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I. OVERVIEW
Background
The US owes much of its present prosperity to the efficiency of its
transportation system. The flexibility and low cost of personal transportation
in the US is closely associated with most Americans' sense of personal freedom.
But the system faces unprecedented demands for renewal. A fast-paced
information-intensive economy is changing the places people want and need to
travel and new production and management methods are radically reshaping the
shipping needs of businesses. At the same time, the Nation's transportation
system is expected to meet unprecedented standards for reliability, cost,
timeliness, safety, and environmental impacts. Meeting these expectations,
ensuring the vitality of a key part of national infrastructure, and enhancing
the competitiveness of an enterprise that contributes directly or indirectly to
the employment of nearly a fifth of American workers necessitates a vigorous
research and development effort in which Federal R&D investment,
coordination and stimulation plays a critical role.
The US transportation system includes 190.4 million automobiles,
vans, and trucks operating on 3.9 million miles of streets and highways;
103,000 transit vehicles operating on those streets, as well as more than 7,000
miles of subways, street car lines, and commuter railroads; 275,000 airplanes
operating in and out of 17,500 airports and landing fields; 18,000 locomotives
and 1.2 million cars operating over 113,000 miles of railroads; 20 million
recreational boats; 31,000 barges, and over 8,000 US ships, tugs, and other
commercial vessels operating on 26,000 miles of waterways, the Great Lakes, and
the oceans; and 1.5 million miles of intercity pipelines.
Transportation Statistics Annual Report 1994, US DOT
National Investment in Transportation
Transportation investment and annual expenditures represent a
significant element of our overall national assets and expenditures. American
households, businesses, and governments spend over $1 trillion to travel 3.8
trillion miles and to ship goods 3.5 trillion miles each year. The net
depreciated value of personal motor vehicles alone is $900 billion, and the
value of roads and highways is estimated at over $700 billion. When adjusted to
formal definitions of the National Income Product Accounts, transportation
accounts for 12 percent of Gross Domestic Product. The chart below summarizes
the value of current transportation investment, amounts spent on
transportation, and transportation-related employment in recent years.
Federal Investment in Transportation Research and Development
The Federal government has played a major role in supporting innovative
transportation technologies in partnership with industry for several reasons,
the main one being that the government owns and is responsible for a major part
of the infrastructure. The positive impacts of technological innovations in the
transportation system can only be measured over a period of several decades.
The risks of research investments, therefore, can be very high and returns on
investment so distant that they do not justify private sector support. This
market constraint is exacerbated by the large number and diversity of customers
that characterize some modes. Since the public benefits of long-term research
often can not be fully captured by private investors under these circumstances,
Federal research partnerships are essential for ensuring a continuous flow of
innovation.
The Federal government also has a unique responsibility for protecting
the public's interest in areas like infrastructure renewal, environmental
quality, passenger safety, worker safety, and reduction of congestion. The
objectives of both business and government can be achieved through well
designed research programs which optimize and leverage the use of both Federal
and private sector resources. Often the kinds of long-term research needed to
achieve major gains in vehicle efficiency, emissions, or safety are precisely
the kinds of research needed by companies to protect their competitive position
in domestic and international markets.
Research on aircraft, ships, land
vehicles, and other transportation technologies are, of course, also critical
for national security. Many defense technology needs can, however, be achieved
at much lower cost when defense research is managed in a way that encourages
research investment by private firms that can use new technology for both
defense and civilian markets. DOD can no longer afford to support research to
sustain firms specializing only in defense markets. Enormous savings can be
achieved if defense products can be purchased from healthy and vigorous
commercial businesses.
Vision and Goals
The National Science and Technology Council's (NSTC) Interagency
Coordinating Committee on Transportation Research and Development is charged
with ensuring that Federal investment in transportation research conducted by
all agencies is (1) coordinated to ensure efficient use of Federal funds aimed
at this mission, (2) focused on projects identified users, industry and other
stakeholders as being the most critical to achieving success in the agencies'
missions, and (3) limited to areas where it is clear that major public benefits
can only be achieved through cost-shared Federal research. The Committee is
composed of representatives from the Departments of Commerce, Defense, Energy,
and Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Investing in technology is investing in America's future: a growing
economy with more high-skill, high wage jobs for American workers; a cleaner
environment where efficiency increases profits and reduces pollution; a
stronger, more competitive private sector able to maintain US leadership in
critical world markets; an educational system where every student is
challenged; and an inspired scientific and technological research community
focused on ensuring not just our national security but our very quality of
life. --Technology for America's Economic Growth, A New Direction to
Build Economic Strength
The Committee's vision is of a sustainable and seamless intermodal
transportation system that effectively ties America together and links it to
the world. This system will help citizens and businesses satisfy their needs by
providing efficient, safe, secure, and environmentally friendly transportation
of people and goods. It will result from a strengthened partnership between
government and the private sector focused on effective management and renewal
of existing infrastructure, strategic deployment of new technologies and
infrastructure, and on R&D which supports each of these.
