I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2882
To reduce traffic congestion, promote economic development, and improve 
the quality of life in the metropolitan Washington region. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 24, 2003
Mr. MORAN of Virginia introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To reduce traffic congestion, promote economic development, 
and improve the quality of life in the metropolitan Wash-
ington region.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Metropolitan Wash-
ington Regional Transportation Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that—
(1) congestion is a serious problem in the met-
ropolitan Washington region, as evidenced by recent 
studies that have found that congestion costs each
man, woman, and child in the region close to $655 
per year (or an average of $1,595 per year for each 
rush-hour driver) in lost time, wasted fuel, and envi-
ronmental damage; 
(2) in the past, regional leaders have success-
fully worked together to address important transpor-
tation needs, through such institutions as the Metro-
politan Washington Airports Authority, the Wash-
ington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and the 
National Capital Region Transportation Planning 
Board at the Metropolitan Washington Council of 
Governments; 
(3) even greater regional cooperation is needed 
to prevent congestion in the metropolitan Wash-
ington region from worsening, in light of predictions 
that there will be a 31 percent increase in popu-
lation, a 41 percent increase in employment, and a 
46 percent increase in vehicle miles traveled in the 
region over the next 25 years; 
(4) while transportation needs will grow signifi-
cantly over the next 25 years, spending is expected 
to fall short of transportation needs over the same 
period by more than $43.5 billion, even with ex-
pected increases in Federal and State spending;
(5) none of the existing metropolitan-wide 
transportation agencies within the metropolitan 
Washington region has the necessary powers, au-
thorities, and resources to meet the current and fu-
ture transportation needs of the region; 
(6) the failure to meet the transportation needs 
of the metropolitan Washington region will under-
mine the quality of life of the residents of the region, 
degrade the natural environment, and adversely af-
fect the ability of Federal agencies and private sec-
tor businesses to operate effectively and efficiently; 
(7) the transportation challenges faced by the 
metropolitan Washington region are unique and de-
serve the attention of Congress because of the pres-
ence of the Federal Government within the region 
and because of the intersection of 3 jurisdictions, 
consisting of 2 States and the District of Columbia, 
within a single metropolitan area; 
(8) the National Capital Region Transportation 
Planning Board at the Metropolitan Washington 
Council of Governments, the designated metropolitan 
planning organization for planning and program-
ming Federal transit and highway funds provided to 
the metropolitan Washington region, is updating the
(4) to grant consent to the metropolitan Wash-
ington region jurisdictions to enter into an interstate 
compact or agreement that would help meet the re-
gion’s long-term transportation needs; and 
(5) to supplement Federal grants to the region 
and promote consensus on a regional funding mech-
anism. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) BOARD.—The term ‘‘Board’’ means the Na-
tional Capital Region Transportation Planning 
Board at the Metropolitan Washington Council of 
Governments. 
(2) CORPORATION.—The term ‘‘Corporation’’ 
means 
the 
Metropolitan 
Washington 
Regional 
Transportation Corporation established by section 
6(a). 
(3) METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON REGION; RE-
GION.—The term ‘‘metropolitan Washington region’’ 
or ‘‘region’’ means the area that is—
(A) located in the area including and sur-
rounding Washington, District of Columbia; 
and
(B) under the jurisdiction of the members 
of the Board.
(4) METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON REGION JU-
RISDICTION.—The term ‘‘metropolitan Washington 
region jurisdiction’’ means a jurisdiction represented 
by a member of the Board. 
(5) PROJECT.—The term ‘‘project’’ means any 
effort to reduce traffic congestion or improve travel 
options in the metropolitan Washington region, in-
cluding—
(A) the design, construction, and mainte-
nance of facilities or services; 
(B) the operation of such facilities; 
(C) the provision of services; 
(D) the deployment of demand reduction 
and traffic management measures; and 
(E) any effort to improve coordination of 
transportation planning and land use planning. 
(6) SIGNATORY.—The term ‘‘signatory’’ means 
a metropolitan Washington region jurisdiction that 
enters into an interstate compact or agreement 
under section 5(d). 
SEC. 5. DUTIES OF THE BOARD. 
(a) DUTIES.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Board shall—
(A) allocate Federal funds received by the 
Board among projects of regional significance;
(B)(i) propose a list of priority transpor-
tation projects that—
(I) are needed to address the growing 
congestion crisis in the metropolitan Wash-
ington region; and 
(II) cannot be funded with Federal, 
State, and local transportation funds that 
are projected to be made available for the 
metropolitan Washington region; 
(ii) propose a regional funding mechanism 
to fund the needed projects; and 
(iii) manage the Corporation to provide 
funding for regional transportation projects; 
(C) provide notice and opportunity for 
comment on its efforts under this Act by metro-
politan Washington region jurisdictions and the 
public; 
(D) conduct outreach and education activi-
ties to promote public participation; 
(E) promote cooperative action by metro-
politan Washington region jurisdictions on re-
gional transportation issues; and 
(F) if necessary, assist metropolitan Wash-
ington region jurisdictions in developing an
interstate compact or agreement to better meet 
regional transportation needs. 
