Federal Aid Highway Act

(Measure indefinitely postponed in Senate (inserted text of S. 2441), H.R. 11733 passed in lieu)

Federal-Aid Highway Act - Amends the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 to decrease authorizations for the Interstate Highway System for fiscal years 1980 and 1981. Prohibits the use of interstate construction funds apportioned to a State to expand or clear areas adjacent to Interstate routes designed prior to February, 1967. Specifies the method by which the Secretary of Transportation is to apportion interstate highway funds for fiscal year 1980.

Authorizes appropriations for various highway programs for fiscal years 1979 and 1980.

Establishes a minimum apportionment for each of the States at one-half of one percent of the total apportionment for the Interstate System.

Authorizes appropriations for the resurfacing of lanes on the Interstate System which have been in use for more than five years. Stipulates that the Federal share of such a project shall not exceed 70 percent of its cost.

Declares the national policy that Highway Trust Fund annual authorizations be closely related to anticipated annual receipts of the Fund. Declares that certain principles are to be taken into account when providing for growth.

Repeals certain limitations on the Secretary's authority to designate withdrawn mileage to other interstate routes.

Increases the Federal matching share for any State transit or highway project which is substituted for an Interstate System project.

Eliminates the requirement that a State must apply sums received for withdrawn projects to a permissible transportation project in order to be exempt from refunding such sums to the Fund. Prohibits the Secretary from redesignating any State withdrawn mileage from the Interstate System as an Interstate project. Provides that States will not be required to refund to the Fund, upon withdrawal of routes, sums received by the State for certain costs.

Limits the Federal-aid urban highway system to areas having a population of 50,000 or more.

Prohibits the Secretary from approving a withdrawal of Interstate mileage and transfer of funds to public transportation or other highway purposes after September 30, 1982. Stipulates that after such date the Secretary may not approve any Interstate project unless the environmental impact statement has been completed.

Requires all Interstate projects and substitute projects to be under construction by September 30, 1986, or be removed from Interstate designation.

Revises the Interstate System apportionment formula to give added weight to the cost to complete essential gaps in the System and to improve certain substandard routes in urbanized areas. Permits States to allocate up to five percent of their total allocation for projects to restore or rehabilitate Interstate highways that have been in use for more than five years.

Revises the Interstate System resurfacing apportionment.

Revises the population factor in the apportionment formula for secondary highway systems to include areas with a population of between 5,000 and 50,000.

Authorizes a State to transfer up to 50 percent of its primary, urban or secondary highway program apportionment from one of these programs to another. Stipulates that urban system funds allocated to areas of 200,000 or more may not be transferred without the approval of local officials.

Authorizes States which have obligated all of their present Interstate apportionments to obligate advances against their next annual apportionment. Directs the Secretary in making such advances to give priority to applications involving a completion of essential gaps in the System.

Requires the Secretary to insure that the States commit adequate resources to the maintenance of Interstate routes. Requires that such a program contain minimum standards by which the condition of Interstate routes shall be judged and that Interstate routes which are more than five years old be inspected annually. Directs the Secretary to withhold approval of a State's primary system projects if deficiencies were found in an Interstate route and the State had not made adequate commitments to repair such deficiencies within a year. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress by October 1, 1980, regarding such maintenance program.

Reduces the time period during which States may use their Interstate apportionments. Stipulates that at the end of such period the Secretary may allocate such sums to States with ready-to-commence Interstate projects. Requires that preference be given in such allocation to projects to complete essential gaps in the System.

Authorizes States to use Interstate Funds to pay both principal and interest on bonds issued after the enactment of this Act for Interstate construction under certain circumstances (previously such funds could only be used for the payment of the principal on such bonds).

Stipulates that Federal financial assistance for emergency repairs and reconstruction of roads on the Federal-aid system shall be entirely funded from the Highway Trust Fund.

Directs the Secretary to undertake a study of the costs of highway construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance attributable to various classes of highway users and to the environment. Directs the Congressional Budget Office to evaluate the distribution of tax burdens among highway users and to report its findings to the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to report to the Congress by January 15, 1982, the results of such study and to recommend alternative tax structures which will more equitably allocate highway costs among highway users.

