I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2724 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish national transportation 
objectives and performance targets for the purpose of assessing progress 
toward meeting national transportation objectives. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 4, 2009 
Mr. HOLT (for himself, Mr. INSLEE, and Mr. CARNAHAN) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish national 
transportation objectives and performance targets for the 
purpose of assessing progress toward meeting national 
transportation objectives. 
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 ‘‘National Transpor-
tation Objectives Act of 2009’’. 
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SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION 
OBJECTIVES AND PERFORMANCE TARGETS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 49, United 
States Code, in amended: 
(1) by redesignating sections 304 through 309 
as sections 307 through 312; 
(2) by redesignating sections 303 and 303a as 
sections 305 and 306, respectively; and 
(3) by inserting after section 302, the following: 
‘‘§ 303. National transportation objectives and per-
formance targets 
‘‘(a) STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.—The purpose of this 
section is to establish national transportation objectives to 
provide a 21st century vision for the national surface 
transportation system and national transportation per-
formance targets to ensure that transportation invest-
ments result in a national surface transportation system 
that meets the needs of the 21st century. 
‘‘(b) NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION OBJECTIVES.— 
The national transportation objectives are established and 
prioritized, as follows: 
‘‘(1) Promote energy efficiency and achieve en-
ergy security. 
‘‘(2) Ensure environmental protection, restore 
climate stability, and resolve persistent environ-
mental justice issues. 
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‘‘(3) Improve economic competitiveness, system 
efficiency, and workplace development opportunities. 
‘‘(4) Ensure safety for all transportation users 
and improved public health outcomes. 
‘‘(5) Improve transportation system conditions 
and connectivity. 
‘‘(6) Provide equal and equitable access to 
transportation options in urban, suburban, and rural 
communities. 
‘‘(c) NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION PERFORMANCE 
TARGETS.—The national transportation performance tar-
gets are established for the purpose of assessing progress 
in the 20-year period beginning the day after the date of 
enactment of the National Transportation Objectives Act 
of 2009 toward meeting the national transportation objec-
tives, as follows: 
‘‘(1) Reduce per capita vehicle miles traveled by 
16 percent. 
‘‘(2) Triple walking, biking, and public trans-
portation usage. 
‘‘(3) Reduce transportation-generated carbon 
dioxide level by 40 percent. 
‘‘(4) Reduce delay per capita by 10 percent. 
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‘‘(5) Increase proportion of freight transpor-
tation provided by railroad and intermodal services 
by 20 percent. 
‘‘(6) Achieve 0 percent population exposure to 
at-risk levels of air pollution. 
‘‘(7) Improve public safety and lower congestion 
costs by reducing traffic crashes by 50 percent. 
‘‘(8) Increase share of major highways, regional 
transit fleets and facilities, and bicycling/pedestrian 
infrastructure in good state of repair condition by 
20 percent. 
‘‘(9) Reduce average household combined hous-
ing plus transportation costs by 25 percent, using 
2000 as a base year. 
‘‘(10) Increase by 50 percent the number of es-
sential destinations (work and non-work) accessible 
within 30 minutes by public transportation or 15 
minutes by walking, for low-income, senior, and dis-
abled populations. 
‘‘(d) DEVELOPMENT
OF BASELINE LEVELS.—Not 
later than one year after the date of enactment of the Na-
tional Transportation Objectives Act of 2009, the Sec-
retary of Transportation shall develop baseline levels for 
the national transportation performance targets estab-
lished by this section and determine appropriate methods 
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of data collection to assess success in meeting such per-
formance targets. 
