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Appendix B

Department of Transportation, Highway Trust Fund
Management's Discussion & Analysis
September 30, 2005

THE FUND

The Highway Trust Fund (HTF) was established by the Highway Revenue Act of 1956 to ensure a dependable source of financing for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. Although the fund was initially created to support construction of the Interstate Highway system, the HTF now funds a wide range of transportation-related projects in support of the country’s changing needs. The HTF provides funding to build, maintain, and improve the Nation’s roads and transit systems. It also provides funding for safety programs to reduce deaths and property loss from highway and other surface transportation accidents.

Under its authorizing legislation, the HTF is to be funded from excise taxes on motor fuels, tires, and truck-related items and use taxes paid by commercial users. The HTF is managed by the Department of the Treasury (Treasury). The Treasury is responsible for depositing excise and use taxes into the HTF, which is a separate trust fund. The funds held by Treasury are considered as the Corpus of the HTF, and any funds not needed for expenditures are to be invested. When funds are transferred from Treasury to an HTF agency’s appropriation, they are still considered part of the HTF, but not the Corpus. Until October 1998, the HTF earned interest on its investments and could deposit the interest in the HTF. The Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 1999, Public Law (PL) 105-277, specified that interest would no longer be credited to the HTF. This legislation also required the HTF be invested in non-interest bearing Treasury non-marketable securities.

The HTF is made up of two accounts, the Highway Account (HA) and the Mass Transit Account (MTA), which were established by the Highway Revenue Act of 1982. The MTA receives 2.86 cents per gallon of motor fuel sold, .01 cent per gallon of motor fuel sold goes to the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund, and the remaining amount of the taxes collected is credited to the HA. Twice each month, Treasury distributes among various trust funds and the General Fund their estimated share of all excise taxes collected for that portion of the month. When the quarterly excise tax returns are filed and excise tax receipts are certified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury adjusts the estimates to reflect certified tax collections.

The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) is the most recent authorization act for the HTF. It was signed by the President on August 10, 2005. The previous authorization bill, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), expired on September 30, 2003, but Congress extended the TEA-21 provisions for all Surface Transportation Programs through August 14, 2005, pending signing of the new authorization act.

Each fiscal year (FY), Congress authorizes transfers from the HTF to the Department of Transportation (Department) to fund six Department agencies (modes) and/or certain agency programs—Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA)1. Monies transferred from the HTF to these agencies are used to pay for the operations of these administrations and to liquidate obligations made with contract authority previously used to award grants. In each appropriation bill, Congress also authorizes the apportionment of contract authority to fund the award of grants to states, local governments, and other organizations. Within the Department, HTF activities are managed primarily by the individual operating agencies with oversight from the Department’s Office of Budget and Programs and FHWA.

In FY 2005, operations of HTF modes were impacted by the lack of authorizing legislation and the incremental funding of the programs. For the first 10 months of FY 2005, HTF modes were operating under a continuing resolution that limited spending to previous year levels. A new authorization bill was not signed until August 10, 2005, and instead, HTF was funded through six extensions of the TEA-21. As a result, issuance of grants was limited, new programs and improvements to existing programs could not be implemented, and achievement of goals was hindered.

The chart below shows revenues deposited in the HTF for the last five years.

Chart - HTF Revenues Deposited (in millions), click for detailed alternate description.

In FY 2005, FRA did not receive any new funding from the HTF nor did it award any grants from prior year funds. As a result, though one of the six modes with programs funded from the HTF, FRA programs and accomplishments will not be highlighted in this report.

The following chart depicts the percentage of dollars distributed from the HTF Corpus to the HA and MTA for FY 2005:

Graph - FY 2005 Highway Trust Fund Allocations (In millions), click for detailed alternate description.

Graph - FY 2005 Transfers Received from HTF Corpus by Modal agency (in millions), click for detailed alternate description.1

The HTF supports initiatives such as highway safety, environment, emergency relief, motor carrier safety, research and development (R&D), transportation statistics, use of safety belts, and preventing alcohol-impaired driving. The HTF has also recently begun to support automated toll collection, research into “smart” emergency vehicle access systems, transportation analysis, and various vehicle warning systems. All of these activities effectively contribute to supporting the Department’s national performance objectives to eliminate transportation-related deaths and injuries, provide accessible and efficient transportation, protect the natural environment, and ensure the security of the U.S. transportation system.