(2) LIMITATIONS.—The Board shall not have 
the power to—
(A) impose a tax; or 
(B) preempt any Federal, State, or local 
law (including a regulation). 
(b) BOARD SUPPORT.—The Board shall use staff of 
the Board and may employ such additional personnel and 
agents as are necessary to carry out this Act, including 
public outreach staff to meet the public participation re-
quirements of titles 23 and 49, United States Code. 
(c) TIMETABLE.—The Board shall—
(1) develop and publish a first draft proposal 
listing regional projects and regional funding mecha-
nisms not later than 210 days after the date of en-
actment of this Act; 
(2) provide an opportunity for public comment 
on the first draft proposal during the period begin-
ning on the date of publication of the first draft pro-
posal and ending not earlier than 90 days after that 
date; 
(3) not later than 2 years after the date of en-
actment of this Act, develop and publish a final pro-
posal; and
(4) prior to implementation of any regional 
project or regional funding mechanism included in 
the final proposal, obtain approval of the final pro-
posal from—
(A) the Governor of the State of Virginia; 
(B) the Governor of the State of Maryland; 
and 
(C) the Mayor of the District of Columbia. 
(d) INTERSTATE COMPACT OR AGREEMENT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
Congress grants consent to 1 or more of the metro-
politan Washington region jurisdictions to enter into 
an interstate compact or agreement to finance and 
implement 1 or more of the priority projects from 
the long-range plan of the Board, if consent is 
granted by—
(A) the Governor of each State that enters 
into the compact or agreement; and 
(B) if the District of Columbia enters into 
the compact or agreement, the Mayor of the 
District of Columbia. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The interstate compact 
or agreement shall—
(A) include a list of regional transportation 
projects and a regional funding mechanism to 
fund the projects; and
(B) include a time limit of not more than 
2 years for approval by the metropolitan Wash-
ington region jurisdictions. 
(e) PLANNING PROCESS.—In carrying out this Act, 
the Board shall—
(1) comply with the planning requirements of 
titles 23 and 49, United States Code; and 
(2)(A) ensure that the public has a full oppor-
tunity to participate in the planning process; and 
(B) work with citizen advisory committees rep-
resenting all points of view, including business, envi-
ronmental, transportation, senior citizens, youth, 
disabled, and neighborhood associations. 
SEC. 6. IMPLEMENTATION OF LONG-RANGE PLAN FOR THE 
METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON REGION. 
(a) METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON REGIONAL TRANS-
PORTATION CORPORATION.—
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the 
Metropolitan Washington Regional Transportation 
Corporation.
(2) GENERAL POWERS.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Corporation shall 
be a body corporate and politic, and an instru-
mentality of the Board, having the powers and 
jurisdiction described in this Act and such addi-
tional powers as are conferred on the Corpora-
tion by the Board, to the extent that the addi-
tional powers are consistent with this Act. 
(B) ADMINISTRATION.—The Corporation 
shall be governed in accordance with this Act 
and shall be subject to such other provisions as 
the Board determines to be appropriate. 
(3) GENERAL LIMITATIONS.—The Corporation 
shall not have the power to—
(A) impose a tax; or 
(B) preempt any Federal, State, or local 
law (including a regulation). 
(4) DUTIES.—The Corporation shall assist in 
the management of any initial funding and imple-
mentation plan agreed to by the signatories. 
(5) PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY.—
(A) PUBLIC
NOTICE
AND
PARTICIPA-
TION.—The Corporation shall be subject to the 
requirements of chapter 5 of title 5, United 
States Code, concerning public notice of, and
participation at, all meetings of the Corpora-
tion. 
(B) FREEDOM
OF
INFORMATION
ACT.—
The Corporation shall be considered to be an 
agency for the purpose of compliance with re-
quests under section 552 of title 5, United 
States Code. 
(C) COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS GOVERNING 
TRANSPORTATION.—Projects funded by the 
Corporation shall be considered to be federally 
funded projects subject to—
(i) the National Historic Preservation 
Act (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.); 
(ii) the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); 
(iii) the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 
7401 et seq.); and 
(iv) section 303 of title 49, United 
States Code. 
(6) EFFECTIVE
ANALYSIS.—In assessing the 
impact of projects under consideration for funding, 
the Corporation shall use analytical tools consistent 
with state-of-the-art practices, in accordance with 
applicable Federal regulations and guidance.
