[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 133 (Wednesday, July 12, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39394-39395]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-10926]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Innovative Technology Administration

[Docket Number: RITA-2006-25247]


Request for Public Comments

AGENCY: Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 5208 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, 
Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), 
the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Administrator of 
the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), is 
developing a 5-year transportation research and development strategic 
plan. The purpose of this notice is to invite interested parties to 
review and submit comments on the draft Strategic Research, Development 
and Technology Plan of the Department of Transportation (DOT). The plan 
can be found by using the above docket number at http://dms.dot.gov.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 9, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You can mail or hand-deliver comments to the U.S. Department 
of Transportation (DOT), Dockets Management System (DMS). You may 
submit your comments by mail or in person to the Docket Clerk, Docket 
No. RITA-2006-25247, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW., Room PL-401, Washington, DC 20590-0001. Comments should 
identify the docket number; paper comments should be submitted in 
duplicate. The DMS is open for examination and copying, at the above 
address, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal 
holidays. If you wish to receive confirmation of receipt of your 
written comments, please include a self-addressed, stamped postcard 
with the following statement: ``Comments on Docket RITA-2006-25247.'' 
The Docket Clerk will date stamp the postcard prior to returning it to 
you via the U.S. mail. Please note that due to delays in the delivery 
of U.S. mail to Federal offices in Washington, DC, we recommend that 
persons consider an alternative method (the Internet, fax, or 
professional delivery service) to submit comments to the docket and 
ensure their timely receipt at U.S. DOT. You may fax your comments to 
the DMS at (202) 493-2251.
    If you wish to file comments using the Internet, you may use the 
DOT DMS Web site at http://dms.dot.gov. Please follow the online 
instructions for submitting an electronic comment. You can also review 
comments online at the DMS Web site at http://dms.dot.gov.
    Please note that anyone is able to electronically search all 
comments received into our docket management system by the name of the 
individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment if submitted 
on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may 
review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register 
published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; pages 19477-78) or 
you may review the Privacy Act Statement at http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lydia E. Mercado, RTD-10, Room 2440, 
Office of Research, Development & Technology, Research and Innovative 
Technology Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20590; (202) 366-3372; Fax No. (202) 366-3671; e-mail: 
[email protected]. Office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On August 10, 2005, the President signed into law the Safe, 
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy 
for Users (SAFETEA-LU) (Pub. L. 109-59, 119 Stat. 1144). Title V, 
Subtitle B, section 5208(a) requires that the Secretary develop a 5-
year transportation research and development strategic plan to guide 
Federal research and development activities. Furthermore, Section 
5208(c)(1) requires that said plan be reviewed by the National Research 
Council.

A. Content of the Department of Transportation's Strategic Research, 
Development and Technology Plan (RD&T)

    The DOT Strategic RD&T Plan 2006-2010 presents the Department's 
broad approach to RD&T over the next five years and beyond. The plan 
describes the strategic goals that are the primary purposes for RD&T 
the RD&T strategies the Department will pursue to accomplish these 
goals; and, for each RD&T strategy, the anticipated funding levels and 
information the Department expects to gain. Importantly, the plan also 
identifies the emerging research priorities that the Department intends 
to pursue over the next several years. The plan incorporates the RD&T 
programs of all DOT operating administrations and considers how 
research by other Federal agencies, state DOTs, the private sector, and 
others contributes to DOT objectives and how unnecessary duplication is 
avoided.
Plan Development
    This Strategic RD&T Plan was developed as part of an ongoing 
planning process that incorporates multi-year strategic planning, 
annual program planning, and budget and performance planning across the 
Department. This process is led by two internal planning bodies: The 
RD&T Planning Council and the RD&T Planning Team. Through a broad 
Department-wide process, the RD&T Planning Council has identified a set 
of RD&T strategies and emerging research priority areas that will 
advance DOT goals and guide RD&T investments over the next five years. 
These RD&T strategies and priorities provide the framework for this 
plan and for RD&T across the Department. As required by SAFETEA-LU, 
this plan will be reviewed by the National Research Council and 
incorporate input from a range of stakeholders, including state and 
local transportation agencies, not-for-profit institutions, academia, 
and the private sector. This outreach and review process will continue 
as DOT revises the plan to reflect changing priorities, operating 
administration mission requirements, and customer needs.

B. RD&T Strategies

    Through its RD&T Planning Council, the Department has identified 
the critical RD&T strategies that will address the relevant factors 
affecting the Nation's transportation system and advance DOT goals. 
These overarching strategies serve as the primary research topics for 
the Department's RD&T programs and activities. DOT's RD&T strategies 
for the next five years are as follows:
Safety
    1. Sponsor and conduct research to understand and address the 
causal factors and risks in accidents and to anticipate future safety 
risks in all transportation modes.
    2. Sponsor and conduct research to determine the most effective 
ways of mitigating the consequences of transportation accidents and 
incidents in all modes.

