To
assist State transportation agencies in the planning and development
of an integrated, interconnected transportation system important
to interstate commerce and travel by constructing and rehabilitating
the National Highway System, including the Interstate System; and
for transportation improvements to all public roads except those
functionally classified as local; to provide aid for the repair
of Federal-aid roads following disasters; to foster safe highway
design; to replace or rehabilitate deficient or obsolete bridges;
and to provide for other special purposes. This program also provides
for the improvement of roads in Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands,
American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Alaskan Highway.
The Federal Lands Highway Program provides assistance to the Federal
Land Management Agencies for Federally-owned roads.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Formula Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Federal-aid
highway funds are generally apportioned by statutory formulas to
the States. They are generally restricted to roads open to the public
and not functionally classified as local. Exceptions to this include
planning and research activities, bridge, bicycle and pedestrian.
safety improvements which may be done on any public road; transportation
enhancement activities, the recreational trails program, and the
Federal Lands Highway Program. Federal-aid funds may be used for
surveying, engineering, right-of-way acquisition, and relocation
assistance for capital improvement projects classified as new construction,
reconstruction, improvements for functional, geometric, or safety
reasons, and 4R projects (restoration, rehabilitation, resurfacing,
and reconstruction); planning; research, development, and technology
transfer; intelligent transportation systems projects; roadside
beautification; wetland and natural habitat mitigation, traffic
management and control improvements; improvements necessary to accommodate
other transportation modes, development and establishment of transportation
management systems; billboard removal; construction of bicycle facilities
and pedestrian walkways; fringe and corridor parking; car pool and
van pool projects; transportation enhancements such as scenic and
historic highway improvements; and recreational trails. These funds
generally cannot be used for routine highway operational activities,
such as police patrols, mowing, snow plowing, or maintenance, unless
it is preventative maintenance. Also, authorizations for the Surface
Transportation Program (STP) and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
(CMAQ) Improvement Program, may be used for capital improvements
to mass transit; CMAQ funds are for projects and programs in air
quality, non-attainment and maintenance areas for ozone, carbon
monoxide, and small particulate matter, which reduce transportation
related emissions. Eligibility criteria for the programs differ,
so program guidance should be consulted. Projects in urban areas
of 50,000 or more population must be based on a transportation planning
process carried out by the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
in cooperation with the State and transit operators, and be included
in metropolitan plans and programs. Projects in non-metropolitan
areas of a State must be consistent with the State's Transportation
Plan. All projects must also be included in the approved Statewide
transportation improvement program (STIP) and are developed as part
of the required Statewide transportation planning process.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: Most projects are administered
by or through State transportation agencies or Federal agencies.
Projects related to Indian Reservation Roads may be proposed by
Tribal governments and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Projects related
to Park Roads and Parkways may be proposed by the National Park
Service. Projects related to Refuge Roads may be proposed by the
Fish and Wildlife Service. Funding for public lands highways, which
include forest highways, may be proposed by counties and other political
subdivisions or agencies through the State transportation agencies
or by Federal agencies. Territorial highway projects are funded
in the same manner as other Federal-aid highway projects, with the
territorial transportation agency functioning as the State transportation
agency.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: State transportation agencies,
and in some instances, Federal agencies, other State agencies,
local agencies, and private, community-based organizations.
Credentials/Documentation:
Eligible activities and allowable costs will be determined in
accordance with Title 23 and the OMB cost principles applicable
to the recipient/sub-recipient.
Pre-application
Coordination: Projects in metropolitan planning
areas must be included in an approved Transportation Plan and Transportation
Improvement Program (TIP) by the MPO in cooperation with the State
and transit operator. This program is eligible for coverage under
E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant
should consult the office or official designated as the single point
of contact in his or her State for more information on the process
the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if
the State has selected the program for review. An environmental
impact assessment is required for most projects under this program,
although the level of review varies with the project.
Application
Procedure: In general, projects/programs proposed
for Federal-aid funding must be included in a fiscally constrained
STIP submitted by the State transportation agency and approved
jointly by the FHWA and the FTA. In addition, the States must
submit statements of work or plans, specifications, and estimates
for certain proposed projects to the FHWA division office located
in each State for approval. In general, projects on the National
Highway System (NHS), projects; except for new or reconstruction
projects costing more than $1 million on the Interstate System,
and all non-NHS projects are not subject to FHWA oversight of
design or construction. For the discretionary portion of public
lands highways, State transportation agencies submit desired projects
to the FHWA division office located in each State; for the Forest
highway portion of public lands highways submissions are made
by the Forest Service and the State transportation agencies to
the Federal Lands Highway division engineers. Tribal governments,
with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), develop
a priority program of projects for Indian Reservation Roads, the
National Park Service (NPS) develops a priority program of projects
for Park Roads and Parkways, and the Fish and Wildlife Service
(FWS) develops a program of projects for Refuge Roads. The BIA,
NPS, and FWS submit the programs to the FHWA. Projects funded
under the Federal Lands Highway Program are subject to the Metropolitan
and Statewide Planning requirements. Grants to Indian tribal governments
are covered by OMB Circular No. A-102 and 49 CFR Part 18.