AGENCY (MODAL) SUPPORT

Within the Department, six modes receive funds from the HTF. Each of these agencies, except for RITA, then provides funding through grants to states and other municipal governments according to formulas established by law and/or based on competition. Grants are not made in the form of cash. Rather, the recipients must first make expenditures on qualified and approved projects and then request reimbursement from the appropriate federal agency. This funding is limited by law from 50 to 100 percent of the total eligible project cost. The remaining non-federal costs are paid by the recipient through matching funds. The following chart shows which HTF account is used to fund each of the modal administrations.

Click for alternative text.

Both the mission and programs supported by each of these modes are unique. The following table provides the mission statements for each agency and their role to support the purposes of the HTF. See Appendix A for the organizational chart for each agency.

HTF AGENCIES

Agency Mission Support Role to HTF
FHWA Enhance mobility through innovation, leadership, and public service. Facilitates the construction, operation, and maintenance of the National Highway System (NHS), and related transportation activities that support their safe, environmentally friendly, and productive use.
FMCSA Reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. Focuses on highway safety related to large trucks and buses.
FRA Promote safe, environmentally sound, successful railroad transportation to meet the needs of all customers today and tomorrow. FRA encourages policies and investments in infrastructure and technology rail to realize its full potential. Promotes safety in rail travel through policy development and improved technology.
FTA Provide leadership, technical assistance and financial resources for safe, technologically advanced public transportation which enhances all citizens’ mobility and accessibility, improves U.S. communities and natural environment, and strengthens the Nation’s economy. Supports the development of public transportation systems, and promotes safety measures and accessibility to public transportation.
NHTSA Save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes through education, research, safety standards, and enforcement activity. Collects and analyzes crash data, develops measures to prevent vehicle crashes, regulates motor vehicle manufacturers, and provides worldwide education related to vehicle safety.
RITA Identifies and facilitates solutions to the challenges and opportunities facing the U.S. transportation system. Collects, analyzes, and disseminates multi-modal transportation data that assists in transportation decision-making.

FIELD LOCATIONS

The following map identifies the office locations of each modal administration. See Appendix A which lists the type of office and location for each modal administration.

Map of each modal administration location in all states.


FINANCIAL AND PERSONNEL HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the significant financial highlights for the HTF that compare FY 2004 and FY 2005 activity and the associated percentage change.

    FY 2005   FY 2004 % Change
At End of Year Consolidated Balance Sheet Data          
Fund Balance With Treasury $ 4,217,543 $ 4,270,531 (1.24%)
Investments   8,270,638   10,211,852 (19.01%)
Accounts Receivable, Net   40,076   15,483 158.84%
Plant, Property and Equipment, Net   106,653   47,021 126.82%
Other Assets   168,020   186,272 (9.80%)
Total Assets $ 12,802,930 $ 14,731,159 (13.09%)
         
Accounts Payable   46,940   147,621 (68.20%)
Grant Accrual   2,274,780   2,195,580 3.61%
Other Liabilities   249,782   247,385 .97%
Total Liabilities $ 2,571,502 $ 2,590,586 (.074%)
         
Net Position $ 10,231,428 $ 12,140,573 (15.73%)
         
Total Budgetary Resources for the Year $ 76,800,050 $ 70,236,030 (13.09%)
         
Trust Fund Revenues $ 37,901,628 $ 34,724,328 14.17%
           
Net Cost $ 32,309,720 $ 31,442,264 2.76%
Total Earned Revenues   76,955   13,838 456.11%
Total Net Cost of Operations $ 32,237,765 $ 31,428,426 2.56%
           
Full-time Equivalent (FTE)       5,625  
           
On-time Payments (%)       93%  
           
Electronic Fund Transfer Payments (%)       75%  
           
           

SIGNIFICANT PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS

FHWA

Highway Safety

The highway fatality rate was lowered to 1.46 fatalities per hundred million vehicle miles traveled nationwide in 2004, the lowest rate in our Nation’s history. FHWA programs yielded safety benefits for communities in the U.S. including reductions nationwide in intersection and pedestrian-related fatal crashes. The Agency and its partners promoted a comprehensive approach to highway safety planning that helps States better utilize limited resources to improve roadway safety. 20 States have developed strategic highway safety plans and an additional 11 States are actively developing plans.

Emergency Relief Program

The Emergency Relief Program, as administered by FHWA, was authorized by Congress for the repair or reconstruction of Federal-aid highways and roads damaged as a result of Natural Disasters (such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes etc) or Catastrophic Failure from External Causes such as a bridge suddenly collapsing after being struck by a barge. In many cases, when the damage is significant (for example the damage caused by the four hurricanes that hit Florida in FY 2004) Congress has provided supplemental appropriations above the normal funding of $100 million per year to assist in the recovery and repair efforts.

