TECHNICAL, PLANNING, AND OPERATIONAL TESTING PROJECT ASSISTANCE.

SEC. 6055. TECHNICAL, PLANNING, AND OPERATIONAL TESTING PROJECT ASSISTANCE. (a) Technical Assistance and Information.— The Secretary may provide planning and technical assistance and information to State and local governments seeking to use and evaluate intelligent vehicle-highway systems technologies. In doing so, the Secretary shall assist State and local officials in developing plans for areawide traffic management control centers, necessary laws pertaining to establishment and implementation of such systems, and plans for infrastructure for such systems and in conducting other activities necessary for the intelligent vehicle-highway systems program. (b) Planning Grants.— The Secretary may make grants to State and local governments for feasibility and planning studies for development and implementation of intelligent vehicle-highway systems. Such grants shall be made at such time, in such amounts, and subject to such conditions as the Secretary may determine. (c) Eligibility of Certain Traffic Management Entities.— Any interagency traffic and incident management entity, including independent public authorities or agencies, contracted by a State department of transportation for implementation of a traffic management system for a designated corridor is eligible to receive Federal assistance under this part through the State department of transportation. (d) Operational Testing Projects.— The Secretary may make grants to non-Federal entities, including State and local governments, universities, and other persons, for operational tests relating 105 STAT. 2193to intelligent vehicle-highway systems. In deciding which projects to fund under this subsection, the Secretary shall— (1) give the highest priority to those projects that— (A) will contribute to the goals and objectives specified in plan developed under section 6054; and (B) will minimize the relative percentage of Federal contributions (excluding funds apportioned under section 104 of title 23, United States Code) to total project costs; (2) seek to fund operational tests that advance the current state of knowledge and, where appropriate, build on successes achieved in previously funded work involving such systems; and (3) require that operational tests utilizing Federal funds under this part have a written evaluation of the intelligent vehicle-highway systems technologies investigated and of the results of the investigation which is consistent with the guidelines developed pursuant to section 6053(c). (e) Authority To Use Funds.— Each State and eligible local entity is authorized to use funds provided under this part for implementation purposes in connection with the intelligent vehicle-highway systems program.