Award
Procedure: The State transportation agencies
generally decide which projects will be developed within funding
levels but the FHWA division office located in each State makes
the final decision on the eligibility of specific projects for
funding. There are several categories where limited assistance
is allocated at the discretion of the Secretary of Transportation
and administered by the FHWA. Candidate projects for discretionary
allocations are usually solicited before the start of the Federal
fiscal year (October 1) and must be submitted by the State transportation
agencies. The FHWA approval constitutes a commitment to pay the
Federal share of the project's cost.
Deadlines:
With regular formula programs, there are no deadlines. For discretionary
project allocations, applications are usually considered late
in the fiscal year before the year for which the funds are available.
Allocations to specific projects are generally made early in the
fiscal year. Contact Federal agency for deadline date(s). All
allocations are made through the State transportation agency which
is advised of schedules for submission of candidates.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: From 5 days
to 5 months.
Appeals:
None.
Renewals:
None.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: Most Federal-aid
highway funds are distributed by statutory formula. Eligibility
requirements for most programs are also determined by legislative
criteria. Some categories, including part of the bridge and Interstate
Maintenance funds, are distributed on a discretionary basis. The
normal maximum Federal share is 90 percent for the Interstate projects,
and 80 percent for most other projects. The Federal share for some
programs may be increased in the case of States with large areas
of Federal lands. Some projects, including territorial highway projects,
Federal Lands Highway Program projects, and emergency relief projects
require no matching of Federal funds.
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: Federal-aid
highway funds generally become available at the beginning of the
fiscal year for which they are authorized and must be obligated
within 3 years after the close of that fiscal year. However, some
categories of funds are available until expended.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Except for exempt projects, the FHWA division office in each State
monitors and reviews State projects and programs during highway
project location, design and construction. After the project is
completed State maintenance of the project is reviewed periodically.
Similar procedures apply to Federal agencies. Certain non-construction
activities, such as transportation planning, require periodic progress
reports. In addition, projects of greater than $1,000,000,000 require
an annual financial plan.
Audits:
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised,
June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit
Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance
of $300,000 or more in Federal awards from all sources will have
a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year.
Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal
awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year,
except as noted in Circular No. A-133.
Records:
Project records and documents must be retained by the State or
subrecipient as specified in 49 CFR Part 18. For the Federal Lands
Highway Program, the Federal Lands Highway Divisions maintain
the project records.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 69-8083-0-7-401.
Obligations:
(Grants) FY 01 $29,393,000,000; FY 02 est $32,420,000,000; and
FY 03 est $23,989,000,000.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance: From $102,383,395 to $1,957,085,221. Average: $510,429,811.
The Federal-aid Highway Program has made significant contributions
to the safer operation of the nation's highways, to the better intermodal
connectivity of roads to other forms of transportation, and to the
improvement of pavement and bridge conditions throughout the country,
while helping to safeguard environmental conditions. It has provided
funding for a wide range of alternatives to traditional highway
construction projects to better serve transportation needs. It has
developed and advanced critical new technologies, such as Intelligent
Transportation Systems, and shared them with the States. FHWA also
works to deliver access to national parks and forests, National
Wildlife Refuges, and Indian reservations by carrying out its own
direct road building program to and within these areas.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
23 CFR, "Highways" and 49 CFR, "Transportation."
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: State-level division offices
of the Federal Highway Administration (as listed in Appendix IV
of the Catalog) or State transportation agencies.
Headquarters
Office: For Forest Highways, Indian Reservation
Roads, Refuge Roads, and Park Roads and Parkways, contact Program
Manager, Federal Lands Highway, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20590-0001. Telephone: (202) 366-9494. For all others, Director,
Office of Program Administration, Federal Highway Administration,
400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. Telephone:
(202) 366-4853.
Web
Site Address: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov
EXAMPLES
OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
(A) In fiscal year 1998, $442 million in Emergency Relief funding
was obligated for the repair and reconstruction of Federal-aid highways
and bridges, and Federal roads damaged by natural disasters or catastrophic
failures. During the year, emergency assistance was extended to
43 new disasters in 27 States and territories. (B) The replacement
or rehabilitation of approximately 2,800 additional deficient bridges
was initiated in fiscal year 1998. Over $614 million were obligated
for Forest Highways, Public Lands Highways, Indian Reservation Roads,
Refuge Roads, and Park Roads and Parkways in fiscal year 1999.
CRITERIA
FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
To be eligible, most projects must be located on public roads that
are not functionally classified as local. The major exceptions are
the Highway Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program, which
provides assistance for bridges on and off the Federal-Aid highways;
highway safety activities; bicycle and pedestrian projects, transportation
enhancement activities, the recreational trails program, and planning,
research, development, and technology transfer. Proposed projects
meeting these and other planning, design, environmental, safety,
etc., requirements can be approved on the basis of State and local
priorities within the limit of the funds apportioned or allocated
to each State.
