TRAVEL Act

Transportation Resources to Add Vital Economic Longevity Act or the TRAVEL Act

This bill makes various changes to programs of the Department of Transportation (DOT) to facilitate travel and tourism.

The changes include

• increasing the federal share up to 100% for highway projects that result in significant local or economic growth, including increased travel and tourism;
• requiring that transportation plans address strategies to enhance travel and tourism; and
• establishing an office within DOT to coordinate and implement activities to enhance travel and tourism.

In addition, DOT must consider the extent to which a project contributes to economic competitiveness, including increased travel and tourism, when selecting projects for the National Infrastructure Investment program.

DOT must also establish a program to fund planning activities and projects to improve and facilitate long-haul travel (trips of at least 50 miles from the point of origin to the point of destination) on the national transportation network.

Additionally, the bill expands eligibility for other transportation-related grants and programs to include projects related to travel and tourism. In particular, it makes such projects eligible for (1) the Nationally Significant Highway and Freight Projects program, (2) the Surface Transportation Block Grant, (3) the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, and (4) the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program.

The bill also sets out economic vitality as a separate goal of the Federal-Aid Highway Program. (Currently, the goal of economic vitality is linked specifically to freight movement.)