Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 108 Part 6.djvu/48

 108 STAT. 4616 PUBLIC LAW 103-440—NOV. 2, 1994 (b) PURPOSE. —The purpose of this title is to encourage farsighted State, local, and private efforts in the analysis and planning for high-speed rail systems in appropriate intercity corridors. SEC. 103. NATIONAL HIGH-SPEED RAIL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. (a) AMENDMENTS.—(1) Part D of subtitle V of title 49, United States Code, is redesignated as part E, chapter 261 of such title is redesignated as chapter 281, and sections 26101 and 26102 of such title are redesignated as sections 28101 and 28102. (2) Subtitle V of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting after part C the following new part: "PART D—HIGH-SPEED RAIL "CHAPTER 261—fflGH-SPEED RAIL ASSISTANCE "Sec. "26101. Corridor planning. "26102. High -speed rail technology improvements. "26103. Safety regulations. "26104. Authorization of appropriations. "26105. Definitions. " § 26101. Corridor planning " (a) CORRIDOR PLANNING ASSISTANCE.— (1) The Secretary may provide under this section financial assistance to a public agency or group of public agencies for corridor planning for up to 50 percent of the publicly financed costs associated with eligible activities. "(2) No less than 20 percent of the publicly financed costs associated with eligible activities shall come from State and local sources, which State and local sources may not include funds from any Federal program. "(b) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES. — (1) A corridor planning activity is eligible for financial assistance under subsection (a) if the Secretary determines that it is necessary to establish appropriate engineering, operational, financial, environmental, or socioeconomic projections for the establishment of high-speed rail service in the corridor and that it leads toward development of a prudent financial and institutional plan for implementation of specific high-speed rail improvements. Eligible corridor planning activities include— " (A) environmental assessments; "(B) feasibility studies emphasizing commercial technology improvements or applications; "(C) economic analyses, including ridership, revenue, and operating expense forecasting; "(D) assessing the impact on rail employment of developing high-speed rail corridors; "(E) assessing community economic impacts; "(F) coordination with State and metropolitan area transportation planning and corridor planning with other States; "(G) operational planning; "(H) route selection analyses and purchase of rights-of- way for proposed high-speed rail service; "(I) preliminary engineering and design; "(J) identification of specific improvements to a corridor, including electrification, line straightening and other right-of- way improvements, bridge rehabilitation and replacement, use

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