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FHWA Records Disposition Manual
Federal-aid Division Offices

CHAPTER 10

This schedule covers records related to planning and program development (transportation planning functions) maintained in the Federal-aid Divisions (field offices) of the Federal Highway Administration and reflects disposition authorities granted under N1-406-09-26 and the General Records Schedules (GRS). This schedule is media neutral, i.e., the disposition instructions apply to the described records in all media (including electronic information), unless the schedule identifies a specific medium for a specific series. For administrative records not covered below, field offices will follow the FHWA Records Disposition Schedule for Field Office Administrative Records in Chapter 1 and the GRS.

 

TRAP 1 Airport Access Files.
Studies and background information on airport access projects and comments on studies concerning access roads to airports. (N1-406-09-26/1)

DISPOSITION: Cut off at end of fiscal year. Destroy 5 years after cutoff.

 

TRAP 2 Annual Statistical Data.
Reports, forms, files and other materials pertaining to motor fuel, motor vehicle registration, drivers licenses, registration fees, and annual statistical data, including States', cities' and countries' data on how States finance their highways and roads. (N1-406-09-26/2)

DISPOSITION: Cut off at end of fiscal year. Destroy 5 years after cutoff.

 

TRAP 3 Appalachian Development Highway System Program Records.
Correspondence, reports, cost estimates, and related records pertaining to this program. Files include non-project correspondence, budget, and financial statements and reports to Congress pertaining to States that are part of this program. (N1-406-09-26/3)

DISPOSITION: Cut off at end of fiscal year. Destroy 3 years after cutoff.

 

TRAP 4 RESERVED.

TRAP 5 RESERVED.

TRAP 6 RESERVED.

 

TRAP 7 Certification of Public Mileage.
Documents concerning State certification of public roads and Federal domain mileage and studies pertaining to the certification process. Included also are correspondence and related background material. (N1-406-09-26/4)

DISPOSITION: Cut off at end of fiscal year. Destroy 5 years after cutoff.

 

TRAP 8 Coastal Zone Management:
Correspondence on the review and comments on the Coastal Zone Plans for each State. Approved final plans are maintained for reference. (N1-406-09-26/5)

DISPOSITION: Cut off at end of fiscal year. Destroy 3 years after cutoff.

 

TRAP 9 Coal Haul Road Study Files.
Correspondence, working papers, financial statements, statistical data and other related material pertaining to the study to determine the cost and benefits related to alternate coal haul road system improvement levels for the nation. (N1-406-09-26/6)

DISPOSITION: Cut off at end of fiscal year. Destroy 3 years after cutoff.

 

TRAP 10 RESERVED.

 

TRAP 11 Smart Growth Files (formerly Economic Growth Center Development Files).
Working papers, background material, study material, progress reports, correspondence received from States and FHWA Division offices, financial statements, and guidelines that pertain to the Smart Growth program. (N1-406-09-26/7)

DISPOSITION: Place in inactive file after project is completed. Cut off inactive file at end of fiscal year. Destroy 10 years after cutoff.

 

TRAP 12 Economic Studies and Surveys.
Records pertaining to highway cost funds, tourists, highway needs, highway performance monitoring, and economic impact. NOTE: Records pertaining to the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) are not covered in this item. (N1-406-09-26/8)

DISPOSITION: Cut off at end of fiscal year. Destroy 5 years after cutoff.

 

TRAP 13 RESERVED.

TRAP 14 RESERVED.

TRAP 15 RESERVED.

TRAP 16 RESERVED.

TRAP 17 RESERVED.

TRAP 18 RESERVED.

 

TRAP 19 Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO).
Correspondence documenting FHWA interpretation, administration, general supervision and contacts with the MPOs in the State; plans and TIPs; and reports documenting urban transportation plans. (N1-406-09-26/12)

DISPOSITION: Keep the most current copy until the next revision, then destroy 3 years after documents are revised.

 

TRAP 20 Statewide Planning and Research (SPR) Work Program Narrative Report Files.
Include status reports and related files of the SPR program from the States. (N1-406-09-26/13)

DISPOSITION: Cut off at end of fiscal year. Destroy 3 years after cutoff.

 

TRAP 21 RESERVED.

