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In its September 1996 Transportation Science and Technology Strategy, the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Committee on Transportation Research and Development (CTRD) identified twelve strategic partnership initiatives that address critical national transportation needs. An interagency team was established to address two of the initiatives: Local Environmental Assessment Systems and Environmental Sustainability of Transportation Systems. Following extensive deliberation, the Team began work on an integrated initiative for Transportation and Sustainable Communities that addresses economic, environmental, and social equity aspects of "sustainability." This initiative will consider sustainability from local, regional, inter-city, national and international perspectives, for all transportation modes.

The Team is charged with producing a cooperative interagency plan for Federal research and development on transportation and sustainability. As a first step, the Team achieved a consensus on the scope for transportation and sustainability; compiled an initial inventory of related Federal research; and identified research gaps. In particular, it found that although there are current Federal transportation research activities that address—sometimes indirectly—selected issues associated with sustainability, a holistic, strategic, and coordinated approach is clearly needed. Appendix A presents highlights from this phase of the Team’s work, including goals for this initiative, and the Team’s general approach to transportation and sustainability. This phase is presented in the working paper, Transportation and Sustainable Communities Initiative: Overview of Federal Sustainable Transportation Activities, June 1, 1998.

Consistent with the developing national priorities on sustainability and global climate change, the Team’s immediate priority is to develop a research agenda to address cumulative and potentially irreversible consequences of transportation, including emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). Nonetheless, other critical national goals for sustainability—to improve the quality of the environment, maintain a vigorous economy, and foster social equity—are also of critical importance. Transportation research related to climate change will ensure mobility and accessibility and will be considered in the broad context of sustainability. Potential climate change strategies, whether they involve fuel and vehicle technologies, road pricing, or land development, will be considered not only for their ability to reduce greenhouse gases, but also in balance with needs for economic growth and social equity.

The research agenda presented in this second report by the Team outlines strategies for Federal agencies to begin to address broad sustainability issues, including global climate change. The Team proposes a framework of research, case studies, and education for FY 2000 that will help to meet national transportation goals for access and mobility in balance with economic, environmental, and social equity concerns. Considering the complexity of the topic, this is the first step in an evolutionary process to coordinate Federal research, and to identify and realize new opportunities for partnerships, with specifics on participating agencies, funding, products, and outcomes in terms of improved sustainability. Further coordination through an evolving Partnership Initiative that responds to this research agenda will produce improved results with limited resources.

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