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ASCE


Surface Transportation Research Funding

ASCE Policy Statement 497
First Approved in 2002

Approved by the Transportation Policy Committee on March 12, 2009
Approved by the Policy Review Committee on March 27, 2009
Adopted by the Board of Direction on July 25, 2009

Policy

ASCE supports the following general principles in the reauthorization of research and technology programs in the nation's surface transportation legislation:
  • Improvements resulting from research and technology (R&T) are critical to achieving national transportation goals in safety, quality of life, economic health, environmental impacts, sustainability, and security.
  • Funding for R&T activities should be increased to levels that will continue to provide high returns on research investment.
  • Research programs should be conducted according to the highest scientific and engineering standards, from priority-setting to award of contracts and grants to review and evaluation of research results for implementation.
  • Research programs should be carried out with appropriate involvement from stakeholders in the public, private, and academic sectors.
  • Technology transfer activities are critical to successful implementation of research results and should be supported with R&T funds.
  • Public-private partnerships should be fostered by identifying appropriate roles for each partner and providing incentives for private investment.
Within the context of the general principles set out above, ASCE supports the following actions regarding specific surface transportation R&T programs.
  • The research and technology portion of the State Planning and Research (SPR) program should be maintained to help support state-specific activities while continuing to encourage the states to pool these resources to address matters of mutual interest.
  • University research should continue to be supported through the University Transportation Centers (UTC) program using a competitive selection process that guarantees quality participants and fairness in the allocation of funds.
  • The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) program should be strengthened by giving it sufficient funding and flexibility to implement the recommendations of Transportation Research Board (TRB) Special Report 261 The Federal Role In Highway Research and Technology: to focus on fundamental, long-term research; to perform research on emerging national issues and on areas not addressed by others; to engage stakeholders more consistently in their program; and to employ open competition, merit review, and systematic evaluation of outcomes.
  • The recommendations of TRB Special Report 295 The Federal Investment in Highway Research 2006-2009, Strengths and Weaknesses should be implemented.
  • The Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP II) should be continued beyond the life of SAFETEA-LU, ensuring that critical research will be continued in key areas of surface transportation.
  • Total Research and Technology funding for activities corresponding to Title V in SAFETEA-LU should be at least $750 million per year.
  • The Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) research program should be free of earmarks and allocations and given flexibility to work with its stakeholders to develop and pursue national transit research priorities. The Transit Cooperative Research Program should be funded at a minimum of $20 million per year.
  • The Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) should have a well-defined scope and responsibility and appropriate funding, in addition to currently authorized research funding, so that it may supplement and support the R&T programs of the modal administrations.
Issue

The Highway Trust Fund has been an essential source of funding for surface transportation research and technology (R&T) for decades. Research results have led to many benefits including: materials that improve the performance and durability of pavements and structures; design methods that reduce scour (and consequent threat of collapse) of bridges; intelligent transportation systems technologies that improve safety and reduce travel delay; methods and materials that radically improve our ability to keep roads safely open in severe winter weather; innovative management approaches that save time and money; analytical and design approaches that reduce environmental impacts that support sustainable development and improve the aesthetic and cultural aspects of transportation facilities.

These benefits are provided through several major transportation research programs. In the highway area these programs include the FHWA program, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), and state department of transportation programs largely funded through SPR funds. In the transit area the main programs are that of the FTA and the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP). The UTC program supports various transportation modes.

Rationale

As originally passed, the Surface Transportation Research, Deployment and Development and the University Transportation Research sections in SAFETEA-LU were both completely programmed or earmarked and overauthorized, creating a difficult environment within which FHWA and RITA had to allocate funds. An additional effect was, that FHWA had no discretionary funds to maintain certain core research programs, which meant that such critical efforts as the biannual Conditions and Performance Report struggled for funding. These problems were partially relieved by the SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Bill in 2008. However, the research programs continue to be adversely impacted by the level of programming and earmarking. The practice of extreme programming and earmarking of the research title needs to be eliminated in future surface transportation authorization bills. Competition and selection on qualifications, not special interest group influence, is essential for an effective research program. And the FHWA must be left with sufficient discretionary funds to maintain certain core programs.



   
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