§ 5309. CENTERS FOR SURFACE TRANSPORTATION EXCELLENCE.

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Establishment .— The Secretary [of Transportation] shall establish 4 centers for surface transportation excellence. Goals .— The goals of the centers for surface transportation excellence are to promote and support strategic national surface transportation programs and activities relating to the work of State departments of transportation in the areas of environment, surface transportation safety, rural safety, and project finance. Role of Centers .— To achieve the goals set forth in subsection (b), the Secretary shall establish the 4 centers as follows:

Environmental excellence .— To provide technical assistance, information sharing of best practices, and training in the use of tools and decision-making processes that can assist States in planning and delivering environmentally sound surface transportation projects. Surface transportation safety .— To develop and disseminate advanced transportation safety techniques and innovations in both rural areas and urban communities. The center will use a controlled access highway with state-of-the-art features, to test safety devices and techniques that enhance driver performance, examine advanced pavement and lighting systems, and develop techniques to address older driver and fatigue driver issues.

Rural safety .— To provide research, training, and outreach on innovative uses of technology to enhance rural safety and economic development, assess local community needs to improve access to mobile emergency treatment, and develop online and seminar training needs of rural transportation practitioners and policy-makers. Project finance .— To provide support to State transportation departments in the development of finance plans and project oversight tools and to develop and offer training in state-of-the-art financing methods to advance projects and leverage funds.

Funding.— In general .— Of the amounts made available by section 5101(a)(1) of this Act [ 119 Stat. 1779 ], $3,750,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2009 shall be available to carry out this section. Allocation of funds .— Of the funds made available under paragraph

(1)the Secretary shall use such amounts as follows: $1,250,000 to establish the Center for Environmental Excellence. $750,000 to establish the Center for Excellence in Surface Transportation Safety at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. $875,000 to establish the Center for Excellence in Rural Safety at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute, Minnesota. $875,000 to establish the Center for Excellence in Project Finance. Applicability of title 23 .— Funds authorized by this section shall be available for obligation in the same manner as if such funds were apportioned under chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, except that the Federal share shall be 100 percent. Program Administration.— Competition .— A party entering into a contract, cooperative agreement, or other transaction with the Secretary, or receiving a grant to perform research or provide technical assistance under subsections (d)(2)(A) and (d)(2)(D) shall be selected on a competitive basis, to the maximum extent practicable. Strategic plan .— The Secretary shall require each center to develop a multiyear strategic plan that describes— the activities to be undertaken; and how the work of the center is coordinated with the activities of the Federal Highway Administration and the various other research, development, and technology transfer activities authorized by this title [see Tables for classification]. Such plans shall be submitted to the Secretary by January 1, 2006 , and each year thereafter.

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119 Stat. 1779

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§ 5309

CENTERS FOR SURFACE TRANSPORTATION EXCELLENCE.

Stat.119 Stat. 1779

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