‘‘(e) REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary, consistent 
with the plan developed under section 304 and notwith-
standing any other provision of law in effect as of the date 
of enactment of the National Transportation Objectives 
Act of 2009, shall— 
‘‘(1) develop appropriate data collections sys-
tems for each Federal surface transportation pro-
gram in order to evaluate: 
‘‘(A) whether such programs are consistent 
with the policy, objectives, and performance tar-
gets established by this section; and 
‘‘(B) how effective such programs are in 
contributing to the achievement of the policy, 
objectives, and performance targets established 
by this section; 
‘‘(2) using the criteria developed under para-
graph (1), annually evaluate each such program and 
provide the results to the public; 
‘‘(3) based on the evaluation performed under 
paragraph (2), make any necessary changes or im-
provements to such programs to ensure such consist-
ency and effectiveness; 
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‘‘(4) align the availability and award of Federal 
surface transportation funding to meet the policy, 
objectives, and performance targets established by 
this section, consistent with the evaluation per-
formed under paragraph (2); 
‘‘(5) carry out this section in a manner that is 
consistent with sections 302, 5503, 10101, and 
13101 of this title and section 101 of title 23 to the 
extent that such sections do not conflict with the 
policy, objectives, and performance targets estab-
lished by this section; 
‘‘(6) review, update, and reissue all relevant 
surface transportation planning requirements to en-
sure that such requirements require that regional, 
State, and local surface transportation planning ef-
forts funded with Federal funds are consistent with 
the policy, objectives, and performance targets estab-
lished by this section; and 
‘‘(7) require recipients of Federal surface trans-
portation funds to annually report on the use of 
such funds, including a description of— 
‘‘(A) which projects and priorities were 
funded with such funds; 
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‘‘(B) the rationale and method employed 
for apportioning such funds to the projects and 
priorities; and 
‘‘(C) how the obligation of such funds is 
consistent with or advances the policy, objec-
tives, and performance targets established by 
this section. 
‘‘(f) AUTHORITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law in effect as of the date of enactment 
of the National Transportation Objectives Act of 
2009, the Secretary may, through a process of pub-
lic notice and comment and with reasonable prior 
notice to the Senate Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation and the House of Rep-
resentatives Committee on Transportation and In-
frastructure preceding any significant change, con-
sistent with the public interest, amend the perform-
ance targets under subsection (c) or develop addi-
tional performance targets to effectively meet the 
policy and objectives set forth in this section. 
‘‘(2) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The Secretary may 
also make recommendations to those Committees for 
reorganizing the Department of Transportation, as 
necessary and consistent with the requirements of 
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section 304(b)(6), in order to achieve the policy, ob-
jectives, and performance targets established by this 
section. 
‘‘§ 304. National surface transportation performance 
plan 
‘‘(a) DEVELOPMENT.—Not later than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of the National Transportation Ob-
jectives Act of 2009, the Secretary of Transportation shall 
develop and implement a National Surface Transportation 
Performance Plan to achieve the policy, objectives, and 
performance targets set forth in section 303. 
‘‘(b) CONTENTS.—The plan shall include— 
‘‘(1) an assessment of the current performance 
of the national surface transportation system and an 
analysis of the system’s ability to achieve the policy, 
objectives, and performance targets set forth in sec-
tion 303; 
‘‘(2) an analysis of emerging and long-term pro-
jected trends that will impact the performance, 
needs, and uses of the national surface transpor-
tation system; 
‘‘(3) a description of the major impediments to 
effectively meeting the policy, objectives, and per-
formance targets set forth in section 303 and rec-
ommended actions to address such impediments; 
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‘‘(4) a comprehensive strategy and investment 
plan to meet the policy, objectives, and performance 
targets set forth in section 303; 
‘‘(5) initiatives to improve transportation mod-
eling, research, data collection, and analysis; and 
‘‘(6) a plan for any reorganization of the De-
partment of Transportation or its agencies necessary 
to meet the policy, objectives, and performance tar-
gets set forth in section 303. 
‘‘(c) CONSULTATION.—In developing the plan re-
quired by subsection (a), the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) consult with local, State, and tribal gov-
ernments, public and private transportation pro-
viders and carriers, non-profit organizations rep-
resenting transportation employees, appropriate for-
eign governments, and other interested parties; and 
‘‘(2) provide public notice and hearings and so-
licit public comments on the plan. 
‘‘(d) SUBMITTAL.—The Secretary shall submit the 
completed plan to the Senate Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation and the House of Represent-
atives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. 
‘‘(e) PROGRESS REPORTS.—The Secretary shall sub-
mit biennial progress reports on the implementation of the 
plan beginning 2 years after the date of submittal of the 
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