Sec. 1116. National freight program
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Section 167 of title 23, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: It is the policy of the United States to improve the condition and performance of the national freight network to ensure that the national freight network provides the foundation for the United States to compete in the global economy and achieve each goal described in subsection (b). The goals of the national freight program are— to invest in infrastructure improvements and to implement operational improvements on our Nation's highways that— strengthen the contribution of the national freight network to the economic competitiveness of the United States; reduce congestion and relieve bottlenecks in the freight transportation system; reduce the cost of freight transportation; improve the reliability of freight transportation; and increase productivity, particularly for domestic industries and businesses that create high-value jobs; to improve the safety, security, efficiency, and resiliency of freight transportation in rural and urban areas; to improve the state of good repair of the national freight network; to use advanced technology to improve the safety and efficiency of the national freight network; to incorporate concepts of performance, innovation, competition, and accountability into the operation and maintenance of the national freight network; to improve the efficiency and productivity of the national freight network; and to reduce the environmental impacts of freight.
The Secretary shall establish a national highway freight network in accordance with this section to assist States in strategically directing resources toward improved system performance for efficient movement of freight on highways. The national highway freight network shall consist of— the primary highway freight network, as designated by the Secretary under subsection
(d)(referred to in this section as the primary highway freight network ) as most critical to the movement of freight; the portions of the Interstate System not designated as part of the primary highway freight network; critical rural freight corridors established under subsection (e); critical urban freight corridors established under subsection (f); and National Highway System intermodal connectors. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the MAP–21 Reauthorization Act , subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary shall designate a primary highway freight network— 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, metropolitan planning organizations, and States; and that shall be comprised of not more than 27,000 centerline miles of existing roadways that are most critical to the movement of freight. In designating the primary highway freight network, the Secretary shall consider— the origins and destinations of freight movement in, to, and from the United States; the total freight tonnage and value of freight moved via highways; the percentage of annual average daily truck traffic in the annual average daily traffic on principal arterials; the annual average daily truck traffic on principal arterials; land and maritime ports of entry; access to energy exploration, development, installation, or production areas; the significance of goods movement, including consideration of points of origin, destination, and linking components of the global and domestic supply chains; proximity of access to other freight intermodal facilities, including rail, air, water, and pipelines; population centers; significant freight bottlenecks, as identified by the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration; and network connectivity. In addition to the miles initially designated under paragraph (1)— the Secretary may increase the number of miles designated as part of the primary highway freight network by not more than 3,000 additional centerline miles of roadways (which may include existing or planned roads) critical to the future efficient movement of goods on the primary highway freight network; and each State may increase the number of miles designated as part of the primary highway freight network in that State by not more than 10 percent of the miles designated in that State under paragraph
(1)if the additional miles— close gaps between primary highway freight network segments; establish first- and last-mile connections of the primary highway freight network critical to the efficient movement of goods, including ports, international border crossings, airports, intermodal facilities, railyards, logistics centers, warehouses, and agricultural facilities; or designate critical emerging freight routes. Each State that increases the number of miles on the primary highway freight network under paragraph
(2)shall— consider nominations for such additional miles from metropolitan planning organizations within the State; ensure that the additional miles are consistent with the freight plan of the State; review the primary highway freight network of the State designated under paragraphs
(1)and
(2)and redesignate miles in a manner that is consistent with paragraph (4); and submit to the Secretary a list of the additional miles added under this subsection. Beginning on the date that is 5 years after the designation of the primary highway freight network and every 5 years thereafter, using the designation factors described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall redesignate the primary highway freight network (including any additional mileage added to the primary highway freight network under paragraph
(2)as of the date on which the redesignation process is initiated). In redesignating the primary highway freight network, to the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall rely on measurable data to assess the significance of goods movement, including consideration of points of origin, destination, and linking components of the United States global and domestic supply chains. A State may designate a road within the borders of the State as a critical rural freight corridor if the road— 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); provides access to energy exploration, development, installation, or production areas; connects the primary highway freight network, a roadway described in paragraph
(1)or (2), or Interstate System to facilities that handle more than— 50,000 20-foot equivalent units per year; or 500,000 tons per year of bulk commodities; provides access to— a grain elevator or other regionally significant agricultural facility; or an intermodal transfer facility; connects to an international port of entry; provides access to significant air, rail, water, or other freight facilities in the State; or is, in the determination of the State, vital to improving the efficient movement of freight of importance to the economy of the State. A State, or a city or a metropolitan planning organization in coordination with the State, may designate a road within the borders of the State as a critical urban freight corridor if the road— connects an intermodal facility to— the primary highway freight network; the Interstate system; or an intermodal facility; is located within a corridor of a route on the primary highway freight network and provides alternative highway options important to goods movement; serves a major freight generator, logistic center, or manufacturing and warehouse industrial land; or is important to the movement of freight within the region, as determined by the State, city, or metropolitan planning organization. Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of the MAP–21 Reauthorization Act , the Secretary shall, in consultation with State departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, and other appropriate public and private transportation stakeholders, develop and post on the public website of the Department of Transportation a national freight strategic plan that includes— an assessment of the condition and performance of the national freight network; 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— information from the Freight Analysis Framework of the Federal Highway Administration; and to the maximum extent practicable, an estimate of the cost of addressing each bottleneck and any operational improvements that could be implemented; forecasts of freight volumes for the 10- and 20-year period beginning in the year during which the plan is issued based on the most recent data available; 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; an assessment of statutory, regulatory, technological, institutional, financial, and other barriers to improved freight transportation performance (including opportunities for overcoming the barriers); an identification of routes providing access to energy exploration, development, installation, or production areas; best practices for improving the performance of the national freight network; best practices to mitigate the impacts of freight movement on communities; a process for addressing multistate projects and encouraging jurisdictions to collaborate; identification of locations or areas with high crash rates or congestion involving freight traffic, and strategies to address those issues; and strategies to improve freight intermodal connectivity. Not later than 5 years after the date of completion of the first national freight strategic plan under paragraph (1), and every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary shall update and repost on the public website of the Department of Transportation a revised national freight strategic plan. