Proclamation 6689

by Bill Clinton

By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

The United States has entered a new era in transportation. We are in the midst of a technology explosion, and our Nation's transportation infrastructure stands to benefit tremendously from these innovations. New industries are racing to meet the demands of reinventing American transportation, creating jobs and economic opportunities for companies and individuals alike.

A smoothly-functioning transportation system is a fundamental building block of a growing economy and a prosperous society. The ability to move people and materials safely and efficiently affects the price of goods in our markets, our ability to sell our products overseas, and the lives and livelihoods of all Americans. The decisions we make now in transportation will serve as the catalyst for improving both the safety and quality of life for our citizens for decades to come.

This new era requires a new way of thinking about transportation needs. The challenges we face in today's transportation arena involve making what we have already built work better. By reinforcing and modernizing the existing infrastructure, we can create jobs, spur even more technological development, and fuel long-term economic growth. Even in this time of limitation and deficit reduction, strategic investments and continued leadership can make technology work to meet the needs of our country's transportation system.

One important effort toward reaching that goal is the Technology Reinvestment Project, designed both to encourage research and to deploy "dual-use" technologies. Such innovations can be applied to both defense and civilian use, making possible, for example, the application of materials from the Stealth bomber to build new bridge projects. This is the kind of ingenuity that has made America great and the kind of leadership that will enable American companies to find continued success in the international marketplace.

In December 1993, my Administration submitted a proposed National Highway System (NHS) to the Congress. The NHS identifies priorities for a high-quality interconnected system of highways that will serve major population centers, international border crossings, ports, airports, rail terminals, public transportation facilities, intermodal transportation facilities, and major travel destinations; meet national defense requirements; and serve interstate and interregional travel. The NHS will enhance economic growth, international competitiveness, and national security.

At the same time, the Department of Transportation has also announced the beginning of an effort to identify a National Transportation System (NTS) for the 1990s and beyond. Not just roads, but air and waterways, ports, pipelines, rail, and mass transit-all will be working together to form an integrated system with the common goal of moving people and goods as expediently and securely as possible.

For the first time in American history, and for generations to come, the NTS will force us to look at America's transportation system as a whole instead of as individual projects-to pinpoint our weaknesses and to correct them; to identify our strengths and to build upon them; to not just answer our questions, but to help us anticipate and answer questions that have not even yet been asked. With new tools in technology and by wisely using strategic planning and investment, we will bring America into the 21st century, well-prepared for the challenges ahead.

In order to honor the men and women who work so diligently to meet America's transportation needs, the Congress, by joint resolution approved May 16, 1957 (36 U.S.C. 160), has requested that the third Friday in May of each year be designated as "National Defense Transportation Day" and, by joint resolution approved May 14, 1962 (36 U.S.C. 166), that the week in which that Friday falls be proclaimed "National Transportation Week."

Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate Friday, May 20, 1994, as National Defense Transportation Day and the week of May 15 through May 21, 1994, as National Transportation Week. I urge all Americans to observe these occasions with appropriate ceremonies and activities and to give special recognition to those who build, operate, safeguard, and maintain our vast and complex system of transportation.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eighteenth.

William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 3:12 p.m., May 16, 1994]