About Highway Finance

The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) comprehensive highway finance information collection effort includes an extensive amount of information on Federal, State, and Local governments financing of highways.

The collection, analysis and dissemination of highway finance information are not recent events. The Congress recognized the need for highway finance information to support highway policy development and created the Office of Road Inquiry in the Department of Agriculture in 1893. As early as 1904, the Federal Government began inquiring about highway taxation, sources of revenue for highways, and highway expenditures. Systematic surveys of State highway agencies were begun on an annual basis in 1921. The FHWA began compiling comprehensive summaries of Local governments' highway finances in 1937. The role of the Federal Government in highway transportation has changed greatly since 1893, but its role in assembling highway finance data and need for highway finance information has continued. As highway agencies and highway programs change and evolve, FHWA continues to revise and enhance its data collection and information program.

Highway finance information is used by FHWA in providing information and analyses in support of the Federal Highway Program's reauthorization; the development of proposed legislation and reports to Congress; evaluating the extent, performance, condition and use of the Nation's transportation systems; analyzing existing and proposed Federal-aid funding methods and levels; the assignment of user-cost responsibility; and the evaluation of Federal, State and Local highway programs.

Beyond FHWA, there are a large number of public and private users of highway finance information. Their analyses of this information influence decisions that affect more than just the highway community.