The building blocks for achieving this vision are a sound physical
infrastructure; a broad array of technological, design, and behavioral
alternatives that provide an overlay of operational information to enable the
most effective use of the physical infrastructure; and comprehensive knowledge
of the system and its operations. Realizing this vision will require
achievement of the following goals:
- A system of personal transportation that meets people's travel needs
conveniently and with a minimum of cost and delay. Government and industry will
work to achieve the following goals within a decade:
A prototype of an affordable, attractive automobile capable of
up to three times current fuel economy and meeting future standards for safety
and air pollution.
A validated technology base which will enable the commercial
development of a new generation of safe subsonic and high-speed civil transport
aircraft that far surpass today's aircraft in affordability, efficiency, and
environmental compatibility, as well as the development of a safer, more
efficient, and more productive air traffic management system .
Demonstrated technologies that will result in bridges and highway
surfaces capable of lasting years without frequent or major maintenance.
Advanced, integrated highway, air, rail, and marine information
systems that will monitor system performance and will provide operators and
passengers the information they need to maximize their flexibility and choice,
and minimize congestion and environmental impact.
- A system of freight transportation that supports both traditional
shipping needs and the new requirements of industries relying on fast,
reliable, flexible deliveries. The government and industry will work to achieve
the following goals within a decade:
Prototypes of heavy trucks, rail locomotives, and buses that
will minimize the use of non-renewable resources and will be safe, secure,
economically viable, suitable for use by an increasingly diverse population,
and, at the same time, be producible and create manufacturing jobs in the US
based on both domestic and export markets.
A civilian space launch industry capable of competing in any
unsubsidized international market.
- A Federal procurement system based on life-cycle costing and
performance specifications which gives private firms strong incentives to
create and invest in innovations and to meet ambitious safety and environmental
goals efficiently and with a minimum of prescriptive regulation.
- A Federal government structure that supports wise and effective
decisions, policies and legislation based on private sector input;
comprehensive knowledge of the transportation system's condition, performance
and operations; and understanding of the impacts and implications of
alternative choices and courses of action.
Guiding Principles
The vision and goals were crafted around the following guiding
principles:
- Work with industry and state and local governments in establishing
research priorities.
- Ensure sound Federal support and effective interagency coordination
for key areas of basic and applied research, including engineering topics such
as materials and systems analysis.
- Competitive selection of projects should involve independent experts
to ensure that choices reflect merit and not politics.
- Significant cost sharing should be provided by industry in all
applied research.
- Priority should be given to projects capable of achieving both
business successes and meeting social goals such as environmental protection
and safety.
- Work within Federal R&D budget limits without expectation of new
money.
No matter how well designed, Federal research investment is only one
element of a national strategy aimed at ensuring the continued safety and
efficiency of the Nation's transportation system. The Federal transportation
R&D program must also include:
- A business climate that rewards the business investment in R&D
that must be the principle source of innovation in transportation. This
requires minimizing Federal deficits so that Federal borrowing does not crowd
out private investment and trade policies that ensure the widest possible world
markets for US transportation products.
- A regulatory system that achieves environmental and other social
objectives at the lowest possible cost and with the lowest possible business
burden. This means regulations that emphasize performance, not prescription,
and administrative measures that minimize red tape.
- A program of lifelong learning ensuring that Americans are equipped
to build, operate, maintain and use tomorrow's sophisticated transportation
systems.
The NSTC Transportation R&D Committee's function is to support a
balanced national program in these areas.
R&D Priorities and Objectives
The Committee identified R&D needs and priorities by considering
transportation systems in terms of four broad categories. The first three
categories include the visible elements of our transportation system: the
Physical Infrastructure (roads and bridges, railways, ports and waterways,
airports, and launch facilities), the Information Infrastructure (the sensors,
computers, and communications facilities that provide for traffic control and
management), and Next-Generation Transportation Vehicles (cars, trucks, buses,
trains, ships, and aircraft). The fourth category captures the overall
systems-level considerations of Transportation System Design, Planning,
Management, and Operations (assessment of the interactions and relationships
among the three physical elements as well as the performance capabilities and
limitations of the people who operate and use the system).
The rate of advance in each of these areas is constrained by many non-
technological factors, but R&D can have a major and often critical impact.
Since provision of transportation services and equipment is largely a private-
sector activity, industry will generally have an important or even dominant
R&D role. However, in many situations Federal participation is critical in
identifying needs and goals, establishing a knowledge base or concept
feasibility, demonstrating and evaluating performance and impacts, and
transferring technology to users. Committee subcommittees and working groups
have developed the following objectives for coordinated public and private
R&D;in each of the categories indicated above:
- Physical Infrastructure for Transportation: Develop materials,
design methods, non-destructive testing techniques, and other technologies for
low- cost, long-lasting highways, bridges, airports, and other structures.
Develop low-cost methods for non-destructive testing and repair of existing
structures. (Note: This was selected as an NSTC Priority Area for FY 1996
R&D Data Collection and Review. A report by the CTRD Physical
Infrastructure Subcommittee detailing the results and recommendations of this
review is provided as an Appendix.)
