(a)
(b)
(1) to invest in infrastructure improvements and to implement operational improvements that—
(A) strengthen the contribution of the national freight network to the economic competitiveness of the United States;
(B) reduce congestion; and
(C) increase productivity, particularly for domestic industries and businesses that create high-value jobs;
(2) to improve the safety, security, and resilience of freight transportation;
(3) to improve the state of good repair of the national freight network;
(4) to use advanced technology to improve the safety and efficiency of the national freight network;
(5) to incorporate concepts of performance, innovation, competition, and accountability into the operation and maintenance of the national freight network; and 1
(6) to improve the economic efficiency of the national freight network.1
(7) to reduce the environmental impacts of freight movement on the national freight network; 1
(c)
(1)
(2)
(A) the primary freight network, as designated by the Secretary under subsection (d) (referred to in this section as the "primary freight network") as most critical to the movement of freight;
(B) the portions of the Interstate System not designated as part of the primary freight network; and
(C) critical rural freight corridors established under subsection (e).
(d)
(1)
(A)
(i) based on an inventory of national freight volume conducted by the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, in consultation with stakeholders, including system users, transport providers, and States; and
(ii) that shall be comprised of not more than 27,000 centerline miles of existing roadways that are most critical to the movement of freight.
(B)
(i) the origins and destinations of freight movement in the United States;
(ii) the total freight tonnage and value of freight moved by highways;
(iii) the percentage of annual average daily truck traffic in the annual average daily traffic on principal arterials;
(iv) the annual average daily truck traffic on principal arterials;
(v) land and maritime ports of entry;
(vi) access to energy exploration, development, installation, or production areas;
(vii) population centers; and
(viii) network connectivity.
(2)
(3)
(e)
(1) is a rural principal arterial roadway and has a minimum of 25 percent of the annual average daily traffic of the road measured in passenger vehicle equivalent units from trucks (FHWA vehicle class 8 to 13);
(2) provides access to energy exploration, development, installation, or production areas;
(3) connects the primary freight network, a roadway described in paragraph (1) or (2), or Interstate System to facilities that handle more than—
(A) 50,000 20-foot equivalent units per year; or
(B) 500,000 tons per year of bulk commodities.
(f)
(1)
(A) an assessment of the condition and performance of the national freight network;
(B) an identification of highway bottlenecks on the national freight network that create significant freight congestion problems, based on a quantitative methodology developed by the Secretary, which shall, at a minimum, include—
(i) information from the Freight Analysis Network of the Federal Highway Administration; and
(ii) to the maximum extent practicable, an estimate of the cost of addressing each bottleneck and any operational improvements that could be implemented;
(C) forecasts of freight volumes for the 20-year period beginning in the year during which the plan is issued;
(D) an identification of major trade gateways and national freight corridors that connect major population centers, trade gateways, and other major freight generators for current and forecasted traffic and freight volumes, the identification of which shall be revised, as appropriate, in subsequent plans;
(E) an assessment of statutory, regulatory, technological, institutional, financial, and other barriers to improved freight transportation performance (including opportunities for overcoming the barriers);
(F) an identification of routes providing access to energy exploration, development, installation, or production areas;
(G) best practices for improving the performance of the national freight network;
(H) best practices to mitigate the impacts of freight movement on communities;
(I) a process for addressing multistate projects and encouraging jurisdictions to collaborate; and
(J) strategies to improve freight intermodal connectivity.
(2)
(g)
(h)
(1)
(A) begin development of new tools and improvement of existing tools or improve existing tools to support an outcome-oriented, performance-based approach to evaluate proposed freight-related and other transportation projects, including—
(i) methodologies for systematic analysis of benefits and costs;
(ii) tools for ensuring that the evaluation of freight-related and other transportation projects could consider safety, economic competitiveness, environmental sustainability, and system condition in the project selection process; and
(iii) other elements to assist in effective transportation planning;
(B) identify transportation-related model data elements to support a broad range of evaluation methods and techniques to assist in making transportation investment decisions; and
(C) at a minimum, in consultation with other relevant Federal agencies, consider any improvements to existing freight flow data collection efforts that could reduce identified freight data gaps and deficiencies and help improve forecasts of freight transportation demand.
(2)
(i)
(Added Pub. L. 112–141, div. A, title I, §1115(a), July 6, 2012, 126 Stat. 468.)
Sections: Previous 159 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 201 202 203 204 Next
Last modified: October 26, 2015