In September 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused wide spread damage in the states of Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama. Currently the FHWA is working with other agencies and the Department of Transportation to assess the estimated financial impact of these disasters. As of the end of FY 2005, the FHWA had obligated approximately $50 million to aid in the emergency response efforts to support the Emergency Relief Program. Congress may provide supplemental appropriations to the amounts authorized for the Emergency Relief Program to aid in further rebuilding efforts.

Pavement Conditions

FHWA focused its assistance in a few critical States to ensure its pavement condition goals are met. The Agency also provided assistance to partner agencies and industry to enable them to design, build, maintain and manage roadways more cost effectively. FHWA encouraged the use of high performance steel and concrete to ensure the construction of more durable bridges with a longer design life. With states and local entities facing increasing demands on their aging infrastructure, the Agency promoted better asset management practices. More than $2.9 Billion was provided to states and U.S. territories to repair highway and bridge damage from flooding, earthquakes, mudslides, and natural disasters such as hurricanes Ivan and Katrina.

Intelligent Transportation System (ITS)

Approximately 32 percent of all travel nationwide was under congested conditions in 2004, a slight increase from the previous year but lower than projected. Working closely with State and Metropolitan governments, the FHWA advanced the deployment of the Nation’s Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) infrastructure with the completion of 227 regional ITS architectures and further deployment of the 511-traveler information number to 28 percent of the Nation’s population. Efforts such as these are designed to slow the growth of traffic congestion and improve travel reliability.

Air Quality Standards

FHWA worked closely with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the States, and Metropolitan Planning Organizations to ensure compliance with stricter air quality standards for ozone and particulate matter (PM) emissions published last year. The Agency continued to emphasize maintaining good working relationships with resource agencies and more meaningful consideration of environmental and community issues in planning decisions, the adoption of regional approaches to mitigation, and the identification of pre-mitigation and dual-purpose project opportunities.

Transportation Security

The FHWA worked closely with the Department of Homeland Security in the development of the National Strategy for Transportation Security that provides the overall framework for the programs and activities needed to enhance transportation security.

Motor Vehicle Tax Evasion

Motor vehicle tax evasion has become a significant concern. It is estimated that the HTF experiences a loss of $1 billion due to under-reporting or non-reporting of motor vehicle taxes. In accordance with the SAFETEA-LU and American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 legislation, FHWA is working with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to evaluate the effectiveness of IRS’ Motor Vehicle Tax Evasion (MFTE) enforcement efforts. Results of a Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration audit and FHWA development of an oversight plan will provide methods to determine the effectiveness of IRS’s MFTE enforcement efforts prior to providing additional HTF funds. Continued use of HTF funds for MFTE enforcement by IRS is contingent on the effectiveness of IRS collecting the estimated $1 billion lost due to MFTE.

Project Delivery Oversight

To address continuing concerns and lay the groundwork for improved Federal-aid project and fiscal management, the Agency initiated an effort to develop a more formal, documented approach to project delivery oversight.

FMCSA

Commercial Driver License (CDL) Fraud Crack Down

In an effort to keep unqualified commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers off the Nation's highways, FMCSA launched a major initiative to identify CDL testing and licensing fraud through enhanced compliance reviews of state programs, covert monitoring of state and third-party examiners, and through Social Security Number verification.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Implementation

FMCSA efforts continued to implement the President’s order to open the southern border to expanded CMV operations under NAFTA. In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court helped to clear the way for implementation of three rules governing the operation of Mexico-domiciled CMVs beyond the border commercial zones. This was due to the reversal of a January 2003 decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which held that FMCSA was not required to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Clean Air Act Conformity Analysis before promulgating the rules.

Consumer Information on Interstate Movers

There are approximately 1.5 million shipments of household goods (HHG) in the United States each year, roughly 600,000 of which are interstate moves. While most moves go smoothly, many consumers are experiencing difficulties in resolving disputes with problem movers and drivers. Consumer complaints are continuing to rise at an alarming rate, more than tripling in the past three years. In response, FMCSA significantly expanded and enhanced its Web-based database that informs consumers of their rights and responsibilities and serves as a guide in the selection of a reputable carrier. During the first seven months of 2004, the Web site received over 650,000 hits.

FTA

New Starts Program

FTA implemented a timesaving measure to replace the “number of new rider” as a criteria used to assess new fixed guideway projects. The increased focus on ensuring a good return on investment, proactive project cost management by FTA, and project sponsors resulted in a total saving of $673 million for seven proposed investments.