(7) POWERS.—The Corporation shall have the 
power—
(A) to acquire personal and real property 
(including land lying under water and riparian 
rights), or any easement or other interest in 
real property, by purchase, lease, gift, transfer, 
or exchange; 
(B) to apply for and accept any property, 
material, 
service, 
payment, 
appropriation, 
grant, gift, loan, advance, or other fund that is 
transferred or made available to the Corpora-
tion by the Federal Government or by any other 
public or private entity or individual; 
(C) to borrow money on a short-term basis 
and issue notes of the Corporation for the bor-
rowing payable on such terms and conditions as 
the Corporation considers advisable, and to 
issue long-term or short-term tax-exempt bonds 
in the discretion of the Corporation for any 
purpose consistent with this Act, which notes 
and bonds—
(i) shall not constitute—
(I) a debt of the United States 
(or any political subdivision of the 
United States); or
(II) a general obligation of a 
metropolitan Washington region juris-
diction (or any political subdivision of 
a metropolitan Washington region ju-
risdiction), unless consented to by the 
jurisdiction (or political subdivision); 
and 
(ii) may be secured solely by the gen-
eral revenues of the Corporation or by 
other revenues in the discretion of the Cor-
poration; 
(D) to permit single-occupancy vehicles to 
travel on high-occupancy lanes in the region, 
if—
(i) the affected signatory or signato-
ries consent to charge tolls to single-occu-
pancy vehicles given access to high-occu-
pancy lanes; 
(ii) the toll can be implemented in a 
way that does not reduce the level of serv-
ice; and 
(iii) the affected signatory or signato-
ries consent to use the toll revenues for re-
gional transportation projects;
(E) to enter into any contract or agree-
ment appropriate to the performance of the du-
ties of the Corporation; 
(F) to enter into partnerships or grant 
concessions between the public and private sec-
tors for the purpose of—
(i) financing, constructing, maintain-
ing, improving, or operating regional trans-
portation facilities in the metropolitan 
Washington region; or 
(ii) fostering development of a new 
transportation technology; 
(G) to obtain any necessary Federal au-
thorization, permit, or approval for the con-
struction, repair, maintenance, or operation of 
regional transportation facilities in the metro-
politan Washington region; 
(H) to adopt an official seal and alter the 
seal, as the Corporation considers to be appro-
priate; 
(I) to appoint 1 or more advisory commit-
tees; 
(J) to sue and be sued in the name of the 
Corporation;
(K) to contract with State or local govern-
ments, or other entities, to carry out such 
maintenance of traffic activities during con-
struction of regional transportation facilities in 
the metropolitan Washington region as are con-
sidered to be necessary by the Corporation to 
properly manage traffic and minimize conges-
tion, such as—
(i) public information campaigns; 
(ii) improvements designed to encour-
age appropriate use of alternative routes; 
(iii) use of high occupancy vehicles 
and transit services; and 
(iv) deployment and operation of intel-
ligent transportation system technologies; 
(L) to carry out any activity appropriate to 
the exercise of the powers or performance of the 
duties of the Corporation under this Act and 
under any interstate compact or agreement re-
lating to the Corporation that is consistent with 
this Act, if the activity is coordinated and con-
sistent with the transportation planning process 
implemented by the metropolitan planning orga-
nization for the metropolitan Washington re-
gion under section 134 of title 23, United
States Code, and section 5303 of title 49, 
United States Code; and 
(M) to work with the metropolitan Wash-
ington region jurisdictions to improve coordina-
tion of transportation planning and land use 
planning. 
(b) REPORTS.—The Secretary of Transportation 
shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and In-
frastructure of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate—
(1) not later than 1 year after the date of en-
actment of this Act, an interim report on the 
progress of the Board in developing cooperative 
transportation plans and regional funding mecha-
nisms to meet transportation needs in the metropoli-
tan Washington region; and 
(2) not later than 3 years after the date of en-
actment of this Act, a final report on the results of 
the actions of the Board in developing cooperative 
transportation plans and regional funding mecha-
nisms to meet transportation needs in the metropoli-
tan Washington region. 
SEC. 7. MAINTENANCE OF FUNDING AND EFFORT. 
The funding provided under any regional transpor-
tation program developed under this Act shall supplement
(and not supplant) other Federal, State, and local trans-
portation funding for the metropolitan Washington region 
jurisdictions. In using funds provided under this Act, a 
metropolitan Washington region jurisdiction shall main-
tain the expenditures of the jurisdiction for transportation 
in the metropolitan Washington region, at a level that is 
not less than the level of the expenditures maintained by 
the jurisdiction for the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year 
for which the funds are received. 
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated to the Secretary of Transportation out of the 
Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Ac-
count)—
(1) for transportation projects of regional sig-
nificance to be selected by the Board $100,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2004 through 2006; and 
(2) 
for 
non-motorized 
recreational 
trails 
projects to be selected by the Board $5,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2004 through 2006. 
(b) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES AND OUTREACH.—
Of the funds made available under this section, the Board 
may set aside—
(1) not to exceed $100,000 per fiscal year for 
salaries and administrative expenses of experts in fi-
nancing and developing interstate compacts or 
agreements; and 
(2) not to exceed $200,000 per fiscal year to 
support a collaborative planning process, to dissemi-
nate information to the public, and to pay the sala-
ries and administrative expenses of public outreach 
staff. 
(c) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—Funds authorized to 
carry out this section shall be available for obligation in 
the same manner as if the funds were apportioned under 
chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code; except that the 
Federal share of the cost of a project under subsection 
(a) shall be 75 percent.
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