§ 5501. National Intermodal Transportation System policy

• (a) It is the policy of the United States Government to develop a National Intermodal Transportation System that is economically efficient and environmentally sound, provides the foundation for the United States to compete in the global economy, and will move individuals and property in an energy efficient way.
• (b)
  • (1) The National Intermodal Transportation System shall consist of all forms of transportation in a unified, interconnected manner, including the transportation systems of the future, to reduce energy consumption and air pollution while promoting economic development and supporting the United States’ preeminent position in international commerce.
  • (2) The National Intermodal Transportation System shall include a National Highway System consisting of the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways and those principal arterial roads that are essential for interstate and regional commerce and travel, national defense, intermodal transfer facilities, and international commerce and border crossings.
  • (3) The National Intermodal Transportation System shall include significant improvements in public transportation necessary to achieve national goals for improved air quality, energy conservation, international competitiveness, and mobility for elderly individuals, individuals with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged individuals in urban and rural areas of the United States.
  • (4) The National Intermodal Transportation System shall provide improved access to ports and airports, the Nation’s link to commerce.
  • (5) The National Intermodal Transportation System shall give special emphasis to the contributions of the transportation sectors to increased productivity growth. Social benefits must be considered with particular attention to the external benefits of reduced air pollution, reduced traffic congestion, and other aspects of the quality of life in the United States.
  • (6) The National Intermodal Transportation System must be operated and maintained with insistent attention to the concepts of innovation, competition, energy efficiency, productivity, growth, and accountability. Practices that resulted in the lengthy and overly costly construction of the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways must be confronted and stopped.
  • (7) The National Intermodal Transportation System shall be adapted to “intelligent vehicles”, “magnetic levitation systems”, and other new technologies, wherever feasible and economical, with benefit cost estimates given special emphasis on safety considerations and techniques for cost allocation.
  • (8) When appropriate, the National Intermodal Transportation System will be financed, as regards Government apportionments and reimbursements, by the Highway Trust Fund. Financial assistance will be provided to State and local governments and their instrumentalities to help carry out national goals related to mobility for elderly individuals, individuals with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged individuals.
  • (9) The National Intermodal Transportation System must be the centerpiece of a national investment commitment to create the new wealth of the United States for the 21st century.
• (c) The Secretary of Transportation shall distribute copies of the policy in subsections (a) and (b) of this section to each employee of the Department of Transportation and ensure that the policy is posted in all offices of the Department.

§ 5502. Intermodal Transportation Advisory Board

• (a) The Intermodal Transportation Advisory Board is a board in the Office of the Secretary of Transportation.
• (b) The Board consists of the Secretary, who serves as chairman, and the Administrator, or the Administrator’s designee, of—
  • (1) the Federal Highway Administration;
  • (2) the Federal Aviation Administration;
  • (3) the Maritime Administration;
  • (4) the Federal Railroad Administration;
  • (5) the Federal Transit Administration; and
  • (6) the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
• (c) The Board shall provide recommendations for carrying out the duties of the Secretary described in section 301(3) of this title .

§ 5504. Model intermodal transportation plans

• (a) The Secretary of Transportation shall make grants to States to develop model State intermodal transportation plans that are consistent with the policy set forth in section 302(e) of this title . The model plans shall include systems for collecting data related to intermodal transportation.
• (b) The Secretary shall award grants to States under this section that represent a variety of geographic regions and transportation needs, patterns, and modes.
• (c) As a condition to a State receiving a grant under this section, the Secretary shall require that the State provide assurances that the State will submit to the Secretary a State intermodal transportation plan not later than 18 months after the date of receipt of the grant.
• (d) The Secretary shall reserve, from amounts deducted under section 104(a) of title 23 , $3,000,000 to make grants under this section. The total amount that a State may receive in grants under this section may not be more than $500,000.