Directs the Secretary to investigate the need for uniform maximum truck sizes and weights throughout the country including an evaluation of the economic effects of reducing vehicle weight limits in States with legal limits higher than the national maximum. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on the results of such study by January 15, 1981.

Permits States to utilize funds for Federal-aid systems other than Interstate highways to study whether a privately owned toll bridge should be acquired by the State or a political subdivision.

Directs the Secretary to study the potential for reducing urban blight adjacent to Federal-aid primary and interstate highways located in central business districts.

Authorizes the Secretary to approve the use of Federal-aid highway funds to relocate segments of railways to eliminate hazardous rail-highway crossings where this method is the least expensive way of eliminating the hazard.

Allows the use of electronic signs to provide public service information or advertise activities on the premises along Interstate highways.

Authorizes the Secretary to approve the use of secondary highway system funds by a State for public transportation projects. Repeals the prohibition against such approval when there is assured funding for both highway and public transportation.

Expands the special bridge replacement program to authorize the use of such funds for highway bridge rehabilitation projects. Authorizes a State to use between 15 and 25 percent of such funds to repair or replace highway bridges which are not on any Federal-aid system. Permits the Secretary, after consulting with State and local officials, to reduce such amount if the State has inadequate needs to justify such expenditure. Decreases the Federal share of such projects.

Authorizes Federal assistance for toll bridges which subsidize federally assisted public transit systems.

Authorizes the Secretary to use Federal-aid highway funds to fund carpool and vanpool demonstration projects. Exempts such projects from specified Interstate Commerce Commission regulations and requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Directs the Secretary to complete, within 90 days of enactment, the study of commuter access to the Dulles Airport Access Highway, and to report to Congress.

Requires States to allocate Federal urban system funds for urbanized areas of 200,000 or more population according to population unless the State chooses to use an alternative formula approved by the Secretary. Requires States to distribute funds to urbanized areas of less than 200,000 population on a fair and equitable basis.

Directs the Secretary to establish a highway safety improvement program for projects on any public road or street in urban or rural areas.

Directs each State to develop a highway safety improvement program. Requires States to use at least 30 percent of its highway safety apportionment for projects not on a Federal-aid system.

Requires States to submit specified data regarding the percentage of vehicles exceeding the 55 mile per hour national maximum speed limit. Reduces Federal-aid highway funds to States which fail to achieve a specified level of compliance with such limit.

Repeals the following categories of highway projects: (1) priority primary routes; (2) access highways to public recreation areas or certain lakes; (3) highways crossing Federal projects; and (4) safer off-system roads.

Establishes a grant program for the construction of bikeways, and the improvement of existing roads and transportation systems for bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

Directs the Secretary to establish standards for the design and construction of bicycle projects.

Prohibits the Secretary from approving any Federal-aid project which would reduce present bicycle or pedestrian access to a greater extent than automobile access unless a comparable route is provided or already exists.

Authorizes the imposition of tolls on urban highways where the tolls are part of a State implementation plan required under the Clean Air Act.

Authorizes appropriations for projects to eliminate rail-highway crossing hazards.

Amends the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973 to authorize appropriations for railroad relocation demonstration projects.

Amends the Federal-Aid Highway Amendments of 1974 to increase the authorization for construction of the Overseas Highway in the Florida Keys.

Directs the Secretary, in cooperation with the States of New Mexico and Texas, to carry out a demonstration project to upgrade primary routes between Los Cruce, New Mexico, and Amarillo, Texas, and between Lubbock, Texas, and Interstate Route 10.

Authorizes a new bridge program for the construction or replacement of primary system bridges over major bodies of water. Requires the Secretary to give priority to projects which do not exceed two percent of the total amount allocated for such program and are not in excess of $8,000,000.

Authorizes the State of Maine to repay to the Highway Trust Fund funds received and expended for interchanges along the Maine Turnpike.

Directs the Secretary to study and report to Congress by January 15, 1980, on the desirability of designating Interstate routes in Alaska and Puerto Rico.

Prohibits the Secretary from obligating funds authorized by this Act for any project exceeding $1,000,000 unless the materials used in construction are produced in the United States. Specifies exceptions to such requirement.

Authorizes appropriations for fiscal years 1979 and 1980 for a traffic management demonstration project.

