U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
MAP-21 - Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century
Posted 9/25/2012, Updated 1/8/2013
Question 1: How much funding does MAP-21 provide for highways and bridge programs?
Answer 1: For FY 2013, a total of $40.4 billion in contract authority is authorized for highways and bridge programs. In addition, there is $500 million authorized for Projects of National and Regional Significance and $30 million authorized for Tribal High Priority Projects from the General Fund and subject to appropriation.
For FY 2014, a total of $41 billion in contract authority is authorized for the highways and bridge programs. In addition, there is $30 million authorized for Tribal High Priority Projects from the General Fund and subject to appropriation.
The detailed table showing authorized funding for individual programs under MAP-21 can be found here.
Question 2: Are the apportionment calculations under MAP-21 similar to those under SAFETEA-LU?
Answer 2: MAP-21 takes a new approach to formulas that differs substantially from the approach under SAFETEA-LU (and prior authorization acts). Under SAFETEA-LU each apportioned program was funded by a separate authorization (or takedown) and then distributed among the States based on factor data such as lane miles, vehicle miles traveled, fatalities data, etc. Under MAP-21, for each fiscal year, a lump sum is authorized for all apportioned programs. This lump sum is first distributed among the States based on each State's total FY 2012 apportionments (with an adjustment in FY 2014 to guarantee a 95% return of each State's dollar contribution to the Highway Account of the Highway Trust Fund) and then distributed within each State among the individual apportioned programs. The full description of the apportionment calculations can be found in the Apportionment fact sheet.
Question 3: What are set-asides?
Answer 3: A set-aside is an amount or percentage of each State's apportioned funds required to be used for a specified purpose or activity.
Question 4: What set-asides are derived from apportioned funding amounts?
Answer 4: There are a number of set-asides from the apportioned amounts. Below is a summary of all of the set-asides under MAP-21 (excluding those based on penalty provisions). Please note the relevant program codes used to obligate these set aside amounts in the program codes Q&A below.
National Highway Performance Program (NHPP):
Surface Transportation Program (STP):
Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP):
Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ):
Metropolitan Planning Program:
TAP:
Railway-Highway Crossings Program:
SPR:
Question 5: What transfers to FHWA are required under MAP-21?
Answer 5: MAP-21 requires some transfers from States to FHWA for certain purposes. Equal formula obligation limitation must be transferred with the funds. Specific instructions/information on the process for such transfers will be provided to the States (via the FHWA Division Offices) from the relevant program offices. The following are the transfers to FHWA required under MAP-21:
Question 6: What are limiting amounts?
Answer 6: A limiting amount is a ceiling on the amount or percentage of each State's apportioned funds that may be used for a certain purpose or activity.
Question 7: What are the limiting amounts for the apportioned funds?
Answer 7: There are a number of limiting amounts for the apportioned funds. Below is a summary of all of the limiting amounts under MAP-21. Please note the relevant program codes used to obligate these limiting amounts in the program codes Q&A below (except for the data compilation and analysis limiting amount for the Railway-Highway Crossings Program, which is not tracked via FMIS program code).
Surface Transportation Program (STP):
Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ):
Recreational Trails Program:
Railway-Highway Crossings Program:
Multiple programs:
Question 8: When are the official apportionments and further breakdowns of funding made available to the State?
Answer 8: The notice showing the official apportionments certified by the FHWA Administrator is issued on October 1 of each fiscal year. The notice shows the apportionments for the National Highway Performance Program, Surface Transportation Program, Highway Safety Improvement Program, Railway-Highway Crossings Program, Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality Improvement Program, and Metropolitan Planning Program. The FY 2013 apportionment notice and tables can be found online.
Apportionments are loaded into the Fiscal Management Information System (FMIS) and made available to the States shortly after the system opens for each fiscal year. States are able to view their apportionment amounts, including the detailed funding breakdowns such as set-asides (set-aside for State Planning & Research, set-aside for the Transportation Alternatives Program, etc.), suballocations, and limiting amounts in FMIS at that point.
Supplementary tables showing the detailed funding breakdowns will be issued via a separate notice at a later date (typically a couple months after the October 1 notice). In addition, as was the case under SAFETEA-LU, following the issuance of the supplementary tables FWHA plans to provide computational tables to the States as well.
Question 9: What are the Fiscal Management Information System (FMIS) program codes for FY 2013 and 2014?
Answer 9: FHWA has set up new program codes for MAP-21. A memorandum to FHWA Division Offices and States provides the new program codes.
Question 10: What if I have carryover funding from a program that was continued, but amended, by MAP-21? What rules apply to the money?
Answer 10: For any programs that were continued, but amended, the rules in effect as of October 1, 2012, will apply to all related funding, whether carryover or new. This includes programs such as Surface Transportation Program (STP), Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ), and the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) (see FHWA Treatment of Carryover Highway Program Funding table).
Question 11: What if I have carryover funding from a program that was repealed or provided no further funding by MAP-21? What rules apply to the money?
Answer 11: So long as funding for the program has not been rescinded and the period of availability for obligation has not expired, any carryover funding continues to be available for the original purpose under the rules that apply to the funding.
Question 12: What if I have carryover funding from a program that was consolidated within a new program and the old funding no longer has a dedicated funding source?
Answer 12: For programs that were consolidated within a new program, the carryover funding continues to be available for the original purpose under the rules that applied under the old program. This includes programs such as Interstate Maintenance (IM), Highway Bridge, and National Highway System (NHS). The rules in effect as of October 1, 2012 will apply to all new programs, such as the National Highway Performance Program (see FHWA Treatment of Carryover Highway Program Funding table).