energy be a prime factor in emerging transporta- 

 tion R&D programs. In anticipation of the needed 

 strong actions to realign our systems, a strong 

 transportation energy program was developed in 

 the Department in 1972, which has produced a sub- 

 stantial data base. This program produced the 

 Motor Vehicle Goals report and other analyses 

 which assisted the Congress in developing the fuel 

 economy requirements in P.L. 94-163. Coupled 

 with the energy conservation activities are the re- 

 lated engine emission considerations to insure the 

 needed trade-off between conservation and pollu- 

 tion control. All modal administrations and the 

 Office of the Secretary are heavily committed to 

 transportation safety. Since the Federal role in- 

 volves regulation, continuing research is needed 

 for both passenger and freight systems in all 

 modes to ensure practical, economically sound 

 regulatory action. 



Common Technologies 



In four significant RD&D areas there is great 

 commonality across the Department. 



Construction. We have the most extensive trans- 

 portation infrastructure of any country. That in- 

 frastructure is in place and functioning and at the 

 same time it is continually growing older and dete- 

 riorating. Maintaining this enormous infrastructure 

 at peak performance is largely a government func- 

 tion — whether local. State, or Federal — and is tak- 

 ing an increasing portion of the budget. Continued 

 and expanded research is needed in all modes, but 

 particularly the rail and highway modes, to seek 

 long-term, cost-reducing solutions to this problem. 



Automation. The rapidly advancing technologies 

 of electronics and sensors will increasingly per- 

 vade all aspects of transportation: Automation, 

 traffic flow control, navigation, communication, 

 and information manipulation. The RD&D pro- 

 gram is structured to capture the potential syner- 

 gisms of applications in one mode to the problems 

 of others. Flow augmentation through automated 

 control systems can be a cost-effective alternative 

 to more construction. 



Navigation. Historically, marine, air, and now 

 land navigation and positioning aids have been the 

 responsibility of individual agencies of the Govern- 

 ment such as the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and 

 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The 

 rapidly increasing demand for accurate positioning 

 and navigation on land, sea, and in the air points to 

 the need for a coordinated program to provide the 

 required service without unnecessary proliferation. 

 The recently updated National Flan for Navigation 

 will be a blueprint and first step in this direction. 



Data. Underlying all of the modal and cross- 

 modal problems is, of course, the information and 

 data base needed to solve these problems. The 



1 60 TRANSPORTATION 



heart of this information is hard data. Much of the 

 Department's RD&D is focused in this data-gath- 

 ering and analysis area and will continue to be an 

 important element in understanding the tradeoffs 

 involved in our decisionmaking process. 



With these key issues in mind let me present a 

 summary of the FY 1978 budget request, which il- 

 lustrates the proposed funding distribution by or- 

 ganizational elements within the Department. The 

 RD&D component funding levels range from near- 

 ly $23 million for the USCG to approximately $128 

 million for the FAA. Some of the principal RD&D 

 areas within each DOT organizational element are 

 identified below. 



In the USCG and the FAA, the results of techni- 

 cal research are applied to the operating capability 

 of each administration. The USCG program in- 

 volving the marine transportation mode is directly 

 related to its operating missions including search 

 and rescue, aids to navigation, commercial vessel 

 and recreational boating safety, marine environ- 

 mental protection, port safety and security, and 

 icebreaking technology. The Coast Guard is also 

 pursuing a new broad program effort dealing with 

 multioperational needs and energy conservation. 



The FAA research program consists of efforts to 

 improve the safety of the national air traffic control 

 system and to progressively increase the capacity 

 of that system to meet operational demands of the 

 future. Aviation medical research to increase the 

 effectiveness of traffic controllers and pilots is in- 

 cluded in the safety efforts while an overall effort 

 in the area of environmental protection is included 

 within FAA's RD&D programs. 



The FHWA program includes research in high- 

 way areas such as construction and maintenance, 

 highway safety aspects, demonstration projects, 

 and research for the Bureau of Motor Carrier Safe- 

 ty, all of which is directed toward improving safety 

 and performance along the Nation's highways. 



The NHTSA RD&D program meanwhile fea- 

 tures motor vehicles and highway safety as well as 

 improvement of accident investigating and data 

 analysis. The overall program is responsive to re- 

 quirements of the motor vehicle program and the 

 traffic safety program of NHTSA with goals to 

 curb the number of traffic accidents, injuries, and 

 deaths. Another major NHTSA RD&D effort is in 

 the area of fuel economy and the related develop- 

 ment of vehicle energy regulation. 



The Federal Railroad Administration conducts 

 safety programs, socioeconomic assessment stud- 

 ies and research aimed at conventional rail prob- 

 lems. Emphasis is placed on greater applicability 

 of research to the needs of users of RD&D results. 



The UMTA program is conducted under Section 

 6 of the Urban Mass Transit Act. It consists of 

 efforts to help urban areas meet their transporta- 



