nation of a new comprehensive modeling system. I do believe that the 
computer model represents a leap ahead in transportation modeling and 
analysis capability. Indeed, Secretary of Transportation Norm Mineta, 
in a letter to me dated April 9 of this year, had this to say about the 
early simulations: ``The DOT agrees that NTNAC shows great promise of 
producing a tool that would be useful for analyzing the national 
transportation system as a single, integrated system. We agree that 
NTNAC would provide DOT with important new capabilities to assess and 
formulate critical policy and investment options and to help address 
homeland security and vulnerabilities in the nation's transportation 
network.''
  I ask unanimous consent that a copy of Secretary Mineta's letter be 
printed in the Record.
  The bill I am introducing today establishes a six-year program in the 
Office of the Secretary of Transportation to complete the development 
of the advanced transportation simulation model. The program will also 
support early deployment of computer software and graphics packages to 
federal agencies and states for national, regional, or statewide 
transportation planning. The bill authorizes a total of $50 million 
from the Highway Trust Fund for this effort. When completed, NATMAP 
will provide the nation a tool to help formulate and analyze critical 
transportation policy and investment options, including major 
infrastructure requirements and vulnerabilities within that 
infrastructure.
  Congress will soon take up the reauthorization of TEA-21, the six-
year transportation bill. I am introducing this bill today so my 
proposal can be fully considered by the Senate's Environment and Public 
Works Committee and by the Administration as the next authorization 
bill is being developed. I look forward to working with Senator Inhofe, 
the Chairman of the EPW Committee, and Senator Jeffords, the ranking 
member, as well as Senator Bond, the Chairman of the Transportation, 
Infrastructure, and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee and Senator Reid, the 
ranking member, to incorporate this bill in the reauthorization of TEA-
21.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 354

       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 ``National Transportation 
     Modeling and Analysis Program Establishment Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Advanced model.--The term ``advanced model'' means the 
     advanced transportation simulation model developed under the 
     National Transportation Network and Analysis Capability 
     Program.
       (2) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the National 
     Transportation Modeling and Analysis Program established 
     under section 3.
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Transportation.

     SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.

       The Secretary of Transportation shall establish a program, 
     to be known as the ``National Transportation Modeling and 
     Analysis Program''--
       (1) to complete the advanced model; and
       (2) to support early deployment of computer software and 
     graphics packages for the advanced model to agencies of the 
     Federal Government and to States for national, regional, or 
     statewide transportation planning.

     SEC. 4. SCOPE OF PROGRAM.

       The Program shall provide for a simulation of the national 
     transportation infrastructure as a single, integrated system 
     that--
       (1) incorporates models of--
       (A) each major transportation mode, including--
       (i) highways;
       (ii) air traffic;
       (iii) railways;
       (iv) inland waterways;
       (v) seaports;
       (vi) pipelines; and
       (vii) other intermodal connections; and
       (B) passenger traffic and freight traffic;
       (2) is resolved to the level of individual transportation 
     vehicles, including trucks, trains, vessels, and aircraft;
       (3) relates traffic flows to issues of economics, the 
     environment, national security, energy, and safety;
       (4) analyzes the effect on the United States transportation 
     system of Mexican and Canadian trucks operating in the United 
     States; and
       (5) examines the effects of various security procedures and 
     regulations on cargo flow at ports of entry.

     SEC. 5. ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.

       Under the Program, the Secretary shall--
       (1) complete the advanced model;
       (2) develop user-friendly advanced transportation modeling 
     computer software and graphics packages;
       (3) provide training and technical assistance with respect 
     to the implementation and application of the advanced model 
     to Federal agencies and to States for use in national, 
     regional, or statewide transportation planning; and
       (4) allocate funds to not more than 3 entities described in 
     paragraph (3), representing diverse applications and 
     geographic regions, to carry out pilot programs to 
     demonstrate use of the advanced model for national, regional, 
     or statewide transportation planning.

     SEC. 6. FUNDING.

       (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
     from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit 
     Account) to carry out this Act--
       (1) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
       (2) $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
       (3) $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
       (4) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2007;
       (5) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; and
       (6) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2009.
       (b) Allocation of Funds.--
       (1) Fiscal years 2004 and 2005.--For each of fiscal years 
     2004 and 2005, 100 percent of the funds made available under 
     subsection (a) shall be used to carry out activities 
     described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 5.
       (2) Fiscal years 2006 through 2009.--For each of fiscal 
     years 2006 through 2009, not more than 50 percent of the 
     funds made available under subsection (a) may be used to 
     carry out activities described in section 5(4).
       (c) Contract Authority.--Funds authorized under this 
     section shall be available for obligation in the same manner 
     as if the funds were apportioned under chapter 1 of title 23, 
     United States Code, except that the Federal share of the cost 
     of--
       (1) any activity described in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of 
     section 5 shall be 100 percent; and
       (2) any activity described in section 5(4) shall not exceed 
     80 percent.
       (d) Availability of Funds.--Funds made available under this 
     section shall be available to the Secretary through the 
     Transportation Planning, Research, and Development Account of 
     the Office of the Secretary of Transportation.
                                  ____



                              The Secretary of Transportation,

                                   Washington, DC., April 9, 2002.
     Hon. Jeff Bingaman,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Jeff: Thank you for your letter of January 30 
     expressing your strong support to continue the development of 
     the National Transportation Network Analysis Capability 
     (NTNAC). The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Office 
     of Policy and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have 
     been working closely with Los Alamos National Laboratory to 
     develop this tool.
       During 1998, Los Alamos National Laboratory developed a 
     prototype NTNAC with funding provided by the DOT ($50,000 
     from

[[Page S2213]]

     the Office of the Secretary's Transportation Policy 
     Development Office), the U.S. Department of Defense 
     (TRANSCOM's Military Transportation Management Command), and 
     the Laboratory's own internal research and development 
     program. This effort demonstrated the technical feasibility 
     of building a national transportation network that can 
     simulate the movements of individual carriers (trucks, 
     trains, planes, water vessels, and pipelines) and individual 
     freight shippers.
       During 1999, FHWA provided $750,000 to further develop 
     NTNAC and to complete the study ``National Transportation 
     Impact of Latin American Trade Flows.''
       The DOT agrees that NTNAC shows great promise of producing 
     a tool that would be useful for analyzing the national 
     transportation system as a single, integrated system. We 
     agree that NTNAC would provide DOT with important new 
     capabilities to assess and formulate critical policy and 
     investment options and to help address homeland security and 
     vulnerabilities in the Nation's transportation network.
       However, the Department's budget is very limited. It would 
     be difficult to find funding to continue the project this 
     year. If funding should become available, we will give 
     priority consideration to continuing the NTNAC development 
     effort.
       Again, I very much appreciate your thoughts on the 
     importance of continuing the development of NTNAC. If I can 
     provide further information or assistance, please fell free 
     to call me.
           Sincerely yours,
                                                 Normal Y. Mineta.
                                 ______