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date of enactment of this Act if the Secretary 
determines that the upgrade or expansion—
(i) would not adversely affect the 
goals or purposes of this subtitle; 
(ii) is carried out before the end of 
the useful life of such system; and 
(iii) is cost-effective as compared to 
alternatives that would meet the con-
formity requirement of paragraph (1). 
(3) EXCEPTIONS.—Paragraph (1) shall not 
apply to funds used for operation or maintenance of 
an intelligent transportation system in existence on 
the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 5605. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry out a 
comprehensive program of intelligent transportation sys-
tem research, development, and operational tests of intel-
ligent vehicles and intelligent infrastructure systems and 
other similar activities that are necessary to carry out this 
subtitle. 
(b) PRIORITY AREAS.—Under the program, the Sec-
retary shall give higher priority to funding projects that—
(1) enhance mobility and productivity through 
improved traffic management, incident management, 
transit management, freight management, road
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weather management, toll collection, traveler infor-
mation, or highway operations systems and remote 
sensing products; 
(2) utilize interdisciplinary approaches to de-
velop traffic management strategies and tools to ad-
dress multiple impacts of congestion concurrently; 
(3) enhance safety through improved crash 
avoidance and protection, crash and other notifica-
tion, commercial motor vehicle operations, and infra-
structure-based or cooperative safety systems; and 
(4) facilitate the integration of intelligent infra-
structure, vehicle, and control technologies. 
(c) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost 
of operational tests and demonstrations under subsection 
(a) shall not exceed 80 percent. 
SEC. 5606. INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT. 
Funds made available to carry out this subtitle for 
operational tests—
(1) shall be used primarily for the development 
of intelligent transportation system infrastructure; 
and 
(2) to the maximum extent practicable, shall 
not be used for the construction of physical highway 
and public transportation infrastructure unless the 
construction is incidental and critically necessary to
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the implementation of an intelligent transportation 
system project. 
SEC. 5607. ROAD WEATHER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 
a road weather research and development program to—
(1) maximize use of available road weather in-
formation and technologies; 
(2) expand road weather research and develop-
ment efforts to enhance roadway safety, capacity, 
and efficiency while minimizing environmental im-
pacts; and 
(3) promote technology transfer of effective 
road weather scientific and technological advances. 
(b) STAKEHOLDER INPUT.—In carrying out this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall consult with the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science 
Foundation, the American Association of State Highway 
and Transportation Officials, nonprofit organizations, and 
the private sector. 
(c) CONTENTS.—The program established under this 
section shall solely carry out research and development 
called for in the National Research Council’s report enti-
tled ‘A Research Agenda for Improving Road Weather 
Services’. Such research and development includes—
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(1) integrating existing observational networks 
and data management systems for road weather ap-
plications; 
(2) improving weather modeling capabilities and 
forecast tools, such as the road surface and atmos-
pheric interface; 
(3) enhancing mechanisms for communicating 
road weather information to users, such as transpor-
tation officials and the public; and 
(4) integrating road weather technologies into 
an information infrastructure. 
(d) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out this section, the 
Secretary shall—
(1) enable efficient technology transfer; 
(2) improve education and training of road 
weather information users, such as State and local 
transportation officials and private sector transpor-
tation contractors; and 
(3) coordinate with transportation weather re-
search programs in other modes, such as aviation. 
(e) FUNDING.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—In awarding funds under 
this section, the Secretary shall give preference to 
applications with significant matching funds from 
non-Federal sources.
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(2) FUNDS
FOR
ROAD
WEATHER
RESEARCH 
AND DEVELOPMENT.—Of the amounts made avail-
able by section 5101(a)(5), $4,000,000 shall be 
available to carry out this section for each of fiscal 
years 2004 through 2009. 
SEC. 5608. DEFINITIONS. 
In this subtitle, the following definitions apply: 
(1) INCIDENT.—The term ‘incident’ means a 
crash, a natural disaster, workzone activity, special 
event, or other emergency road user occurrence that 
adversely affects or impedes the normal flow of traf-
fic. 
(2) INTELLIGENT
TRANSPORTATION
INFRA-
STRUCTURE.—The term ‘intelligent transportation 
infrastructure’ means fully integrated public sector 
intelligent transportation system components, as de-
fined by the Secretary. 
(3) INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.—
The term ‘intelligent transportation system’ means 
electronics, communications, or information proc-
essing used singly or in combination to improve the 
efficiency or safety of a surface transportation sys-
tem.
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(4) NATIONAL ARCHITECTURE.—The term ‘na-
tional architecture’ means the common framework 
for interoperability that defines—
(A) the functions associated with intel-
ligent transportation system user services; 
(B) the physical entities or subsystems 
within which the functions reside; 
(C) the data interfaces and information 
flows between physical subsystems; and 
(D) the communications requirements as-
sociated with the information flows. 
(5) PROJECT.—The term ‘project’ means a un-
dertaking to research, develop, or operationally test 
intelligent transportation systems or any other un-
dertaking eligible for assistance under this subtitle. 
(6) STANDARD.—The term ‘standard’ means a 
document that—
(A) contains technical specifications or 
other precise criteria for intelligent transpor-
tation systems that are to be used consistently 
as rules, guidelines, or definitions of character-
istics so as to ensure that materials, products, 
processes, and services are fit for their pur-
poses; and
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(B) may support the national architecture 
and promote—
(i) the widespread use and adoption of 
intelligent 
transportation 
system 
tech-
nology as a component of the surface 
transportation systems of the United 
States; and 
(ii) interoperability among intelligent 
transportation system technologies imple-
mented throughout the States. 
