Hearing

I want to welcome everyone to today’s hearing.  We will hear from our non-federal partners on some of the innovations they are using to improve our surface transportation system.

The FAST Act reauthorized federal surface transportation programs through fiscal year 2020.  Through these programs, our non-federal partners are investing in research, transportation technologies, and other innovations to meet the current and future needs of their communities.

For example, some communities have invested in intelligent transportation systems, others have experimented with autonomous and connected vehicles, and some have been partnering with the private sector to improve the quality of life for the general public.

The population and amount of freight moving through our Nation are projected to increase significantly in the coming decades.  Being innovative and utilizing transportation technologies where it makes sense to do so will help our surface transportation system move people and goods more safely and efficiently.

Innovative solutions and transportation technologies may be applied differently across our Nation.  It is vital that we share our best practices and lessons learned.

The leaders with us today will showcase some of those innovations and technologies that are currently being used on our highways and by our public transit systems.  Congress must continue to provide our non-federal partners with the flexibility to implement innovative solutions and to deploy transportation technologies that work best for them.  We look forward to hearing your testimony.