Dear Colleague:
We are pleased to present the National Science and Technology Council's National Transportation Strategic Research Plan. This plan, an update of the 1998 Transportation Strategic Research Plan, is a cooperative product of the Federal agencies that participate in transportation-related research, strengthened by external review by the transportation community. It provides a broad overview of the transportation research agenda across the entire Federal government and highlights the activities of specific agencies and achievements in particular areas. It is this research and technology development that will lay the foundation for the technical breakthroughs that will be required in the 21st century if we are to meet the nation's transportation needs in a safe and environmentally benign way. The plan also provides a framework within which to set direction for future initiatives and cooperation.
As the United States enters the 21st century, the continuing commitment to high-quality enabling research will make the transportation system safer, more secure, more efficient, and more reliable. It also will generate other benefits, including:
Development of a more highly skilled, more efficient, and better trained public and private sector transportation work force;
Support for advances in other areas of concern, such as the environment;
Production of a stronger, more capable national defense network; and
Greater partnership efforts and coordination of transportation issues with the private, non-profit, and academic sectors.
The ongoing leadership that our nation demonstrates in transportation-related research includes international needs as well as domestic concerns.
President Clinton has challenged us to "... harness the remarkable forces of science and technology that are remaking our world.... " The following pages rise to that challenge by providing a foundation of enabling research for the innovations that will shape transportation in the 21st century.
Sincerely,
Mr. Mortimer L. Downey
Chair
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