‘Need For Speed’ bill would use infrastructure intelligence tool to stop traffic jams
A bill recently introduced by U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) would attempt to reduce traffic congestion by developing a “national infrastructure intelligence tool.”
On February 24, 2026, Cornyn introduced the Need for Speed Act, or S.3906.
If passed, the bill would require the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration to create a national infrastructure intelligence tool to:
- Identify bottlenecks and determine causes of traffic congestion
- Integrate data into a single, actionable platform
- Enable USDOT, states, and locals to coordinate, target investments, and respond rapidly to emergencies
- Improve infrastructure resiliency, national security, and U.S. competitiveness
From a news release announcing the bill:
‘The USDOT lacks a single, unified resource to assess transportation system performance and identify bottlenecks. Current datasets are fragmented and inaccessible to the public sector, impeding data-driven investments and swift, coordinated responses in emergencies. For example, the State of Maryland did not have the data to redirect commodity traffic across state lines after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, which exposed a broader set of vulnerabilities in our traffic and roadway response efforts nationwide. Lack of interstate coordination and siloed data can lead to delayed decisions, inadequate visibility during crises, slower response times in an emergency, and greater roadway obstacles that can impair highway travel and driver safety.“
“Incidents like the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge have exposed critical vulnerabilities in our nation’s highway infrastructure, hampering the swift deployment of emergency responders and disrupting millions of dollars in trade and travel,” said Cornyn. “This legislation would empower the Department of Transportation to develop a national intelligence tool that will boost interstate coordination, ease congestion, and improve roadway safety.”
The bill was referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.