Engn Depos-USA MESSAGE BY ASSOCIATE DEPUTY SECRETARY MICHAEL P. HUERTA The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) identified a new shift in transportation priorities -- the need to obtain the optimum yield from existing transportation resources, rather than solely relying on expansion as we have in the past. In an austere fiscal environment, we need to better manage the resources we have to meet the increasing future transportation needs of this country. This is truly the challenge of the decade for all of us and intermodalism is the philosophy which will help us reach that goal. Intermodalism under ISTEA has been called revolutionary -- a new way of doing business in the transportation industry and planning environment. Intermodalism does not encompass a highly visible new nationwide construction program as we have seen in the past. Rather, it is a new management philosophy which advocates full integration and coordination of the existing national transportation systems for maximum efficiency. What does intermodalism include? It incorporates all assets (trains, planes, ships, buses, railroads, cars, bicycles), all associated infrastructure (roads, airports, railroads, terminals, bridges), and the information which flows with the movement of people and goods over this system. It also recognizes new technology and the role it plays in influencing and modifying our transportation capability. Intermodalism requires efficient connections between modes, choices among alternative modes, and communication and cooperation within the transportation community. It advocates making better transportation planning decisions and considering the full range of alternatives, while assuring that safety and environmental benefits are integral to the final product. It requires looking for maximum mobility and thinking in terms of a transportation system -- the total trip combining all modes, not just individual segments. The intermodal transportation challenge we face is the application of this new management philosophy to a mature transportation infrastructure, where increasing demands for the movement of people and goods and protection of the environment must now be met by improved planning, management and maintenance rather than by expansion as in the past. As we in the Office of Intermodalism pursue our mandate to coordinate Federal intermodal policy, we see one of our roles as helping to foster a better intermodal planning environment for those of you faced with making daily transportation decisions. This publication serves that purpose by providing information on intermodal technical assistance activities being supported by the Department. As a resource document, it contains a compilation of available tools to help you respond to the new technical requirements of ISTEA and the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA). It identifies these activities and their products-studies, conferences, courses, reports, data, and models -- that the Department has available or under development. We hope it is responsive to your needs and look forward to receiving back your comments and suggestions for future initiatives. COMMENTS RE: INTERMODAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNERS Request: A few minutes of your time will contribute significantly to our efforts to improve the quality of Federal intermodal technical assistance programs. Please complete and return this postage-paid comment sheet. Michael P. Huerta Associate Deputy Secretary Director, Office of Intermodalism 1. Is this listing of intermodal technical assistance activities a useful resource? What changes in format or additional information would you like included for future editions? 2. Do you have suggestions for modifying listed activities to address unfulfilled needs? 3. What types of technical assistance are most helpful to you as a transportation planner? 4. Are there areas not addressed in this publication for which technical assistance projects should be initiated? What are these areas and your recommendations for needed projects? 5. How can DOT make the results, or products, of technical assistance more readily available to you? 6. Should consideration be given to expanding the listing beyond DOT-initiated activities and, if so, what other areas/groups should be included? |