Cost containment of major capital projects is one of FTA’s four core accountabilities. Some of the variables that can lead to or help avoid cost overruns of these large projects include:

On September 30, 2004, the current total estimated project cost of each of 29 Full Funding Grant Agreements (FFGA) did not exceed that project’s baseline cost estimate (incorporating any known modifications through October 1, 2002) by more than five percent. Twenty seven of the 29 projects under FFGA, 27 projects (93 percent) had costs that did not exceed their project baseline by more than five percent. As of September 2005, 100 percent of all FFGAs (now 25 projects) are within five percent of their baseline cost.

Grant Processing

FTA is getting appropriated funds into communities more quickly than ever before, enabling them to proceed quickly with the acquisition of needed capital improvement and the expansion of services for thousands of transit dependent individuals. FTA improved program delivery to its customers by making dramatic improvements in the timeliness of grant processing. In FY 2004, FTA processed 83 percent (against a target of 80 percent) of the grants awarded within 60 days of application. Based on data through September 30, 2005, 91 percent of the 2,047 grants processed were obligated in 60 days or less, in FY 2005, beating the goal of 80 percent processed in 60 days or less. The amount of time to process grants was reduced from an average of 67 days in 2001 to just 28 days in 2005.

Transit Rail Conditions

Federal and local funding supported replacement and rehabilitation of the existing rail fleet and restoration of rail facilities, such as stations, track, yards, and shops. Nationally, there are 10,722 miles of track, 2,862 stations, and 1,279 rail maintenance facilities. Recent data show significant improvement in the conditions of the Nation’s rail systems (notably in track and maintenance facilities and yards), but indicate that a backlog remains in several areas, including overhead wire, third rails, and stations. From 1992 to 2002, the share of track in adequate or better condition improved from 63 percent to 86 percent. Rail maintenance facilities in adequate or better condition improved from 64 percent in 1995 to 80 percent in 2002. At the same time, overhead wire (35 percent in less than good condition), third rails (27 percent in less than good condition), and stations (75 percent in less than good condition) also require attention.

NHTSA

Safety Belt Use

Safety belt use in the United States reached a historic high of 82 percent in 2005. The Secretary and Administrator launched the annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign in May 2005. NHTSA expanded the high-visibility enforcement and paid media model of “Click It or Ticket” to address impaired driving. The campaign coincided with the Labor Day weekend, one of the most heavily traveled holiday weekends.

Impaired Driving

NHTSA expanded the number of driving while intoxicated (DWI)/drug courts handling DWI cases from 78 in 2003 to 177 by the end of 2004 (latest data available) in collaboration with the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the National Drug Court Initiative. In addition, the Agency collaborated with federal partners and states to continue the promotion of alcohol screening and brief intervention among medical and health care professionals to identify patients with potential alcohol use problems and refer them to assessment and treatment, when appropriate. NHTSA supports National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD), an annual event that provides information about alcohol and health, and free anonymous screening for alcohol-use disorders. NASD in 2005 took place on April 7th and reported record levels of participation. As of August 2005, .08 Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) legislation in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico became effective.

Speed

With speeding a factor in about 30 percent of all fatal crashes, an interagency task force was formed to study the speed management issue and develop a Department policy on speeding and speed management. This led to the creation of a Department Speed Management Team with representatives from NHTSA, FHWA, and FMCSA, reflecting the importance of both engineering and behavioral countermeasures to reduce the number of speeding-related fatalities and injuries occurring on U.S. highways. The Department’s new Speed Management Strategic Initiative was released in June 2005.

RITA

Commodity Flow Survey

In December 2004 the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), now part of RITA, and the Census Bureau jointly released the final data for the 2002 Commodity Flow Survey, the most comprehensive multimodal survey of U.S. freight movements. BTS and the Census Bureau also released a hazardous materials (HAZMAT or HM) report from the Commodity Flow Survey offering a detailed picture of HAZMAT movements nationwide. The survey results have been made publicly available in print reports, on CD-ROM, and via the RITA Web site to ensure the widest availability possible.

Measures of Transportation Risk Exposure

In response to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendation on improving the collection of data describing exposure to transportation risk in the United States, BTS developed measures of transportation risk exposure using data collected in the FHWA and BTS jointly sponsored National Household Travel Survey (NHTS). The demographic information in the NHTS, combined with transportation fatality and injury data, can be used to show relative risk by age, gender, geography, time of day, and other groupings. The research results were presented at the Traffic Records Forum in August 2005.

National Transportation Atlas Database

RITA published the National Transportation Atlas Databases Product in July 2005, a set of nationwide geographic databases for transportation facilities, transportation networks, and associated infrastructure plus geographic reference data, such as states, counties, and Congressional Districts. This annual update is required in RITA authorizing legislation and is part of the President’s Management Agenda (PMA) efforts to build and disseminate the transportation layer of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure required under Executive Order No. 12906.