Directs the Secretary, together with State highway departments, to study and report to Congress techniques for alleviating the enviromental, social, economic, and developmental impacts of increased train traffic to meet national energy requirements, specifically considering certain rail corridors.

Extends the date by which the National Transportation Policy Study Commission must submit its final report to the President and Congress, until July 1, 1979.

Specifies the standards the Secretary shall use in determining whether any right-of-way on any Federal-aid system should be used by any utility.

Authorizes the use of foreign built hovercraft to transport merchandise and passengers within the State of Alaska.

Authorizes the reconstruction of the Baltimore- Washington Parkway, Maryland, as agreed upon by the Secretary and Maryland's Secretary of Transportation, to preserve the Parkway characteristics.

Permits the continued operation of State-owned service stations on Interstate highways.

Authorizes the Secretary to approve financial assistance to a portion of the Alaska Railroad for the purpose of linking other federally assisted transportation modes.

=Title II: Highway Safety Act= - Authorizes and directs the Secretary of Transportation to assist and cooperate with other Federal departments and agencies, State and local governments, private industry, and other interested parties, to increase highway safety.

Requires each State to have a highway safety program to reduce traffic deaths and injuries. Requires each State to achieve conformity in laws and practices which affect interstate motorists.

Sets forth an apportionment formula for Federal funding of State highway safety programs.

Directs each State to authorize its political subdivisions to develop and carry out local highway safety programs. Requires that at least 40 percent of a State's apportionment for highway safety programs be available for expenditures by the State's political subdivisions to carry out local highway safety programs. Authorizes the Secretary to waive such requirement where there is an insufficient number of local highway safety programs to justify such an expenditure.

Requires each State highway safety agency to annually submit its proposed highway safety program for the ensuing fiscal year to the Secretary for approval.

Stipulates that the Federal share of a highway safety project shall not exceed 70 percent of its cost.

Authorizes the Secretary to use funds appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund for highway safety research and development projects. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants each fiscal year to those States which develop the most innovative approaches to highway safety problems in accordance with criteria devised by the Secretary. Authorizes appropriations for such grants through fiscal year 1982.

Establishes within the Department of Transportation a National Highway Safety Advisory Committee to advise the Secretary on matters relating to the activities and functions of the Department in the field of highway safety.

Authorizes appropriations in specified amounts to carry out various highway safety programs.

=Title III: Federal Public Transportation Act= - Amends the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 to revise the discretionary grant and loan program under such Act. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make such grants or loans to States and local public bodies and agencies for: (1) the construction or extension of fixed guideway systems; (2) the acquisition, construction, and improvement of certain mass transportation facilities and equipment where emergency circumstances exist; (3) the introduction of new technology into public transportation; (4) for financing the costs incurred in connection with projects for the acquisition of land and costs of preparing such land for urban development purposes to enhance any mass transportation project approved under such Act; (5) acquisition, construction, and improvement of facilities and equipment to improve the coordination between public transportation and other forms of transportation, and to enhance urban economic development and incorporate private investment; and (6) modification of equipment and fixed facilities deemed necessary by the Secretary to avoid any adverse effects resulting from the Northeast Corridor project.

Requires that applicants for such funds possess the legal, technical, and financial capacity to carry out the proposed project and that they have continuing control over the use of the facilities and equipment involved.

Requires the Governor of the State involved together with the appropriate local officials to designate a single recipient to receive and dispense the funds granted under this Act for the construction or extension of fixed guideway systems.

Authorizes the Secretary to announce an intention to obligate funds for a mass transportation project through the issuance of a letter of intent to the applicant. Stipulates that such a letter shall not be deemed as a commitment but as an intention to obligate funds from future appropriation Acts.

Permits the Secretary to approve combined bus and rail projects utilizing both funds for routine purchases and for major fleet expansions and new starts.

Eliminates the present provision which earmarks a specified amount of the funds made available under such Act for areas other than urbanized areas.

Authorizes appropriations in specified amounts for each of the fiscal years 1979 and 1983 to carry out the discretionary grant and loan program under such Act.

Authorizes appropriations in specified amounts for each of the fiscal years 1979 through 1983 to carry out the urban, small urban, and rural transit programs and for other grant programs under such Act.