§ 5505. University transportation centers program

• (a)
  • (1) The Secretary shall make grants under this section to eligible nonprofit institutions of higher education to establish and operate university transportation centers.
  • (2) The role of each university transportation center referred to in paragraph (1) shall be—
    • (A) to advance transportation expertise and technology in the varied disciplines that comprise the field of transportation through education, research, and technology transfer activities;
    • (B) to provide for a critical transportation knowledge base outside of the Department of Transportation; and
    • (C) to address critical workforce needs and educate the next generation of transportation leaders.
• (b)
  • (1) To receive a grant under this section, a consortium of nonprofit institutions of higher education shall submit to the Secretary an application that is in such form and contains such information as the Secretary may require.
  • (2)
    • (A) A lead institution of a consortium of nonprofit institutions of higher education, as applicable, may only receive 1 grant per fiscal year for each of the transportation centers described under paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) of subsection (c).
    • (B) Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to a nonprofit institution of higher education that is a member of a consortium of nonprofit institutions of higher education but not the lead institution of such consortium.
  • (3) The Secretary shall solicit grant applications for national transportation centers, regional transportation centers, and Tier 1 university transportation centers with identical advertisement schedules and deadlines.
  • (4)
    • (A) Except as otherwise provided by this section, the Secretary shall award grants under this section in nonexclusive candidate topic areas established by the Secretary that address the research priorities identified in chapter 65.
    • (B) The Secretary, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology and the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration and other modal administrations as appropriate, shall select each recipient of a grant under this section through a competitive process based on the assessment of the Secretary relating to—
      • (i) the demonstrated ability of the recipient to address each specific topic area described in the research and strategic plans of the recipient;
      • (ii) the demonstrated research, technology transfer, and education resources available to the recipient to carry out this section;
      • (iii) the ability of the recipient to provide leadership in solving immediate and long-range national and regional transportation problems;
      • (iv) the ability of the recipient to carry out research, education, and technology transfer activities that are multimodal and multidisciplinary in scope;
      • (v) the demonstrated commitment of the recipient to carry out transportation workforce development programs through—
        • (I) degree-granting programs or programs that provide other industry-recognized credentials; and
        • (II) outreach activities to attract new entrants into the transportation field, including women and underrepresented populations;
      • (vi) the demonstrated ability of the recipient to disseminate results and spur the implementation of transportation research and education programs through national or statewide continuing education programs;
      • (vii) the demonstrated commitment of the recipient to the use of peer review principles and other research best practices in the selection, management, and dissemination of research projects;
      • (viii) the strategic plan submitted by the recipient describing the proposed research to be carried out by the recipient and the performance metrics to be used in assessing the performance of the recipient in meeting the stated research, technology transfer, education, and outreach goals; and
      • (ix) the ability of the recipient to implement the proposed program in a cost-efficient manner, such as through cost sharing and overall reduced overhead, facilities, and administrative costs.
  • (5)
    • (A) The Secretary shall provide to each applicant, upon request, any materials, including copies of reviews (with any information that would identify a reviewer redacted), used in the evaluation process of the proposal of the applicant.
    • (B) The Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate a report describing the overall review process under paragraph (4) that includes—
      • (i) specific criteria of evaluation used in the review;
      • (ii) descriptions of the review process; and
      • (iii) explanations of the selected awards.
  • (6) The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, consult external stakeholders, including the Transportation Research Board of the National Research Council of the National Academies, to evaluate and competitively review all proposals.
• (c)
  • (1) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall select grant recipients under subsection (b) and make grant amounts available to the selected recipients.
  • (2)
    • (A) Subject to subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall provide grants to 5 consortia that the Secretary determines best meet the criteria described in subsection (b)(4).
    • (B)
      • (i) For each fiscal year, a grant made available under this paragraph shall be not greater than $4,000,000 and not less than $2,000,000 per recipient.
      • (ii) A consortium receiving a grant under this paragraph shall focus research on 1 of the transportation issue areas specified in section 6503(c).
    • (C)
      • (i) As a condition of receiving a grant under this paragraph, a grant recipient shall match 100 percent of the amounts made available under the grant.
      • (ii) The matching amounts referred to in clause (i) may include amounts made available to the recipient under—
        • (I) section 504(b) of title 23 ; or
        • (II) section 505 of title 23 .
  • (3)
    • (A) One regional university transportation center shall be located in each of the 10 Federal regions that comprise the Standard Federal Regions established by the Office of Management and Budget in the document entitled “Standard Federal Regions” and dated April 1974 (circular A–105).
    • (B) In conducting a competition under subsection (b), the Secretary shall provide grants to 10 consortia on the basis of—
      • (i) the criteria described in subsection (b)(4);
      • (ii) the location of the lead center within the Federal region to be served; and
      • (iii) whether the consortium of institutions demonstrates that the consortium has a well-established, nationally recognized program in transportation research and education, as evidenced by—
        • (I) recent expenditures by the institution in highway or public transportation research;
        • (II) a historical track record of awarding graduate degrees in professional fields closely related to highways and public transportation; and
        • (III) an experienced faculty who specialize in professional fields closely related to highways and public transportation.
    • (C) For each fiscal year, a grant made available under this paragraph shall be not greater than $3,000,000 and not less than $1,500,000 per recipient.
    • (D)
      • (i) As a condition of receiving a grant under this paragraph, a grant recipient shall match 100 percent of the amounts made available under the grant.
      • (ii) The matching amounts referred to in clause (i) may include amounts made available to the recipient under—
        • (I) section 504(b) of title 23 ; or
        • (II) section 505 of title 23 .
    • (E) The Secretary shall make a grant to 1 of the 10 regional university transportation centers established under this paragraph for the purpose of furthering the objectives described in subsection (a)(2) in the field of comprehensive transportation safety, congestion, connected vehicles, connected infrastructure, and autonomous vehicles.
  • (4)
    • (A) The Secretary shall provide grants of not greater than $2,000,000 and not less than $1,000,000 to not more than 20 recipients to carry out this paragraph.
    • (B)
      • (i) As a condition of receiving a grant under this paragraph, a grant recipient shall match 50 percent of the amounts made available under the grant.
      • (ii) The matching amounts referred to in clause (i) may include amounts made available to the recipient under—
        • (I) section 504(b) of title 23 ; or
        • (II) section 505 of title 23 .
    • (C) In awarding grants under this section, consideration shall be given to minority institutions, as defined by section 365 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1067k ), or consortia that include such institutions that have demonstrated an ability in transportation-related research.
• (d)
  • (1) The Secretary shall—
    • (A) coordinate the research, education, and technology transfer activities carried out by grant recipients under this section; and
    • (B) disseminate the results of that research through the establishment and operation of a publicly accessible online information clearinghouse.
  • (2) Not less frequently than annually, and consistent with the plan developed under section 6503, the Secretary shall—
    • (A) review and evaluate the programs carried out under this section by grant recipients; and
    • (B) submit to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committees on Environment and Public Works and Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report describing that review and evaluation.
  • (3) For each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020, the Secretary shall expend not more than 1 and a half percent of the amounts made available to the Secretary to carry out this section for any coordination, evaluation, and oversight activities of the Secretary under this section.
• (e) Amounts made available to the Secretary to carry out this section shall remain available for obligation by the Secretary for a period of 3 years after the last day of the fiscal year for which the amounts are authorized.
• (f) Any survey, questionnaire, or interview that the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out reporting requirements relating to any program assessment or evaluation activity under this section, including customer satisfaction assessments, shall not be subject to chapter 35 of title 44.

