Additional Statistics and Applications
The U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, continues to use motor fuel consumption, motor fuel tax receipts, vehicle registrations, vehicle miles of travel, and related revenue data in estimating the gross domestic product.
Data developed by FHWA are also used by State DOTs, State legislatures, universities, and private companies. The summaries developed from these data are used extensively by State and local governments because they are the only source of State-specific data on highway matters.
The statistical data are made available to FHWA's various customers through various media. These include hard copy reports developed on a monthly or annual basis, and computer files for use on personal and mainframe computers. Currently FHWA is making these data available through the Internet's World Wide Web.
THE STATISTICAL PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE
Monitoring of program performance depends on the provision of data on what funding is available to the transportation program and how have the resulting program investments supported the current and expected travel and system. The growing emphasis on performance evaluation of public programs will require regular enhancement of the analysis software used to assess the relationship between investment and performance. Future research will address efficient methods to collect data on alternative and non-fossil fuel use to assess their impact on Highway Trust Fund receipts. Additional work is necessary to more accurately track fund disposition in order to relate project expenditures with actual changes in system performance.
