Cleveland.-The Committee has provided $2,000,000 for the dual hub corridor, which connects the commercial business district with University Circle. Cleveland has proposed a 50-percent local share with 20 percent of the project's total costs being borne by the private sector. Total project costs are estimated to be approximately $550,000,000. These funds are for preliminary engineering studies. Newark.-The Committee has provided an additional $5,000,000 for the Newark Airport rail link project. This is in addition to the $2,000,000 provided in fiscal year 1989. This project will connect the cities of Elizabeth and Newark to the Newark International Airport.

Chicago. The Committee has provided $2,000,000 for the Central Area Circulator which is to serve the new growth areas of the central business district that are not served by existing commuter and heavy rail stations. These funds would be used for further work on alternatives analysis and preliminary work on a draft environmental impact statement.

Salt Lake City.-The Committee has provided an additional $2,000,000 for further engineering and design work on the Interstate 15/State Street corridor. These funds are in addition to the $8,600,000 previously provided for preliminary engineering and right-of-way acquisition. The Committee understands that the draft environmental impact statement on this project has been completed and is being readied for publication and public review. This process is expected to lead to a selection of the preferred alternative within a few months. Upon this determination, the Committee expects UMTA to expeditiously release previously appropriated preliminary engineering funds to facilitate project definition, design, and cost refinement. In preliminary discussions with UMTA officials the Wasatch Front Regional Council and the Utah Transit Authority discussed a possible 40-percent local share for this project.

City of Chattanooga.-The Committee is aware that the city of Chattanooga is preparing a request to the Urban Mass Transportation Administration [UMTA] for fiscal year 1990 planning funds. The money will be used for the initial planning of the revitalized downtown transportation system, which could include use of vintage trolleys. The Committee encourages UMTA to act favorably upon this request from the city of Chattanooga and to work closely with city officials to expedite the planning, engineering, and construction of this proposed system. The Committee applauds the city for its proposed overmatch of funding for the entire project.

PLANNING AND TECHNICAL STUDIES

The Committee recommends that $45,000,000 be appropriated for planning and technical studies. The major activities funded under this heading include short range transportation system manage ment and transportation improvement programs, alternatives analysis studies, and energy conservation and contingency planning. The amount provided is the same as that provided by the House.

ELDERLY AND HANDICAPPED

The Committee recommends a total of $35,000,000 for the elderly and handicapped program, section 16(b)(2). This is the same level provided by the House and requested by the administration.

UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION CENTERS

The Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987, Public Law 100-17, established the University Transportation Centers Program funded from the transit trust fund. Under section 314 of the act, the Secretary is to make grants to one or more nonprofit institutions of higher learning to establish and operate one regional transportation center in each of the 10 Federal regions. The Committee has provided $5,000,000 for this program, which is the same amount provided in fiscal year 1989, and the same amount provided by the House.

SECTION 9(B) FORMULA GRANTS

The Committee has included $70,000,000 for the section 9(B) Capital Grants Formula Program. The Committee has provided, through the obligation limitation, a total of $1,140,000,000 for sections 3, 4(i), 8, 16(b), and 9(B) from the "Mass transit" account of the highway trust fund. Of this amount $140,000,000 is for the sections 3 and 9(B) program, of which one-half by authorizing statute is for the 9(B) capital grants program.

The bill includes $900,000,000 to liquidate obligations incurred under contract authority provided in sections 12(h) and 21 (a)(2) and (b) of the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964, as amended by the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 and the Federal Mass Transportation Act of 1987 (48 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).

INTERSTATE TRANSFER GRANTS-TRANSIT

Appropriations, 1989.

Budget estimate, 1990.
House allowance.

Committee recommendation...........

$200,000,000

180,000,000

160,000,000

Grants under this activity are authorized by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973 and amended by subsequent amendments to the Federal-Aid Highway Act and the Surface Transportation Assistance Acts of 1978 and 1982. Under current law, 50 percent of the interstate transfer transit funds are to be distributed on a formula basis. No funds were requested for this program in the 1990

budget. Under the administration's proposal, this program would be funded from the Highway Trust Fund.

The bill includes $160,000,000 for transit projects which have been substituted for interstate highway segments. This is $20,000,000 below the House allowance.

The Committee directs the following discretionary allocations.

Public Law 96-184 (Stark-Harris legislation) enacted January 3, 1980, authorizes a total of $1,700,000,000 for construction on the Washington Metrorail System. Through fiscal year 1989, $1,506,859,000 has been appropriated under the Stark-Harris authorization, leaving an unfunded balance of $193,141,000.

