FHWA Guidance
Transportation Enhancement Activities

The Federal Highway Administration issued Guidance for Transportation Enhancement (TE) Activities on December 17, 1999. FHWA periodically makes corrections and clarifications, which are noted in the text.

SAFETEA-LU Amendments

The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), enacted in on August 10, 2005, included changes in the definition of the TE activities. FHWA incorporated these amendments into the TE Guidance.

SAFETEA-LU amended the list of Eligible Activities as follows:

• The list was formatted to clearly identify the 12 TE eligible activities.
• Activity C added including historic battlefields to clarify existing eligibility. Because historic battlefields already were eligible, there is no additional guidance.
• Activity H replaced "thereof" with "of the corridors" [did not change eligibility].
• Activity I inserted Inventory before Control and Removal of Outdoor Advertising to clarify existing eligibility. The SAFETEA-LU Conference Report provided an explanation for this amendment, which FHWA incorporated into a Transportation Enhancements Guidance Supplement - Inventory, Control, and Removal of Outdoor Advertising. FHWA made conforming amendments in two paragraphs on outdoor advertising under the General Real Estate Guidance for Enhancement Projects.

SAFETEA-LU Section 5204(e) added 23 U.S.C. 504(e), to allow Federal-aid funds from several funding categories for Surface Transportation Workforce Development, Training, and Education. TE funds may be used for direct educational expenses for surface transportation workforce development, training, and education, provided the activity specifically benefits eligible TE activities. Direct costs include training costs, conference and registration fees, and travel costs, but not salaries. See Transportation Enhancements Guidance Supplement - Surface Transportation Workforce Development, Training, and Education.

1. FHWA Guidance for Transportation Enhancement Activities
2. Other Related FHWA Guidance
   A project eligible for TE funding must meet Federal environmental, project administration, and right-of-way requirements.

Supplemental Documents

• Eligibility Requirements

• Guiding Principles and Questions for TE Activities

• Q & A
  • General TE Questions and Answers
  • Questions/Comments for Discussion at the TE Professionals Seminar, June 25-26, 2003
  • Questions/Answers for Discussion at the TE Professionals Seminar, July 26-27, 2005

• Allowable Costs and Procurement Procedures

• Allowable Costs/OMB Circulars

• FHWA Policy on Indirect Costs, May 5, 2004

• Federal share, Payments, Donations (as amended by SAFETEA-LU)
  • Federal Share, Payments, Donations Explanation
  • 23 U.S.C. 120: Federal share payable
  • 23 U.S.C. 132: Payments on Federal-aid projects undertaken by a Federal agency
  • 23 U.S.C. 323: Donations and credits

• Equestrian and Other Nonmotorized Use on Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities

• Framework for Considering Motorized Use on Nonmotorized Trails and Pedestrian Walkways

• FHWA SAFETEA-LU Fact Sheet for Transportation Enhancements

• FHWA's Oversight Role in Accessibility
  • Memorandum from the Administrator
  • Memorandum: Clarification of FHWA's Oversight Role in Accessibility
    • Questions and Answers

• Announcement of USDOT Accessibility Regulations (October 30, 2006) HTML / PDF

• Public Rights-of-Way Access Advisory, January 23, 2006
  Notice of availability of the Access Board's November 2005 Draft Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines

• Statewide Transportation Planning; Metropolitan Transportation Planning; Final Rule (effective March 16, 2007) (HTML / PDF 395 KB)