Department of Transportation and Relat- Ed Agencies Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1998
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HRG. 105±429 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND RELAT- ED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1998 HEARINGS BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED FIFTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON H.R. 2169/S. 1048 AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANS- PORTATION AND RELATED AGENCIES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 1998, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Department of Transportation General Accounting Office National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) National Transportation Safety Board Nondepartmental witnesses Office of Management and Budget Railroad Retirement Board Surface Transportation Board Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/senate U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 39±864 cc WASHINGTON : 1998 For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402 ISBN 0±16±056437±9 COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS TED STEVENS, Alaska, Chairman THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi ROBERT C. BYRD, West Virginia ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii PETE V. DOMENICI, New Mexico ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, South Carolina CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont SLADE GORTON, Washington DALE BUMPERS, Arkansas MITCH MCCONNELL, Kentucky FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey CONRAD BURNS, Montana TOM HARKIN, Iowa RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, Maryland JUDD GREGG, New Hampshire HARRY REID, Nevada ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah HERB KOHL, Wisconsin BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Colorado PATTY MURRAY, Washington LARRY CRAIG, Idaho BYRON DORGAN, North Dakota LAUCH FAIRCLOTH, North Carolina BARBARA BOXER, California KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas STEVEN J. CORTESE, Staff Director LISA SUTHERLAND, Deputy Staff Director JAMES H. ENGLISH, Minority Staff Director SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND RELATED AGENCIES RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama, Chairman PETE V. DOMENICI, New Mexico FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania ROBERT C. BYRD, West Virginia CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, Maryland SLADE GORTON, Washington HARRY REID, Nevada ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah HERB KOHL, Wisconsin LAUCH FAIRCLOTH, North Carolina PATTY MURRAY, Washington TED STEVENS, Alaska ex officio Professional Staff WALLY BURNETT REID CAVNAR ANNE M. MIANO JOYCE C. ROSE PETER ROGOFF (Minority) (II) CONTENTS THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1997 Page Department of Transportation ................................................................................ 1 THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1997 Department of Transportation: Federal Highway Administration .................................................................... 123 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration .......................................... 144 Federal Transit Administration ...................................................................... 146 Nondepartmental witnesses .................................................................................... 225 Material submitted subsequent to conclusion of hearing ..................................... 267 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1997 National Transportation Safety Board .................................................................. 287 Department of Transportation: Federal Aviation Administration ....................... 317 WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 1997 Department of Transportation ................................................................................ 355 General Accounting Office ...................................................................................... 355 Department of Transportation: Federal Railroad Administration ...................... 391 National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) ............................................. 391 General Accounting Office ...................................................................................... 391 THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 1997 Congressional witnesses .......................................................................................... 461 Nondepartmental witnesses ...................................................................... 461, 487, 531 Department of Transportation: Federal Aviation Administration ....................... 487 THURSDAY, JULY 17, 1997 Department of Labor: Railroad Retirement Board ............................................... 561 Department of Transportation ................................................................................ 573 Office of Management and Budget ......................................................................... 573 National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) ............................................. 573 MATERIAL SUBMITTED BY AGENCIES NOT APPEARING FOR FORMAL HEARINGS Department of Transportation: Federal Highway Administration .................................................................... 591 Federal Railroad Administration .................................................................... 784 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration .......................................... 878 Research and Special Programs Administration ........................................... 945 St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation ........................................... 1033 Related agency: Surface Transportation Board ..................................................... 1051 Nondepartmental witnesses .................................................................................... 1079 (III) DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND RE- LATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1998 THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1997 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met at 10:02 a.m., in room SD±192, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Richard C. Shelby (chairman) presid- ing. Present: Senators Shelby, Domenici, Specter, Bond, Bennett, Faircloth, Stevens, Lautenberg, Byrd, Mikulski, and Murray. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION STATEMENT OF HON. RODNEY SLATER, SECRETARY ACCOMPANIED BY LOUISE FRANKEL STOLL, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR BUDGET AND PROGRAMS/CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER OPENING REMARKS Senator SHELBY. The subcommittee will come to order. Mr. Secretary, we appreciate your joining us today. Secretary SLATER. Thank you, sir. Senator SHELBY. We will get into some of the specifics of the President's budget request in a few minutes, Mr. Secretary, but I am going to be looking to you to help me better understand the cri- teria by which the administration evaluates the cost effectiveness of some of your programs. In the current budget environment, it is critical that we do all we can to make sure that we focus our limited Federal resources on projects that create jobs, create opportunities, create economic activity, and improve mobility in this country. As we put this year's bill together, I have asked the staff to focus on some of the large- dollar highway, transit, and aviation projects to make sure that we are being wise stewards of our limited transportation dollars. In turn, I am committed to doing what I can to bring more pri- vate money to building transportation infrastructure by utilizing innovative financing and establishing a business-friendly environ- ment. I will also try to identify any money we are currently spend- ing on potentially unnecessary transportation studies into spending on real projects that bring value to real people. Increasingly, this subcommittee performs a balancing act, jug- gling resources among a host of worthwhile priorities competing for the same Federal dollar. There are no easy choices. Pressure to (1) 2 fund new initiatives and to maintain and expand current discre- tionary programs continues, while there are fewer options and less consensus on where offsetting cuts should be taken. In turn, I am dedicated to continuing the search for more effi- cient, less costly ways to deliver essential transportation services, to consolidate and to reform programs to increase flexibility over the use of limited Federal dollars, to question the merit of Federal expenditures, and to shift funds from lower to higher priority ac- tivities. However, I believe, Mr. Secretary, we must recognize that if the total amount available for transportation appropriations is frozen, we must weigh the future consequences of continuing to defer needed capital investments. I probably bring a little different perspective to this subcommit- tee than some of the past two chairmen, who are friends of mine. Like every State in the Union, my home State of Alabama has sub- stantial transportation needs, but our needs are primarily to im- prove and expand our highway system. I am very sensitive to the varied transportation needs of the States represented by other members of the subcommittee, the Appropriations Committee, and the Senate, and I commit to them and to you, Mr. Secretary, that I will do everything possible to help them find the tools and the flexibility to address their individual State's transportation needs. I strongly believe that all solutions involve a reexamination of the Federal commitment to investing in transportation infrastructure and a renewed commitment to ensuring that all States and regions receive adequate consideration of their transportation needs. Finally, Mr. Secretary, I want to reiterate my commitment to preserving and promoting transportation safety. I want to work with you to create a better understanding of how safety cuts across modal lines. While we need to strive for continued improvements in transportation safety,