§ 5561. Definition

In this chapter, “civic and cultural activities” includes libraries, musical and dramatic presentations, art exhibits, adult education programs, public meeting places, and other facilities for carrying on an activity any part of which is supported under a law of the United States.

§ 5562. Assistance projects

• (a) The Secretary of Transportation shall provide financial, technical, and advisory assistance under this chapter to—
  • (1) promote, on a feasibility demonstration basis, the conversion of at least 3 rail passenger terminals into intermodal transportation terminals;
  • (2) preserve rail passenger terminals that reasonably are likely to be converted or maintained pending preparation of plans for their reuse;
  • (3) acquire and use space in suitable buildings of historic or architectural significance but only if use of the space is feasible and prudent when compared to available alternatives; and
  • (4) encourage State and local governments, local and regional transportation authorities, common carriers, philanthropic organizations, and other responsible persons to develop plans to convert rail passenger terminals into intermodal transportation terminals and civic and cultural activity centers.
• (b) This chapter does not affect the eligibility of any rail passenger terminal for preservation or reuse assistance under another program or law.
• (c) The Secretary may acquire space under subsection (a)(3) of this section only after consulting with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.

§ 5563. Conversion of certain rail passenger terminals

• (a) The Secretary of Transportation may provide financial assistance to convert a rail passenger terminal to an intermodal transportation terminal under section 5562(a)(1) of this title only if—
  • (1) the terminal can be converted to accommodate other modes of transportation the Secretary of Transportation decides are appropriate, including—
    • (A) motorbus transportation;
    • (B) mass transit (rail or rubber tire); and
    • (C) airline ticket offices and passenger terminals providing direct transportation to area airports;
  • (2) the terminal is listed on the National Register of Historic Places maintained by the Secretary of the Interior;
  • (3) the architectural integrity of the terminal will be preserved;
  • (4) to the extent practicable, the use of the terminal facilities for transportation may be combined with use of those facilities for other civic and cultural activities, especially when another activity is recommended by—
    • (A) the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation;
    • (B) the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts; or
    • (C) consultants retained under subsection (b) of this section; and
  • (5) the terminal and the conversion project meet other criteria prescribed by the Secretary of Transportation after consultation with the Council and Chairman.
• (b) The Secretary of Transportation must employ consultants on whether the architectural integrity of the rail passenger terminal will be preserved under subsection (a)(3) of this section. The Secretary may decide that the architectural integrity will be preserved only if the consultants concur. The Council and Chairman shall recommend consultants to be employed by the Secretary. The consultants also may make recommendations referred to in subsection (a)(4) of this section.
• (c) The Secretary of Transportation may not make a grant under this section for more than 80 percent of the total cost of converting a rail passenger terminal into an intermodal transportation terminal.

