49 U.S.C. § 70101 — National multimodal freight policy

(a) United States policy is to maintain and improve the National Multimodal Freight Network under section 70103 so it supports global economic competition and the goals in (b). (b) The goals are to: (1) identify infrastructure, policy, and operational improvements that strengthen United States competitiveness, reduce congestion and bottlenecks, and raise productivity, especially for domestic businesses creating high-value jobs; (2) improve freight transportation safety, security, efficiency, and resilience; (3) achieve and maintain good repair; (4) use innovation and advanced technology for safety, efficiency, and reliability; (5) improve economic efficiency and productivity; (6) improve reliability; (7) improve short- and long-distance goods movement across rural areas between population centers, between rural areas and population centers, and from ports, airports, and gateways to the Network; (8) give States flexibility for multistate corridor planning and organizations; (9) reduce adverse environmental effects; and (10) pursue these goals without burdening State and local governments. (c) The Assistant Secretary oversees and implements the policy by carrying out sections 70102–70103, helping coordinate freight planning by transportation mode, and identifying interagency data-sharing opportunities for freight planning and coordination.