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the MAP–21 Reauthorization Act and biennially thereafter, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress a report that describes the conditions and performance of the national highway freight network in the United States. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the MAP–21 Reauthorization Act , the Secretary shall— begin development of new tools and improve existing tools to support an outcome-oriented, performance-based approach to evaluate proposed freight-related and other transportation projects, including— methodologies for systematic analysis of benefits and costs on a national and regional basis; 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; improved methods for data collection and trend analysis; encouraging public-private partnerships to carry out data sharing activities while maintaining the confidentiality of all proprietary data; and other tools to assist in effective transportation planning; identify transportation-related model data elements to support a broad range of evaluation methods and techniques to assist in making transportation investment decisions; and 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. The Secretary shall consult with Federal, State, and other stakeholders to develop, improve, and implement the tools and collect the data described in paragraph (1). A State shall obligate funds apportioned to the State under section 104(b)(6) to improve the movement of freight on the national highway freight network. For each fiscal year, of the funds apportioned to a State under section 104(b)(6), the State shall obligate for projects on the primary highway freight network an amount that is not less than the proportion that— the total mileage in the State designated as primary highway freight network; bears to the sum of— the total mileage in the State designated as primary highway freight network; and the total mileage in the State on the Interstate system that is not designated as part of the primary highway freight network. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, effective 2 years after the date of enactment of the MAP–21 Reauthorization Act , a State may not obligate funds apportioned to the State under section 104(b)(6) unless the State has— established a freight advisory committee in accordance with section 1117 of MAP–21 (23 U.S.C. 167 note; 126 Stat. 472); and developed a freight plan in accordance with section 1118 of MAP–21 ( 23 U.S.C. 167 note; 126 Stat. 473). Except as provided in this subsection, for a project to be eligible for funding under this section, a State shall provide information to the Secretary describing the improvement made by the project to the efficient movement of freight on the national highway freight network and how the project is consistent with the freight investment plan included in the freight plan of the State. A State may obligate not more than 10 percent of the total apportionment to the State under section 104(b)(6) for projects within the boundaries of public and private freight rail, maritime projects, and intermodal facilities, but shall only include surface transportation infrastructure necessary to facilitate direct intermodal interchange, transfer, and access into and out of the facility. Funds apportioned to the State under section 104(b)(6) for the national highway freight program may be obligated to carry out 1 or more of the following: Development phase activities, including planning, feasibility analysis, revenue forecasting, environmental review, preliminary engineering and design work, and other preconstruction activities. Construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, acquisition of real property (including land relating to the project and improvements to land), construction contingencies, acquisition of equipment, and operational improvements directly relating to improving system performance. Intelligent transportation systems and other technology to improve the flow of freight. Efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of freight. Environmental and community mitigation of freight. Railway-highway grade separation. Geometric improvements to interchanges and ramps. Truck-only lanes. Climbing and runaway truck lanes. Adding or widening of shoulders. Truck parking facilities eligible for funding under section 1401 of MAP–21 ( 23 U.S.C. 137 note; Public Law 112–141 ). Real-time traffic, truck parking, roadway condition, and multimodal transportation information systems. Electronic screening and credentialing systems for vehicles, including weigh-in-motion truck inspection technologies. Traffic signal optimization including synchronized and adaptive signals. Work zone management and information systems. Highway ramp metering. Electronic cargo and border security technologies that improve truck freight movement. Intelligent transportation systems that would increase truck freight efficiencies inside the boundaries of intermodal facilities. Additional road capacity to address highway freight bottlenecks. A highway project, other than a project described in subparagraphs
(A)through (S), to improve the flow of freight on the national highway freight network. Any other surface transportation project to improve the flow of freight into and out of a facility described in paragraph (2), subject to the limitation of that paragraph. In addition to the eligible projects identified in paragraph (3), a State may use funds apportioned under section 104(b)(6) for— carrying out diesel retrofit or alternative fuel projects defined in section 149 for class 8 vehicles; and the necessary costs of— conducting analyses and data collection; developing and updating performance targets to carry out this section; and reporting to the Secretary to comply with section 150. Programming and expenditure of funds for projects under this section shall be consistent with the requirements of sections 134 and 135. If the Secretary determines that a State has not met or made significant progress toward meeting the performance targets of the State established under section 150(d) by the date that is 2 years after the date of the establishment of the performance targets, until the date on which the Secretary determines that the State has met (or has made significant progress towards meeting) the State performance targets, the State shall submit to the Secretary, on a biennial basis, a freight performance improvement plan that includes— an identification of significant freight system trends, needs, and issues within the State; a description of the freight policies and strategies that will guide the freight-related transportation investments of the State; an inventory of freight bottlenecks within the State and a description of the ways in which the State is allocating funds to improve those bottlenecks; and a description of the actions the State will undertake to meet the performance targets of the State. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to Congress— a study of freight projects identified in State freight plans under section 1118 of MAP–21 ( 23 U.S.C. 167 note; Public Law 112–141 ); and an evaluation of multimodal freight projects included in the State freight plans, or otherwise identified by States, that are unable to be funded under this section due to the limitation under subsection (k)(2). .
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- 126 Stat. 472
- 126 Stat. 473
- Pub. L. 112-141
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Sec. 1116
National freight program
Stat.126 Stat. 472
Stat.126 Stat. 473
Pub. L.Pub. L. 112-141
Cites 5Cited by 0 across 0 sources