23 U.S.C. § 503 : US Code - Section 503: Technology deployment

Search 23 U.S.C. § 503 : US Code - Section 503: Technology deployment

(a) Technology Deployment Program. -
(1) Establishment. - The Secretary shall develop and administer
a national technology deployment 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. -
(A) In general. - Under the program, the Secretary may make
grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements and contracts
with, 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 activities concerning 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 an application based on
whether the project that is the subject of the grant meets the
purpose of the program described in paragraph (2).
(8) Technology and information transfer. - The Secretary shall
ensure that the information and technology resulting from
research conducted under paragraph (7) is made available to State
and local transportation departments and other interested parties
as specified by the Secretary.
(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 promote, demonstrate, evaluate, and document the
application of innovative designs, materials, and construction
methods in the construction, repair, and rehabilitation of
bridges and other highway structures.
(2) Goals. - The goals of the program shall include -
(A) the development of new, cost-effective, innovative
highway bridge applications;
(B) the development of construction techniques to increase
safety and reduce construction time and traffic congestion;
(C) the development of engineering design criteria for
innovative products, materials, and structural systems for use
in highway bridges and structures;
(D) the reduction of maintenance costs and life-cycle costs
of bridges, including the costs of new construction,
replacement, or rehabilitation of deficient bridges;
(E) the development of highway bridges and structures that
will withstand natural disasters;
(F) the documentation and wide dissemination of objective
evaluations of the performance and benefits of these innovative
designs, materials, and construction methods;
(G) the effective transfer of resulting information and
technology; and
(H) the development of improved methods to detect bridge
scour and economical bridge foundation designs that will
withstand bridge scour.
(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.
(c) Innovative Pavement Research and Deployment Program. -
(1) In general. - The Secretary shall establish and implement a
program to promote, demonstrate, support, and document the
application of innovative pavement technologies, practices,
performance, and benefits.
(2) Goals. - The goals of the innovative pavement research and
deployment program shall include -
(A) the deployment of new, cost-effective, innovative
designs, materials, recycled materials (including taconite
tailings and foundry sand), and practices to extend pavement
life and performance and to improve customer satisfaction;
(B) the reduction of initial costs and life-cycle costs of
pavements, including the costs of new construction,
replacement, maintenance, and rehabilitation;
(C) the deployment of accelerated construction techniques to
increase safety and reduce construction time and traffic
disruption and congestion;
(D) the deployment of engineering design criteria and
specifications for innovative practices, products, and
materials for use in highway pavements;
(E) the deployment of new nondestructive and real-time
pavement evaluation technologies and techniques;
(F) the evaluation, refinement, and documentation of the
performance and benefits of innovative technologies deployed to
improve life, performance, cost effectiveness, safety, and
customer satisfaction;
(G) effective technology transfer and information
dissemination to accelerate implementation of innovative
technologies and to improve life, performance, cost
effectiveness, safety, and customer satisfaction; and
(H) the development of designs and materials to reduce storm
water runoff.
(3) Research to improve nhs pavement. - The Secretary shall
obligate for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2009 from funds
made available to carry out this subsection, $4,100,000 to
conduct research to improve asphalt pavement, $4,100,000 to
conduct research to improve concrete pavement, $4,100,000 to
conduct research to improve alternative materials used in
highways (including alternative materials used in highway
drainage applications), and $2,450,000 to conduct research to
improve aggregates used in highways on the National Highway
System.
(d) Safety Innovation Deployment Program. -
(1) In general. - The Secretary shall establish and implement a
program to demonstrate the application of innovative technologies
in highway safety.
(2) Goals. - The goals of the program shall include -
(A) the deployment and evaluation of safety technologies and
innovations at State and local levels; and
(B) the deployment of best practices in training, management,
design, and planning.
(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, States, other Federal agencies, universities and
colleges, private sector entities, and nonprofit organizations
for research, development, and technology transfer for
innovative safety technologies.
(B) Applications. - To receive a grant under this subsection,
an entity described in subparagraph (A) shall submit to the
Secretary an application at such time and containing such
information as the Secretary may require. The Secretary shall
select and approve an application based on whether the project
that is the subject of the application 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.
(e) Promotional Authority. - Funds authorized to be appropriated
for necessary expenses for administration and operation of the
Federal Highway Administration shall be available to purchase
promotional items of nominal value for use in the recruitment of
individuals and to promote the programs of the Federal Highway
Administration.