S. 3906: Need for Speed Act

The Need for Speed Act (S. 3906) seeks to improve traffic congestion management on national roadways by establishing a national infrastructure intelligence tool. This tool will be developed by the Secretary of Transportation in collaboration with various federal agencies and a university-based transportation research institute.

Purpose of the Bill

The main purpose of this legislation is to create a consistent and ongoing resource to help identify, analyze, and address traffic congestion across the United States. The tool will integrate multiple publicly available data sources with the existing public highway performance monitoring system.

Key Components of the Tool

The intelligence tool will include various types of data to serve its purposes:

• The official highway performance monitoring system.
• National speed data sets, including operating speeds and posted speed limits, with at least three years of historical data.
• A dataset reflecting vehicle origins and destinations indicating public road travel over the past three years.
• Crash and safety data relevant to road conditions.
• Information on the condition of road infrastructure.
• Data on commodities transported on roadways, including their type, tonnage, and value.
• Truck parking demand and supply data.
• Federal congestion performance measurement resources and state/local tools as appropriate.

Ongoing Maintenance and Updates

The Secretary of Transportation is required to update the tool on a regular basis, with updates occurring at least once per year. To ensure the tool is effective and relevant, the Secretary will consult with state transportation departments and transportation advocacy organizations during its development and ongoing usage.

Funding Provisions

The bill authorizes the appropriation of $50 million from the Highway Trust Fund, specifically for the purpose of developing and maintaining this tool. These funds will be available for five fiscal years and are in addition to any other funds allocated to the program.

Relevant Companies

• CSX: A major North American transportation services company that could be impacted by changes in freight movement and highway congestion management.
• UNP: Union Pacific Corporation is a railroad company that may be affected as improved roadway performance could influence freight transport decisions and logistics.
• FDX: FedEx Corporation, a global logistics company, could see impacts on delivery routes and operational efficiency as traffic congestion is managed more effectively.
• UPS: United Parcel Service, also a major logistics company, could be influenced in terms of shipping times and delivery logistics by improvements in congestion management.