(7) STATE.—The term ‘State’ has the meaning 
given the term under section 101 of title 23, United 
States Code. 
(8) TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT 
AND
OPERATIONS.—The term ‘transportation sys-
tems management and operations’ has the meaning 
given the term under section 101(a) of such title. 
SEC. 5609. RURAL INTERSTATE CORRIDOR COMMUNICA-
TIONS STUDY. 
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary, in cooperation with the 
Secretary of Commerce, State departments of transpor-
tation, and other appropriate State, regional, and local of-
ficials, shall conduct a study on feasibility of installing 
fiber optic cabling and wireless communication infrastruc-
ture along multistate Interstate System route corridors for
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improved communications services to rural communities 
along such corridors. 
(b) CONTENTS OF STUDY.—In conducting the study, 
the Secretary shall identify—
(1) impediments to installation of the infra-
structure 
described 
in 
subsection 
(a) 
along 
multistate Interstate System route corridors and to 
connecting such infrastructure to the rural commu-
nities along such corridors; 
(2) the effective geographic range of such infra-
structure; 
(3) potential opportunities for the private sector 
to fund, wholly or partially, the installation of such 
infrastructure; 
(4) potential benefits fiber optic cabling and 
wireless communication infrastructure may provide 
to rural communities along such corridors, including 
the effects of the installation of such infrastructure 
on economic development, deployment of intelligent 
transportation systems technologies and applica-
tions, homeland security precaution and response, 
and education and health systems in those commu-
nities; 
(5) rural broadband access points for such in-
frastructure;
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(6) areas of environmental conflict with such in-
stallation; 
(7) real estate ownership issues relating to such 
installation; 
(8) preliminary design for placement of fiber 
optic cable and wireless towers; 
(9) monetary value of the rights-of-way nec-
essary for such installation; 
(10) applicability and transferability of the ben-
efits of such installation to other rural corridors; and 
(11) safety and other operational issues associ-
ated with the installation and maintenance of fiber 
optic cabling and wire infrastructure within Inter-
state System rights-of-way and other publicly owned 
rights-of-way. 
(c) CORRIDOR
LOCATIONS.—The study required 
under subsection (a) shall be conducted for corridors 
along—
(1) Interstate Route I–90 through rural Wis-
consin, southern Minnesota, northern Iowa, and 
South Dakota; 
(2) Interstate Route I–20 through Alabama, 
Mississippi, and northern Louisiana; 
(3) Interstate Route I–91 through Vermont, 
New Hampshire, and Massachusetts; and
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(4) any other rural corridor the Secretary con-
siders appropriate. 
(d) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost 
of the study shall be 100 percent. 
(e) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than Sep-
tember 30, 2006, the Secretary shall transmit to Congress 
a report on the results of the study, including any rec-
ommendations of the Secretary. 
(f) FUNDING.—Of the amounts made available under 
section 5101(a)(5), $1,000,000 shall be available for fiscal 
year 2005, and $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2006, to carry 
out this section. 
SEC. 5610. CENTERS FOR SURFACE TRANSPORTATION EX-
CELLENCE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 
3 centers for surface transportation excellence. 
(b) GOALS.—The goals of the centers for surface 
transportation excellence are to promote and support stra-
tegic national surface transportation programs and activi-
ties relating to the work of State departments of transpor-
tation in the areas of environment, rural safety, and 
project finance. 
(c) ROLE OF CENTERS.—To achieve the goals set 
forth in subsection (b), the Secretary shall establish the 
3 centers as follows:
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(1) ENVIRONMENTAL
EXCELLENCE.—To pro-
vide technical assistance, information sharing of best 
practices, and training in the use of tools and deci-
sion-making processes that can assist States in plan-
ning and delivering environmentally sound surface 
transportation projects. 
(2) RURAL
SAFETY.—To provide research, 
training, and outreach on innovative uses of tech-
nology to enhance rural safety and economic devel-
opment, assess local community needs to improve ac-
cess to mobile emergency treatment, and develop on-
line and seminar training needs of rural transpor-
tation practitioners and policy-makers. 
(3) PROJECT FINANCE.—To provide support to 
State transportation departments in the development 
of finance plans and project oversight tools and to 
develop and offer training in state of the art financ-
ing methods to advance projects and leverage funds. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Of the amounts made avail-
able under section 5101(a)(1), the Secretary shall 
make available $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2004 through 2009 to carry out this section.
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(2) ALLOCATION
OF
FUNDS.—Of the funds 
made available under paragraph (1) the Secretary 
shall use such amounts as follows: 
(A) 40 percent to establish the Center for 
Environmental Excellence. 
(B) 30 percent to establish the Center for 
Excellence in Rural Safety. 
(C) 30 percent to establish the Center for 
Excellence in Project Finance. 
(3) APPLICABILITY OF TITLE 23.—Funds au-
thorized by this section shall be available for obliga-
tion in the same manner as if such funds were ap-
portioned under chapter 1 of title 23, United States 
Code, except that the Federal share shall be 100 
percent. 
(e) PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.—
(1) COMPETITION.—A party entering into a 
contract, cooperative agreement, or other transaction 
with the Secretary, or receiving a grant to perform 
research or provide technical assistance under this 
section shall be selected on a competitive basis, to 
the maximum extent practicable. 
(2) STRATEGIC PLAN.—The Secretary shall re-
quire each center to develop a multiyear strategic 
plan that describes—