§503. Technology deployment

(a) Technology Deployment Initiatives and Partnerships Program.-

(1) Establishment.-The Secretary shall develop and administer a national technology deployment initiatives and partnerships program.

(2) Purpose.-The purpose of the program shall be to significantly accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies by the surface transportation community.

(3) Deployment goals.-

(A) Establishment.-Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish not more than 5 deployment goals to carry out paragraph (1).

(B) Design.-Each of the goals and the program developed to achieve the goals shall be designed to provide tangible benefits, with respect to transportation systems, in the areas of efficiency, safety, reliability, service life, environmental protection, and sustainability.

(C) Strategies for achievement.-For each goal, the Secretary, in cooperation with representatives of the transportation community such as States, local governments, the private sector, and academia, shall use domestic and international technology to develop strategies and initiatives to achieve the goal, including technical assistance in deploying technology and mechanisms for sharing information among program participants.

(4) Integration with other programs.-The Secretary shall integrate activities carried out under this subsection with the efforts of the Secretary to disseminate the results of research sponsored by the Secretary and to facilitate technology transfer.

(5) Leveraging of federal resources.-In selecting projects to be carried out under this subsection, the Secretary shall give preference to projects that leverage Federal funds with other significant public or private resources.

(6) Continuation of shrp partnerships.-Under the program, the Secretary shall continue the partnerships established through the strategic highway research program established under section 307(d) (as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this section).

(7) Grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts.-Under the program, the Secretary may make grants and enter into cooperative agreements and contracts to foster alliances and support efforts to stimulate advances in transportation technology, including-

(A) the testing and evaluation of products of the strategic highway research program;

(B) the further development and implementation of technology in areas such as the Superpave system and the use of lithium salts and other alternatives to prevent and mitigate alkali silica reactivity;

(C) the provision of support for long-term pavement performance product implementation and technology access; and

(D) other activities to achieve the goals established under paragraph (3).

(8) Reports.-Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this section, and biennially thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report on the progress and results of activities carried out under this section.

(9) Allocation.-To the extent appropriate to achieve the goals established under paragraph (3), the Secretary may further allocate funds made available to carry out this section to States for their use.

(b) Innovative Bridge Research and Construction Program.-

(1) In general.-The Secretary shall establish and carry out a program to demonstrate the application of innovative material technology in the construction of bridges and other structures.

(2) Goals.-The goals of the program shall include-

(A) the development of new, cost-effective innovative material highway bridge applications;

(B) the reduction of maintenance costs and life-cycle costs of bridges, including the costs of new construction, replacement, or rehabilitation of deficient bridges;

(C) the development of construction techniques to increase safety and reduce construction time and traffic congestion;

(D) the development of engineering design criteria for innovative products and materials for use in highway bridges and structures;

(E) the development of cost-effective and innovative techniques to separate vehicle and pedestrian traffic from railroad traffic;

(F) the development of highway bridges and structures that will withstand natural disasters, including alternative processes for the seismic retrofit of bridges; and

(G) the development of new nondestructive bridge evaluation technologies and techniques.

(3) Grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts.-

(A) In general.-Under the program, the Secretary shall make grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements and contracts with-

(i) States, other Federal agencies, universities and colleges, private sector entities, and nonprofit organizations to pay the Federal share of the cost of research, development, and technology transfer concerning innovative materials; and

(ii) States to pay the Federal share of the cost of repair, rehabilitation, replacement, and new construction of bridges or structures that demonstrate the application of innovative materials.

(B) Applications.-To receive a grant under this subsection, an entity described in subparagraph (A) shall submit an application to the Secretary. The application shall be in such form and contain such information as the Secretary may require. The Secretary shall select and approve the applications based on whether the project that is the subject of the grant meets the goals of the program described in paragraph (2).

(4) Technology and information transfer.-The Secretary shall take such action as is necessary to ensure that the information and technology resulting from research conducted under paragraph (3) is made available to State and local transportation departments and other interested parties as specified by the Secretary.

(5) Federal share.-The Federal share of the cost of a project under this section shall be determined by the Secretary.

(Added Pub. L. 105–178, title V, §5103, June 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 427 .)

References in Text

The date of enactment of this section, referred to in subsec. (a)(3)(A), (6), (8), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 105–178, which was approved June 9, 1998.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 503, added Pub. L. 90–495, §30, Aug. 23, 1968, 82 Stat. 831 , related to administration of highway relocation assistance program, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 91–646, title II, §220(a)(10), Jan. 2, 1971, 84 Stat. 1903 .

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in title 49 section 5505.