§ 5564. Interim preservation of certain rail passenger terminals

• (a) Subject to subsection (b) of this section, the Secretary of Transportation may make a grant of financial assistance to a responsible person (including a governmental authority) to preserve a rail passenger terminal under section 5562(a)(2) of this title . To receive assistance under this section, the person must be qualified, prepared, committed, and authorized by law to maintain (and prevent the demolition, dismantling, or further deterioration of) the terminal until plans for its reuse are prepared.
• (b) The Secretary of Transportation may make a grant of financial assistance under this section only if—
  • (1) the Secretary decides the rail passenger terminal has a reasonable likelihood of being converted to, or conditioned for reuse as, an intermodal transportation terminal, a civic or cultural activities center, or both; and
  • (2) planning activity directed toward conversion or reuse has begun and is proceeding in a competent way.
• (c)
  • (1) Amounts appropriated to carry out this section and section 5562(a)(2) of this title shall be expended in the way most likely to maximize the preservation of rail passenger terminals that are—
    • (A) reasonably capable of conversion to intermodal transportation terminals;
    • (B) listed in the National Register of Historic Places maintained by the Secretary of the Interior; or
    • (C) recommended (on the basis of architectural integrity and quality) by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation or the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.
  • (2) The Secretary of Transportation may not make a grant under this section for more than 80 percent of the total cost of maintaining the terminal for an interim period of not more than 5 years.

§ 5565. Encouraging the development of plans for converting certain rail passenger terminals

• (a) The Secretary of Transportation may make a grant of financial assistance to a qualified person (including a governmental authority) to encourage the development of plans for converting a rail passenger terminal under section 5562(a)(4) of this title . To receive assistance under this section, the person must—
  • (1) be prepared to develop practicable plans that meet zoning, land use, and other requirements of the applicable State and local jurisdictions in which the terminal is located;
  • (2) incorporate into the designs and plans proposed for converting the terminal, features that reasonably appear likely to attract private investors willing to carry out the planned conversion and its subsequent maintenance and operation; and
  • (3) complete the designs and plans for the conversion within the period of time prescribed by the Secretary.
• (b) In making a grant under this section, the Secretary of Transportation shall give preferential consideration to an applicant whose completed designs and plans will be carried out within 3 years after their completion.
• (c)
  • (1) Amounts appropriated to carry out this section and section 5562(a)(4) of this title shall be expended in the way most likely to maximize the conversion and continued public use of rail passenger terminals that are—
    • (A) listed in the National Register of Historic Places maintained by the Secretary of the Interior; or
    • (B) recommended (on the basis of architectural integrity and quality) by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation or the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.
  • (2) The Secretary of Transportation may not make a grant under this section for more than 80 percent of the total cost of the project for which the financial assistance is provided.

§ 5566. Records and audits

• (a) Each recipient of financial assistance under this chapter shall keep records required by the Secretary of Transportation. The records shall disclose—
  • (1) the amount, and disposition by the recipient, of the proceeds of the assistance;
  • (2) the total cost of the project for which the assistance was given or used;
  • (3) the amount of that part of the cost of the project supplied by other sources; and
  • (4) any other records that will make an effective audit easier.
• (b) For 3 years after a project is completed, the Secretary and the Comptroller General may audit and inspect records of a recipient that the Secretary or Comptroller General decides may be related or pertinent to the financial assistance.

§ 5567. Preference for preserving buildings of historic or architectural significance

Amtrak shall give preference to the use of rail passenger terminal facilities that will preserve buildings of historic or architectural significance.

§ 5568. Authorization of appropriations

• (a) The following amounts may be appropriated to the Secretary of Transportation:
  • (1) not more than $15,000,000 to carry out section 5562(a)(1) and (3) of this title.
  • (2) not more than $2,500,000 to carry out section 5562(a)(2) of this title .
  • (3) not more than $2,500,000 to carry out section 5562(a)(4) of this title .
• (b) Amounts appropriated to carry out this chapter remain available until expended.