Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 106 Part 6.djvu/317

 PUBLIC LAW 102-581—OCT. 31, 1992 106 STAT. 4875 (21) transportation planning, taking account of commerce and land-use patterns, must be improved at all levels and local officials must have a significant role in transportation decisions affecting their areas; (22) failure to develop an improved intermodal transportation system for the 1990's and the 21st century will result in continuing the two decade trend of decline in United States competitiveness in the global economy and the accompanying decline in the Nation's standard of living; (23) the safety of the traveling public is of paramount national importance; (24) aircraft deicing is an important element of aviation safety and past aircraft incidents suggest that both the Federal (jrovernment and private industries should focus on methods to improve aircraft deicing procedures and facilities; (25) noise associated with the use of our Nation's airports must be reduced and efforts to mitigate noise must be continued; (26) airports must use the airport noise planning program to ensure that capacity expansion minimizes noise to the surrounding community; (27) the Nation's air traffic control system must be modernized with the most advanced technology, and the necessary capital equipment must be developed and procured, in order to continue the safe and efficient operation of the national airspace system; (28) there will need to be a continuing increase in the number of aviation safety inspectors to handle the current and future workload of the air carrier and commuter industry; and (29) the United States airline industry lost more than $6 billion in 1990 and 1991, the number of air carriers serving the public has declined substantially as a result of the industr/s financial distress and the absence of governmental policies to promote competition, and continued nnancial losses could result in the further loss of air carrier competition and service to the traveling public. TITLE I—AIRPORT AND AIRWAY IMPROVEMENT ACT AMENDMENTS SEC. 101. DECLARATION OF POLICY. (a) NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION POLICY. — Section 502 of the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982 (49 U.S.C. App. 2201) is amended by adding at the end the following: "(c) NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION POLICY. — "(1) It is a goal of the United States to develop a national intermodal transportation system that moves people and goods in an efficient manner. The Nation's future economic direction is dependent on its ability to confront directly the enormous challenges of the global economy, declining productivity growth, energy vulnerability, air pollution, and the need to rebuild the Nation's infrastructure. "(2) United States leadership in the world economy, the expanding wealth of the Nation, the competitiveness of the

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