Requires the Secretary to report to Congress: (1) annually on the status of the Federal public transportation program including a list of outstanding grants or other contractual agreements made under this Act; and (2) on proposed authorization requests covering fiscal years 1981 through 1984 and covering fiscal years 1983 through 1986.

Revises the apportionment formula for the mass transit grant program for urbanized areas. Stipulates that funding under the new formula shall be based on population, population density, commuter rail train miles, the number of fixed guideway system route miles, and bus replacement costs and bus seat miles.

Stipulates that funds made available for areas with a population of 200,000 or over shall be received and dispensed by a recipient as designated by the Governor of the State and the local officials involved. Stipulates that with respect to areas with a population of less than 200,000, such funds shall be made available to the Governor of the State involved to be distributed in a fair and equitable manner.

Stipulates that any apportioned funds which remain unobligated three years following the fiscal year for which they were apportioned shall be added to the amount available for apportionment in the next fiscal year.

Limits the total amount of a Federal grant for operating assistance projects to one-third of the total eligible operating expenses incurred in the operation of the services which are assisted under this Act.

Authorizes the use of up to 50 percent of the amount apportioned to urbanized areas of 200,000 or more population for urban highway projects.

Stipulates that Federal funds available for expenditure for mass transportation projects shall not be in substitution for the average amount of State and local government funds and other transit revenues expended on transit operations in the area over the two prior fiscal years. Excludes reimbursement payments for the transportation of school children.

Permits continued Federal assistance if reduced State and local government funding is offset by an increase in operating revenues through changes in fare. Permits desinated recipients that have been able to effect significant cost savings due to efficiencies resulting from shift of operations to have their required maintenance of effort (MOE) level reduced in an amount proportionate to the amount of savings effected by such efficiencies.

Directs the Secretary to cooperate with State and local officials in the development of transportation plans to meet future needs. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to States and local public bodies for planning and technical studies of public transportation projects.

Removes specified restrictions regarding the availability of fellowships for public transportation training programs.

Prohibits the use of funds under such Act for the acquisition of mass transportation assets by one public body from another in the same geographic area.

Authorizes the Interstate Commerce Commission to exempt State or local mass transportation services from certain Interstate Commerce Act provisions unless: (1) public interest would not be served; (2) it would result in an undue burden on interstate commerce; or (3) the services are not subject to State or local regulation. Requires such mass transportation systems to be subject to all Federal laws pertaining to safety and employer employee relations.

Authorizes the Secretary to make grants and loans to provide transportation services for the transportation needs of the elderly and handicapped.

Provides capital and operating assistance through a formula grant programs for small urban and rural areas to promote public transportation in such areas.

Prohibits discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, or age in any project or activity funded under such Act.

Permits the Secretary to undertake, or provide, financial assistance programs that address human resource needs as applied to public transportation activities, such as employment training programs.

Authorizes the Secretary to convert mass transportation equipment and facilities loans under such Act to capital grants under specified conditions.

Directs the Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to report to Congress concerning ways and means by which Federal mass transit funds can be allocated taking into account air pollution as a criterion for distribution.

Requires the National Railroad Passenger Corporation to notify appropriate parties of a proposed discontinuance of service as recommended by the Secretary prior to October 1, 1979. Authorizes the Corporation to continue service if an affected State, region, or local agency agrees to reimburse the Corporation for a reasonable portion of the costs of continued operation.

=Title IV: Highway Revenue Act= - Extends for five years: (1) the taxes which are transferred into the Highway Trust Fund; (2) the Highway Trust Fund; and (3) the transfer of funds from the Highway Trust Fund to the land and water conservation fund.

Revises the method by which the apportionments to the States from the Fund will be adjusted whenever expenditures are greater than estimated amounts available to the Fund.

Directs the Secretary, in cooperation with State highway departments, to study and report to Congress concerning the costs and proportionate share attributable to the use of vehicles of different dimensions and weights on the design, construction, and maintenance of Federal-aid highways. Authorizes the Congressional Budget Office to assist the Secretary in such study.

Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation, to review and report recommendations to Congress concerning the use of excise taxes to fund the Highway Trust Fund.