- Information Infrastructure for Transportation: Apply the
innovations available from the national information infrastructure to develop
an Intelligent Transportation System that will ensure the safe and efficient
intermodal operation of the Nation's vehicles and physical infrastructure.
- Next-Generation Transportation Vehicles:
Aeronautics: Maintain world leadership in aircraft, engines,
avionics, and air transportation system equipment for a safe, sustainable,
global aviation system. Space Launch: Ensure reliable and affordable
access to space through a stronger US space launch capability which meets the
needs of the civilian, national security, and commercial sectors. (Note:
Presidential Decision Directive NSTC-4, "National Space Transportation Policy,"
was issued on August 5, 1994. The Secretaries of Defense, Commerce,
Transportation, and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration are preparing a report that will include a common set of
requirements and a coordinated technology plan.)
Personal (Light-Duty) Motor Vehicles: Bring about renewed
leadership in automotive technologies through the development of a new
generation of energy efficient, low emission vehicles that will preserve
American jobs and improve American competitiveness. (Note: This was selected as
an NSTC Priority Area for FY 1996 R&D Data Collection and Review. The
review was conducted by the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles under
the NSTC Committee on Civilian Industrial Technology.)
Medium and Heavy Duty Motor Vehicles (Trucks and Buses):
Ensure US leadership in truck and bus technology by investing in improved
materials, components, and design concepts and other technologies required for
improved accessibility, energy efficiency and environmental characteristics.
Rail Vehicles (Intercity and Transit): Position the US as a
world technology leader and primary exporter of rail-related equipment and
services by facilitating technological innovation in rail vehicle design and
construction and by introducing advanced materials, and communications and
control technologies which will result in improved performance and reduced
costs.
Ships and Shipbuilding: Restore the competitiveness of the
US in shipbuilding, ship repair, ship design, and ship production in order to
ensure a strong and competitive US shipbuilding industry unsurpassed in
building the finest and most technically advanced vessels in the world.
- Transportation System Design, Planning, Management and
Operations
Transportation System Assessment Tools and Knowledge:
Develop information required for government and industry managers to make
effective decisions about the safe operation of existing transportation systems
as well as new investments.
Human Performance in the Transportation System: Define
appropriate roles for the human-in-the-loop through human-centered automation
and improve the safety and competitiveness of American products through the
integration of human performance principles and procedures and the application
of new information dissemination, communication, and display technologies to
transportation.
Measures Applied in Assessing Priorities
The measures used in identifying priority R&D topics are the key
national goals derived from the vision stated above. Priorities also depend
upon the potential impact of the research on each measure. Specifically, impact
in the areas listed below guided the Committee's efforts. Development of more-
specific and quantitative metrics in each area will be a focus of Committee
activities in 1995.
- Increased Personal Mobility, Access and Goods Transport.
Effective, reliable, low-cost and convenient transportation is
central to quality of life and economic health in the United States. Progress
is measured in reduced congestion in urban and intercity travel, reduced costs
and delays in intermodal transfer, and a high level of access to employment,
goods, and services, particularly for people living in rural areas and for
elderly and disabled individuals.
- Economic Growth and Job Creation. Transportation is
critical to economic well-being both as an enabler of business activity and in
markets for transportation goods and services. This measure includes both
direct job creation and competitiveness in transportation related businesses
(e.g. auto and auto parts manufacturing, airlines, and vehicle service
companies) and the indirect impact of transportation efficiency on the
productivity of the US economy as a whole.
- Enhanced Public Safety and Security. Measures of
success include reduced rates of accidents and injuries in the transportation
system for both passengers and operating personnel and increased security for
freight shipments. A high level of personal safety and physical security is
essential for domestic and international travelers, crews and operating
personnel, and the general public, and for cargoes being carried.
- Environmental Quality and Energy Efficiency.
Transportation produces approximately one-third of US greenhouse gases and is
responsible for a major fraction of the pollutants that contribute to urban air
pollution. Success can be measured in terms of reduced emissions and progress
in areas such as transportation's contribution to noise, spills, hazardous
wastes, and other environmental areas. Energy efficiency is closely linked to
environmental goals, as well as to transportation costs and National energy
independence. Transportation accounts for two-thirds of US petroleum
consumption and more than one-quarter of total energy usage.
Policy Context
The purpose of this report is to highlight ongoing Federal research
efforts in this science and technology (S&T) field and to identify new and
promising areas where there might be gaps in Federal support. The report is
intended for internal planning purposes within the Federal agencies and as a
mechanism to convey to the S&T community the types of research and research
priorities being sponsored and considered by the Federal agencies. The
Administration is committed to a broad range of high priority investments
(including science and technology), as well as to deficit reduction, and to a
smaller, more efficient Federal government. These commitments have created a
very challenging budget environment--requiring difficult decisions and a well
thought-out strategy to ensure the best return for the nation's taxpayer. As
part of this strategy, this document does not represent the final determinant
in an overall Administration budget decision making process. The research
programs presented in this report will have to compete for resources against
many other high priority federal programs. If these programs compete
successfully, they will be reflected in future Administration budgets.
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