I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1637
To improve intermodal transportation. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 14, 2005
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas (for herself, Mr. BAKER, Mr. CON-
YERS, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. NADLER, Mr. CUMMINGS, 
Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. MATHESON, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. 
MCINTYRE, Ms. NORTON, and Mr. FILNER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture 
A BILL 
To improve intermodal transportation.
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 ‘‘Intermodal Transpor-
tation Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. INTERMODAL PASSENGER FACILITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 55 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing:
‘‘SUBCHAPTER III—INTERMODAL PASSENGER 
FACILITIES 
‘‘§ 5571. Policy and purposes 
‘‘(a) DEVELOPMENT AND ENHANCEMENT OF INTER-
MODAL PASSENGER FACILITIES.—It is in the economic in-
terest of the United States to improve the efficiency of 
public surface transportation modes by ensuring the con-
nection with and access to intermodal passenger terminals, 
thereby streamlining the transfer of passengers among 
modes, enhancing travel options, and increasing passenger 
transportation operating efficiencies. 
‘‘(b) GENERAL PURPOSES.—The purpose of this sub-
chapter is to accelerate intermodal integration among 
North 
America’s 
passenger 
transportation 
modes 
through—
‘‘(1) assuring intercity public transportation ac-
cess to intermodal passenger facilities; 
‘‘(2) encouraging the development of an inte-
grated system of public transportation information; 
and 
‘‘(3) providing intercity bus intermodal pas-
senger facility grants. 
‘‘§ 5572. Definitions 
‘‘In this subchapter—
‘‘(1) the term ‘capital project’ means a project 
for—
‘‘(A) acquiring, constructing, improving, or 
renovating a publicly or privately owned or op-
erated intermodal facility that is related phys-
ically and functionally to intercity bus service in 
order to establish or enhance coordination be-
tween intercity bus service and transportation, 
including aviation, local public transportation 
by bus or rail, commuter bus or rail, intercity 
rail, seaports, and the National Highway Sys-
tem, including physical infrastructure associ-
ated with private bus operations at existing and 
new intermodal facilities, such as building con-
struction or renovation, special lanes, curb cuts, 
ticket kiosks and counters, passenger waiting 
areas, baggage and package express storage, 
employee parking, office space, security, and 
signage; and 
‘‘(B) establishing or enhancing coordination be-
tween intercity bus service and transportation, in-
cluding aviation, commuter bus or rail, intercity rail, 
and the National Highway System through a pub-
licly or privately owned or operated integrated sys-
tem of public transportation information;
‘‘(2) the term ‘commuter service’ means service 
designed primarily to provide daily work trips within 
the local commuting area; 
‘‘(3) the term ‘Intercity bus service’ means—
‘‘(A) regularly scheduled bus service for 
the general public which—
‘‘(i) operates with limited stops over 
fixed routes connecting two or more urban 
areas, or connecting rural areas with urban 
areas, not in close proximity; 
‘‘(ii) has the capacity for transporting 
baggage carried by passengers; and 
‘‘(iii) makes meaningful connections 
with scheduled intercity bus service to 
more distant points; and 
‘‘(B) charter and tour bus service; 
‘‘(4) the term ‘intermodal passenger facility’ 
means a passenger terminal that does, or can be 
modified to, accommodate several modes of transpor-
tation and related facilities, including some or all of 
the following: intercity rail, commuter bus or rail, 
intercity bus, local public transportation, either bus 
or rail, airport limousine service and airline ticket 
offices, rent-a-car facilities, taxis, private parking, 
and other transportation services;
‘‘(5) the term ‘local governmental authority’ in-
cludes—
‘‘(A) a political subdivision of a State; 
‘‘(B) an authority of at least one State or 
political subdivision of a State; 
‘‘(C) an Indian tribe; and 
‘‘(D) a public corporation, board, or com-
mission established under the laws of the State; 
‘‘(6) the term ‘owner or operator of a public 
transportation facility’ means an owner or operator 
of intercity-rail, intercity-bus, commuter-rail, rail-
transit, bus-transit, or ferry services; 
‘‘(7) the term ‘recipient’ means any public or 
private entity that receives a grant to carry out this 
section directly from the Federal Government; 
‘‘(8) the term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary 
of Transportation; 
‘‘(9) the term ‘State’ means a State of the 
United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto 
Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Amer-
ican Samoa, and the Virgin Islands; and 
‘‘(10) the term ‘urban area’ means an area that 
includes a municipality or other area that the Sec-
retary, after considering local patterns and trends of 
urban growth, decides is appropriate for a local pub-
lic transportation system to serve individuals in the 
locality. 
‘‘§ 5573. Assurance of access to intermodal passenger 
facilities 
‘‘Intercity buses and other modes of transportation 
shall, to the maximum extent practicable, have access to 
publicly funded intermodal passenger facilities including 
passenger facilities described in section 5574. 
‘‘§ 5574. Intercity bus intermodal passenger facility 
grants 
‘‘(a) GENERAL
AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of 
Transportation may make grants under this section to re-
cipients in financing a capital project, as defined in section 
5572, only if the Secretary finds that the proposed project 
is justified and has an adequate financial commitment. 
‘‘(b) COMPETITIVE GRANT SELECTION.—The Sec-
retary shall conduct a national solicitation for applications 
for grants under this section. Grantees shall be selected 
on a competitive basis. 
‘‘(c) SHARE OF NET PROJECT COSTS.—
‘‘(1) A grant shall not exceed 80 percent of the 
net project cost, as determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) The portion of the net costs of an eligible 
project that is not funded under this section shall be 
from an undistributed cash surplus, a replacement
or depreciation cash fund or reserve, or new public 
or private capital and may include amounts appro-
priated to or made available to a department or 
agency of the Federal government that are eligible 
to be expended for transportation. 
‘‘(d) 
CONTRACTUAL
OBLIGATIONS.—A 
grant 
provieded under this section that is financed with amounts 
made available under section 5575(a) is a contractual obli-
gation of the United States Government to pay the Gov-
ernment’s share of the cost of the project. 
‘‘(e) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary may issue regu-
lations necessary to carry out this section. 
‘‘§ 5575. Funding 
‘‘(a) MASS TRANSIT ACCOUNT.—To carry out this 
subchapter, there is authorized to be appropriated for each 
of fiscal years 2006 through 2009 from the Mass Transit 
Account of the Highway Trust Fund, $75,000,000, of 
which no more than $5,000,000 may be used to carry out 
paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 5571(b). The require-
ments of section 5309 shall apply to a project that receives 
funds pursuant to this subsection. 
‘‘(b) HIGHWAY ACCOUNT.—
‘‘(1) There is authorized to be appropriated 
from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass 
Transit Account) to carry out section 5571(b)(3)
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 
2009. 
‘‘(2) The funding made available under para-
graph (1) shall be available for obligation in the 
same manner as if such funds were apportioned 
under chapter 1 of title 23 and shall be subject to 
any obligation limitation imposed on funds for Fed-
eral-aid highways and highway safety construction 
programs. 
‘‘(c) PERIOD
OF AVAILABILITY.—Amounts made 
available by subsection (a) of this section shall remain 
available until expended. 
‘‘(d) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents for chapter 55 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting at the end the following:
‘‘SUBCHAPTER III—INTERMODAL PASSENGER FACILITIES 
‘‘5571. Policy and purposes. 
‘‘5572. Definitions. 
‘‘5573. Assurance of access to intermodal facilities. 
‘‘5574. Intercity bus intermodal passenger facility grants. 
‘‘5575. Funding.’’
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