The Committee recommends $73,400,000 be appropriated for the Washington, DC, Metrorail System from this account. This amount is $31,400,000 more than the budget request and $26,600,000 below the amount recommended by the House.

In addition to these construction funds the Washington Metro System receives an additional $51,633,569 for the Federal share of interest payments on outstanding bonds. These funds are contained in a separate appropriation.

The Committee has provided funding of $42,200,000 for project management and startup costs expected to be incurred in fiscal year 1990. In addition, $31,200,000 is provided for 32 additional railcars beyond the new 68-car approval. The Committee has not approved the WMATA request of $22,500,000 to meet construction costs that may arise through contractor claims and project change orders. Also, the Committee did not fund project management and startup costs associated with fiscal years 1991, 1992, and 1993 as requested by the transit authority.

ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

The St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation is a wholly owned Government corporation established by the act of May 13, 1954, responsible for the operation, maintenance, and development of the United States portion of the seaway between Montreal and Lake Erie.

Since April 1, 1987, toll revenues have been deposited in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and operation and maintenance of the portion of the seaway for which the Corporation is responsible have been financed by an appropriation from the fund. On the basis of traffic projections agreed to by the United States and Canadian seaway agencies, it is estimated that revenues from tolls in fiscal year 1990 will be $9,800,000.

The Corporation's operations program provides for operation of all facilities, for maintenance-including major items which are deferred to the nonnavigation season, for planning and development activities, and for undertaking various capital improvements to upgrade and modernize its facilities.

Prior to 1987 the Corporation's activities were funded by tolls on vessels transiting the seaway locks maintained by the Corporation and its Canadian counterpart. As of April 1, 1987, the Corporation's toll revenues are deposited in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund established by Public Law 99-662. In lieu of the toll revenues, appropriations are made from the fund as the primary source of financing for the operations and maintenance activities of the Corporation. In addition, the Congress authorizes the Corporation to make expenditures from available funds and borrowing authority, and to enter into contracts without regard to fiscal year limitations as are necessary to carry out the programs set forth in its budget. For fiscal year 1990 the Committee recommends an appropriation of $11,100,000, the same as provided in fiscal year 1989. This is $688,000 below the budget and $650,000 below the House. The reduction in funding is because of expected management efficiencies. The Committee understands that the Seaway plans to provide oilspill cleanup readiness on the St. Lawrence River. Their antipollution efforts would be directed out of an unused, former Coast Guard station at Cape Vincent. The Seaway already has produced an emergency response plan which would enable it, within minutes of learning of a spill, to deploy equipment and personnel to begin containment and cleanup in the critical early moments after a spill. The Coast Guard then would take over command of a spill from the Seaway as early as possible.

Therefore, the Committee directs the General Services Administration to transfer title to the land and facilities of the former

Coast Guard station at Cape Vincent, NY, to the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation in the Department of Transportation, at no cost to the Corporation.

RESEARCH AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION

The Research and Special Programs Administration [RSPA] was established by the Secretary of Transportation's organizational changes dated July 20, 1977, and serves as a research, analytical, and technical development arm of the Department for multimodal research and development, as well as special programs. Particular emphasis is given to transportation of hazardous cargo by all modes of transportation. Responsibilities of the administration are carried out under the following activities:

Operations.-This activity provides for central supervisory and management functions, including a management information system necessary for overall planning and direction of the administration. This activity also provides for management and execution of transportation programs involving aviation data management, national emergency plans/ preparedness, technology and planning assistance, and management of the Transportation Safety Institute and the Transportation Systems Center. It also provides for hazardous materials regulatory and enforcement programs.

The Committee has received information documenting the important contributions that RSPA's Division of Federal, State, and Private Sector Initiatives is making to hazardous materials transportation safety, especially its efforts to work with COMED, the Cooperative Hazardous Materials Enforcement Development Program. The Committee directs RSPA's financial support and involvement in COMED to continue and urges RSPA to continue its efforts to provide the widest possible distribution of information, research results, and studies resulting from these efforts.

The Committee is impressed by the substantial improvements that RSPA has made in its hazardous materials transportation enforcement program. During calendar year 1987 RSPA collected civil penalties for violations of the hazardous materials transportation regulations totalling $125,000 and for calendar year 1988 this sum was $390,000. Productivity is high, the typical penalty is generally meaningful, and RSPA enforcement is consistent.

The enforcement task before RSPA is indeed formidable. RSPA presented evidence to the Committee that in some 40 to 60 percent of the planned, nonrandom reviews it conducts noncompliance is found. Consequently, the Committee supports RSPA's efforts to adequately staff compliance efforts.

The Committee supports House language directing the submission of a report on the feasibility of establishing RSPA regional offices for its hazardous materials transportation enforcement pro