Conditions and Performance Chapter Listing

Conditions and Performance Home Page

Introduction

Characteristics of Federal Roads and Lands

Conditon and Performance of Roads by Federal Agency

Funding of Roads Serving Federal and Indian Lands

Future Challenges

Funding of Roads Serving Federal and Indian Lands

Funding and annual authorizations are shown for Fiscal Years 1983 through 2003 in Exhibit E-19. Between FY 1983 and FY 1997, the FLHP received 100 percent obligation limitation each year. Starting in FY 1998, the FLHP received about only 88 percent obligation limitation. The remaining 12 percent of these funds were returned to the States in accordance with TEA-21 provisions.

Exhibit E-19. FLHP Annual Authorization

The FLHP funds may be used for transportation planning, research engineering, and construction. Funds may also be used to support transit facilities which provide access to or within Federal or Indian lands. Also, maintenance, rehabilitation and reconstruction of transportation facilities also receive additional funding through other Departmental appropriations.

In recent years, several initiatives were developed to improve transportation on Federal lands. For example, the ISTEA initiated transportation planning and pavement, bridge and safety management systems for the FLHP. The ISTEA provided for a study on alternative transportation in park lands. This study was prepared and submitted to Congress in 1994. The Departments of Transportation and the Interior subsequently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in November of 1997 that lays the groundwork for the NPS and the DOT to develop more efficient transportation systems to serve the national parks. Several MOU initiatives are underway, including the development of a rural Intelligent Transportation System operational test in a national park and a planning guidebook for the NPS.

Some classes of Federal roads are funded though means other than the FLHP. For example, the Forest Service has jurisdiction over non-public Forest Development Roads (FDR). The Bureau of Land Management has worked with States to develop its Land Management Highway System (LMHS) road network. These are State and local public roads that are generally supported by State and local government funds. Additionally, the Department of Defense has jurisdiction over Military Installation Roads (MIR), and these are funded by DOD appropriations. The Army COE has jurisdiction over public roads providing access to lakes managed by them. Exhibit E-20 summarizes these roads.

Exhibit E-20. Federal Roads Not Funded Under the Federal Lands Highway Program

Funding of road construction and maintenance is shown in Exhibit E-21. Construction includes repair, rehabilitation, reconstruction, replacement or new construction. Maintenance includes routine activities like minor regraveling, surface patching, and cyclic motor grading. Where a Federal agency is shown, the source of funds would generally be through annual appropriations to the agency having jurisdiction of the particular class of road. Where a State is shown, it implies that funds are provided by either the State or local government depending on jurisdiction and practices in individual States.

Exhibit E-21. Construction and Maintenance Funds - Roads Serving Federal Lands