(1) Operation lifesaver.— To carry out a public information and education program to help prevent and reduce motor vehicle accidents, injuries, and fatalities and to improve driver performance at railway-highway crossings
(A) before making an apportionment under subsection (b)(3) for fiscal year 2005, the Secretary shall set aside $560,000 for such fiscal year; and
(B) there is authorized to be appropriated from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) $560,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2009.
(2) Railway-highway crossing hazard elimination in high speed rail corridors.—
(A) Funding.— To carry out the elimination of hazards at railway-highway crossings
(i) before making an apportionment under subsection (b)(3) for fiscal year 2005, the Secretary shall set aside $5,250,000 for such fiscal year; and
(ii) there is authorized to be appropriated from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) $7,250,000 for fiscal year 2006, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2007, $12,500,000 for fiscal year 2008, and $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2009.
(B) Eligible corridors.— Subject to subparagraph (E), funds made available under subparagraph (A) shall be expended for projects in
(i) 5 railway corridors selected by the Secretary in accordance with this subsection (as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this clause);
(ii) 3 railway corridors selected by the Secretary in accordance with subparagraphs (C) and (D);
(iii) a Gulf Coast high speed railway corridor (as designated by the Secretary);
(iv) a Keystone high speed railway corridor from Philadelphia to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and
(v) an Empire State railway corridor from New York City to Albany to Buffalo, New York.
(C) Required inclusion of high speed rail lines.—
A corridor selected by the Secretary under subparagraph (B) shall include rail lines where railroad speeds of 90 miles or more per hour are occurring or can reasonably be expected to occur in the future.
(D) Considerations in corridor selection.— In selecting corridors under subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall consider
(i) projected rail ridership volume in each corridor;
(ii) the percentage of each corridor over which a train will be capable of operating at its maximum cruise speed taking into account such factors as topography and other traffic on the line;
(iii) projected benefits to nonriders such as congestion relief on other modes of transportation serving each corridor (including congestion in heavily traveled air passenger corridors);
(iv) the amount of State and local financial support that can reasonably be anticipated for the improvement of the line and related facilities; and
(v) the cooperation of the owner of the right-of-way that can reasonably be expected in the operation of high speed rail passenger service in each corridor.
(E) Certain improvements.—
Of such set-aside, not less than $250,000 for fiscal year 2005, $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2006, $1,750,000 for fiscal year 2007, $2,250,000 for fiscal year 2008, and $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 shall be available for eligible improvements to the Minneapolis/St. Paul-Chicago segment of the Midwest High Speed Rail Corridor.
(F) Authorization of appropriations.—
There is authorized to be appropriated $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1999 through 2003 to carry out this subsection.