[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 170 (Friday, November 21, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2375-E2376]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
                              ACT OF 2003

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. VERNON J. EHLERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 20, 2003

  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to introduce an important piece 
of legislation, ``The Surface Transportation Research and Development 
Act of 2003.'' Our Nation's transportation system faces tremendous 
challenges. We have more drivers who are driving more miles leading to 
severe congestion, particularly in many urban areas. An aging 
infrastructure is putting a strain on State and local transportation 
budgets, which are tied up in maintaining our existing system, with 
little, if any, money left for improving the system and planning for 
the future. And an aging population and changing development patterns 
that demand an innovative response to ensure the transportation system 
meets future needs. The public demands safer, less congested roads, and 
more transportation choices. Considering that we won't have the ability 
to simply build

[[Page E2376]]

more roads to address these challenges, especially in urban areas, we 
must look at new ways to improve the overall system, to make it safer 
and more efficient, and to ensure that the system meets future needs.
  Fundamental improvements to the entire transportation system depend 
on high quality surface transportation research. Research can provide 
the proper tools and information needed to drive solutions. The last 
time Congress fully examined our Nation's transportation policy was 
through the debate and passage of the Transportation Equity Act for the 
21st Century (better known as TEA-21). While Congress increased funding 
for overall transportation programs by upwards of 40 percent, funding 
for transportation research remained relatively flat. I think that lack 
of investment in research has hurt our ability to meet new challenges. 
However, simply providing more money for research will not solve our 
problems. Increased funding must be accompanied by some reforms of the 
existing research programs.
  As Chairman of the House Science Subcommittee on Environment, 
Technology and Standards, which shares jurisdiction over surface 
transportation research with the Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee, I held a hearing earlier this year to hear from experts on 
the state of the Federal Government's current surface transportation 
research program. In addition, we heard from a wide array of interests 
on how to improve and reform the research program, and the levels at 
which research should be funded. Based on this input, I am proud to 
introduce the Surface Transportation Research and Development Act of 
2003.
  This legislation has three overarching goals: to increase stakeholder 
input to ensure that the folks who must implement and use the research 
agree that it is worthwhile and transferable into practice; to create 
the highest quality research through increased competition and peer-
review of all projects; and to ensure greater accountability so that 
our research supports the goals of our surface transportation system.

  More specifically, the bill:
  Creates and funds an important research program run by the National 
Academy of Sciences to address short to medium-term research needs. 
Research will focus on reducing congestion, renewing existing roads and 
bridges while minimizing impact to the public, improving safety by 
reducing crashes, and developing tools for getting more out of our 
existing highway capacity and assessing future needs. All projects 
funded by this program will be competitively awarded and peer-reviewed;
  Provides needed funds to implement a public-private cooperative 
environmental research program, with the goal of developing the 
knowledge, tools, and performance measures that will help us understand 
the linkage between the environment and the transportation system;
  Calls on the U.S. Department of Transportation to take the lead in 
carrying out fundamental, long-term research to achieve breakthroughs 
in transportation research;
  Increases funding for University Transportation Centers and ensures 
greater competition among universities which seek to become 
transportation research centers;
  Reforms and increases the responsiveness of the Bureau of 
Transportation Statistics to the needs of the transportation community; 
and
  Provides States with additional resources to better train and educate 
the transportation workforce.
  This legislation will significantly, yet prudently, increase funding 
for transportation research starting at $500 million a year in fiscal 
year 2004 for Federal research programs and gradually rising to $850 
million a year by 2009. These funding levels are based on an overall 
level of $375 billion for the comprehensive six-year surface 
transportation reauthorization advocated by the House Transportation 
and Infrastructure Committee, which I support. I believe my approach 
ensures that our transportation research is well planned, peer-
reviewed, properly funded, and evaluated and will go a long way to help 
solve the many challenges facing our Nation's transportation system.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Science and 
Transportation and Infrastructure Committees, the U.S. Department of 
Transportation, State transportation departments, and all other 
interested stakeholders as this legislation and the overall 
reauthorization of TEA-21 progress.

                          ____________________