[[Page 39395]]

    3. Provide support to safety rulemaking by assessing the potential 
safety impacts of new transportation technologies, vehicles, concepts, 
designs, and procedures.
Reduced Congestion
    1. Conduct and sponsor research to reduce urban and suburban 
traffic congestion, freight gateway congestion, and aviation system 
congestion.
    2. Conduct and sponsor research to extend the life of the existing 
transportation system and improve the durability of infrastructure.
    3. Conduct and sponsor research to advance the use of next 
generation technologies and to make effective use of combinations of 
modes in moving people and goods.
    4. Conduct and sponsor research to improve the planning, operation, 
and management of surface transportation and aviation services and 
assets.
    5. Conduct and sponsor research to improve transportation services 
for underserved areas and populations.
    6. Advance the Nation's transportation workforce and research 
capability through capacity building, fellowships, grants, and 
cooperative research with universities, the private sector, and state 
and local governments.
Global Connectivity
    1. Conduct and sponsor research leading to harmonized international 
standards, improved cross-border collaboration, and global leadership 
for U.S. transportation providers.
Environmental Stewardship
    1. Conduct and support research to understand the various impacts 
of transportation activities on the natural and built environment and 
communities and to advance technologies and concepts to mitigate those 
impacts.
    2. Conduct and support research on ways to improve the 
environmental review process to achieve the timely delivery of 
transportation projects.
Security, Preparedness and Response
    1. Conduct and support research to reduce the vulnerability of 
transportation systems and to improve their ability to prepare for and 
recover from attacks, natural disasters, and emergencies.
    2. Conduct and support research to develop technologies and 
procedures to secure hazardous materials shipments and to assess the 
risks of hazmat events.
Organizational Excellence
    Consistently apply the President's R&D Investment Criteria--
relevance, quality, and performance--to all DOT-sponsored and in-house 
research.

C. Emerging Research Priorities

    To support the Department's goals and RD&T strategies, the RD&T 
Planning Council identified six emerging research priorities to guide 
research investments both within and beyond the time period covered by 
this plan. Several of these priorities cut across transportation modes 
and operating administration mission requirements. The Department's 
emerging research priorities are as follows:
    Human-Automation Interaction. Conduct and support research leading 
to an increased understanding of human-machine interactions related to 
safety performance.
    Application of Enhanced Transportation Safety Data and Knowledge. 
Conduct and support efforts to convert the large quantities of data 
produced by applications of digital technology into useful knowledge 
that can improve transportation safety.
    Congestion Reduction Policy Research and Technologies. Strengthen 
policy research and analysis into congestion reduction, congestion 
pricing, and innovative financing, and conduct RD&T to evaluate the 
effectiveness and market acceptance of traveler and traffic information 
technologies, products, and services.
    System Resilience and Global Logistics. Conduct and support RD&T to 
identify freight bottlenecks and changing transportation patterns and 
to develop and implement technologies to enhance the efficiency of 
cargo flows.
    Next Generation Air Transportation System. Provide the knowledge 
base to achieve greater aviation throughput and capacity; reduce user 
and service costs, including congestion; increase service productivity; 
and ensure a safe, secure, and environmentally compatible aviation 
system.
    Energy Efficiency and Alternative Fuels. Conduct and support 
research to understand the impact of fuel prices and fuel efficiency on 
mobility, opportunities to improve fuel efficiency, transportation 
requirements associated with alternative fuel infrastructures, and 
safety impacts of alternative fuel vehicles.

D. The Strategic RD&T Plan Has the Following Chapters

Chapter 1--Introduction
Chapter 2--Strategic Planning Framework
Chapter 3--RD&T to Improve Transportation Safety
Chapter 4--RD&T to Reduce System Congestion
Chapter 5--RD&T to Enhance Global Connectivity
Chapter 6--RD&T to Support Environmental Stewardship
Chapter 7--RD&T to Ensure Security, Preparedness and Response
Chapter 8--Organizational Excellence in RD&T
Chapter 9--RD&T Coordination
Appendix A--National Research Council Letter Report (to be added)
Appendix B--Stakeholder Input (to be added)
Appendix C--RD&T Funding
Appendix D--Operating Administration advisory committees, 
stakeholder activities and RD&T plans.

II. Request for Comments

    RITA requests comments on any aspect of DOT's Strategic RD&T Plan, 
including: (1) The relevance of the Department's emerging research 
priorities to the Nation's most pressing transportation challenges; (2) 
future directions for Departmental research; and (3) ways to minimize 
unnecessary research duplication.

    Issued in Washington, DC on June 30, 2006.
Ashok Kaveeshwar,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E6-10926 Filed 7-11-06; 8:45 am]
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