 

TRAP 22 Planning and Research Subject Files.
Correspondence, policies and procedures, memoranda, reports, background materials, and other records documenting Washington Headquarters office and Division office interpretation, administration, execution, studies, classification, and general supervision of planning and research functions in the Federal-aid highway program. Includes subjects: urban planning, non-urbanized planning, carpooling, vanpooling, ridesharing, mass transit, parking, transportation of elderly and handicapped, energy, speed, truck studies, economic growth, Federal Railroad Administration, functional classification, Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS), off-system roads, motor vehicle operations, census, airports, traffic, TOPICS program, secondary road plans, control devices, maps and mapping, technology transfer, and environment. (N1-406-09-26/14)

  1. Planning and Environmental Linkages Partnering Agreements; policy documents; and subjects concerning Urban planning, speed, truck studies, economic growth, functional classification, HPMS, off-system roads, traffic, secondary road plans, planning program and approvals, expenditure reports, highway statistical data, transportation studies, maps and mapping, technology transfer, and environment. (N1-406-09-26/14a)

    DISPOSITION: PERMANENT. Cut off files at end of fiscal year. Transfer to the National Archives in 5-year blocks when 10 years old.

  2. All other subjects (for example, non-urbanized planning, carpooling, vanpooling, ridesharing, mass transit, parking, transportation of elderly and handicapped, energy, Federal Railroad Administration and motor vehicle operations, and census airports). (N1-406-09-26/14b)

    DISPOSITION: Cut off files at end of fiscal year. Destroy 10 years after cutoff.

     

TRAP 23 RESERVED.

TRAP 24 RESERVED.

TRAP 25 RESERVED.

TRAP 26 Program Planning and Research Correspondence. See TRAP 22.

 

TRAP 27 Public Transportation Files.
Information concerning public transportation subjects, including material on FHWA clearance of public transportation projects to transfer highway funds to mass transportation projects. (N1-406-09-26/15)

DISPOSITION: Cut off at end of fiscal year. Destroy 3 years after cutoff.

 

TRAP 28 National Scenic Byways Study Files.
Correspondence on study design of scenic highways, proposals, statistical data, national studies on scenic highways and material pertaining to scenic roads as related to the Interstate system. (N1-406-09-26/16)

DISPOSITION: PERMANENT. Cut off files at end of fiscal year. Transfer to National Archives when 3 years old.

 

TRAP 29 RESERVED.

RAP 30 RESERVED.

 

TRAP 31 State Obligations. Reports on State's debts, bonds sold, bonds outstanding and other data related to financing of highways. (N1-406-09-26/18)

DISPOSITION: Cut off at end of fiscal year. Destroy 3 years after cutoff.

 

TRAP 32 State Traffic Count Data. Traffic count data provided by the States. (N1-406-09-26/20)

DISPOSITION: Cut off at end of fiscal year. Destroy 3 years after cutoff.

 

TRAP 33 RESERVED.

TRAP 34 RESERVED.

TRAP 35 RESERVED.

TRAP 36 RESERVED.

 

TRAP 37 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)/Transportation Improvement Plans (TIP) Files.
Records pertaining to STIP and TIP, including progress reports and status reports, needed for review of projects submitted to the Division by the State and approved by the Division for funds spent on urban and rural highways and the utilization of highway construction funds. (N1-406-09-26/9)

DISPOSITION: Cut off at end of fiscal year in which all the projects in the STIP are closed. Destroy 3 years after cutoff. See also memo on Retention of Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) Records.

 

TRAP 38 Federal-Aid System Files.
Inventories, approvals, logs, statistical data, route descriptions and related material pertaining to Federal-Aid systems, including functional classification. (N1-406-09-26/10)

DISPOSITION: Keep most current copy until the system is revised; destroy 5 years after system is revised.

 

TRAP 39 Map Files.
Approved Federal-aid system, county, urban area boundary, city and tourist maps. File also contains right-of-way maps documenting areas affected by action. (N1-406-09-26/11)

DISPOSITION: Keep most current copy until the next revision; destroy 3 years after the maps are revised.

 

TRAP 40 Non-Motorized Needs Files (formerly Pedestrian Needs Files).
Policy guidance on the incorporation of pedestrian and bicycle needs into project facilities; codes and laws; educational materials; and information on pedestrians/bicycles and accidents. (N1-406-09-26/17)

DISPOSITION: Cut off after supersession/revision. Destroy 3 years after cutoff.

 

TRAP 41 Highway Systems Correspondence.
Correspondence documenting all systems actions taken within the States and system substitution, transfers and supplements. (N1-406-09-26/19)

DISPOSITION: Cut off at end of fiscal year. Destroy 3 years after cutoff.

 

TRAP 42 Size and Weight Program Files.
Contain correspondence, reports, certifications, research, briefings and other materials relating to the vehicle size and weight program, and cover such areas as drivers, permits, buses, trucks, scales, vehicle components and operating characteristics, Federal and State vehicle size and weight laws and regulations, national network route descriptions, grandfather rights, and penalties for violations. Most information from these files is sent to Washington Headquarters, and Headquarters maintains the permanent records. (N1-406-09-26/21)

DISPOSITION: Cut off at end of fiscal year. Destroy 4 years after cutoff.

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Page last modified on February 7, 2020
Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000