Sec. 5010. Rural opportunities to use transportation for economic success initiative
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In this section: The term Build America Bureau means the National Surface Transportation and Innovative Finance Bureau established under section 116 of title 49, United States Code. The term ROUTES Council means the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success Council established by subsection (c)(1). The term ROUTES Office means the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success Office established by subsection (b)(1). The Secretary shall establish within the Department the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success Office— to improve analysis of projects from rural areas, federally recognized Indian Tribes, and historically disadvantaged communities in rural or Tribal areas applying for Department discretionary grants, including ensuring that project costs, local resources, and the larger benefits to the people and the economy of the United States are appropriately considered; and to provide rural communities, federally recognized Indian Tribes, and historically disadvantaged communities in rural or Tribal areas with technical assistance for meeting the transportation infrastructure investment needs of the United States in a financially sustainable manner.
The ROUTES Office shall— collect input from knowledgeable entities and the public on— the benefits of rural and Tribal transportation projects; the technical and financial assistance required for constructing and operating rural and Tribal transportation infrastructure and services; barriers and opportunities to funding rural and Tribal transportation projects; unique transportation barriers and challenges facing historically disadvantaged communities in rural and Tribal areas; and unique environmental transportation issues for rural and Tribal communities; evaluate data on rural and Tribal transportation challenges and determining methods to align the discretionary funding and financing opportunities of the Department with the needs of those communities for meeting national transportation goals; and educate rural communities and Tribal communities about applicable Department discretionary grants, develop effective methods to evaluate projects in those communities in discretionary grant programs, and communicate those methods through program guidance.
The Secretary shall establish a Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success Council— to organize, guide, and lead the ROUTES Office; and to coordinate rural-related and Tribal-related funding programs and assistance among the modal administrations. The ROUTES Council shall be composed of the following officers of the Department, or their designees: The Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy. The General Counsel. The Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs.
The Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology. The Assistant Secretary for Multimodal Freight. The Administrators of— the Federal Aviation Administration; the Federal Highway Administration; the Federal Railroad Administration; and the Federal Transit Administration. The Executive Director of the Build America Bureau. The Assistant Secretary of Government Affairs. The Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy shall be the Chair of the ROUTES Council. The Secretary or the Chair of the ROUTES Council may designate additional members to serve on the ROUTES Council.
To address issues related to safety and transport of rural and Tribal commodities, the ROUTES Council shall consult with the Administrators (or their designees) of— the Maritime Administration; the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation; and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Members of the ROUTES Council shall— participate in all meetings and relevant ROUTES Council activities and be prepared to share information relevant to rural and Tribal transportation infrastructure projects and issues; provide guidance and leadership on rural and Tribal transportation infrastructure issues and represent the work of the ROUTES Council and the Department on those issues to external stakeholders; and recommend initiatives to the Chair of the ROUTES Council to consider, establish, and staff any resulting activities or working groups.
The ROUTES Council shall meet bimonthly. The ROUTES Council may develop work products or deliverables to meet the goals of the ROUTES Council, including— an annual report to Congress describing ROUTES Council activities for the past year and expected activities for the coming year; any recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of Department discretionary grant programs regarding rural and Tribal infrastructure issues; and other guides and reports for relevant groups and the public.