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE

The Department prepares a strategic five-year plan and an annual performance budget (APB). In the strategic plan, the Department establishes its strategic objectives, outcomes, and goals. The Department’s performance goals and measures are linked to the strategic outcomes and goals. In addition, the resources requested to achieve these performance goals and measures are identified. The annual goals and measures identify the progress the Department is making toward achieving its strategic outcomes and goals. Each mode identifies performance goals and measures that support the Department’s performance goals and measures.

Within the HTF, the performance budget of each modal administration supports the Department’s performance measures. Each fiscal year, the modes establish individual performance goals, annual targets, and resources required to accomplish the goals. Their objectives and goals must link and contribute to the strategic objectives and goals of the Department. During the year, the modes gauge their progress toward achieving the Department goals and report on performance in the Department’s Performance and Accountability Report (PAR).

The Department had six strategic objectives in FY 2005 to provide direction to each of its modes. The Department’s Strategic Objectives in FY 2005 were:

The Department is committed to embodying the President’s goals of a citizen-centered, results-based, market-oriented government. Everything done at the Department is aimed at making measurable improvements in the U.S. transportation system, the security of the Nation, and the quality of American life.

Integrating FY 2005 Resource Expenditure Accounting With Achievement of HTF Goals

A fundamental strength of HTF programs is that HTF activities affect multiple goal areas. By design, a dollar spent on transportation infrastructure not only advances safety, but also mobility, economic growth and development, protection of the environment, and balances homeland and national security requirements. The agencies funded by the HTF continually strive for clearer linkages between expenditures and performance.

Performance Data

A full assessment of the completeness and reliability of HTF performance data and the detailed information on the source, scope, and limitations for the performance data in this report are provided at www.bts.gov/programs/statistical_policy_and_research/source_and_accuracy_compendium/index.html. This Web site also provides information to resolve the inadequacies that exist in HTF’s performance data.

Preliminary vs. Final Results: Reporting FY 2005 results by November 2005 is challenging where the Department relies on third party reporting. Often the Department has only preliminary or estimated results based on partial-year data and must wait for final data to properly verify and validate its results. In some cases where data are provided solely as an annual value and are not available in time for this report, the HTF relies on historical trend information and program expertise to generate a projected result. The HTF has been careful to point out where it has assessed its performance on a preliminary or projected basis. Preliminary estimates or projected results will be adjusted after final compilation or verification and validation. In all cases where results have changed from last year’s report, it is indicated by placing an “(r)” with the number, indicating a revision.

Single Year Results vs. Historical Trends: Federal and state programs rarely aim to influence simple things. The HTF addresses complex national problems such as safety, pollution, and congestion. Sometimes the program’s progress is overwhelmed by external factors, such as economic growth (or recession), market shifts, or extreme weather, and sometimes the HTF gets a helping hand from those same factors. Always there is natural fluctuation year-to-year.

The Department and HTF modes set annual performance targets for the outcomes they desire to influence. Targets set a mark so the HTF modes can judge their progress. They also force the modes to focus on what they can—and can’t —do to get results. In this report, the focus is on single-year results for FY 2005. There is no simple formula that ties the results in one year to the success or failure of programs which, in many cases, are implemented over many years..

SAFETY________________________________________________________________

Enhance the public health and safety by working toward the elimination of transportation-related deaths and injuries.

Strategic Outcomes

Safety is the Department’s primary strategic objective. The Department strives to improve the benefits of transportation while constantly reducing the risk to travelers’ health and well being. In FY 2005, Department safety programs continued to reduce transportation-related fatalities and injuries.

Departmental Performance Goals

  1. Reduce highway fatalities per 100 million miles traveled to no more than 1.0 in 2008, from 1.7 in 1996.

  2. Reduce large truck-related fatalities per 100 million truck vehicle miles traveled (TVMT) to no more than 1.65 in 2008, from 2.8 in 1996.

The Department’s Safety Strategic Outcomes were divided into two major groups, Surface Transportation Safety and Aviation Safety. Within the surface transportation safety group are six strategies. The strategies applicable to the HTF are Improve Motor Vehicle and Driver Safety, Safer and Smarter Highway Infrastructure, Improve Transit Safety, Improve Motor Carrier Safety, and Improve Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety. The diagram below shows which HTF-funded modes are responsible for providing support to achieve each strategy.

Click for detailed alternative text.

Highway Safety

Highway crashes cause 95 percent of all transportation related fatalities and 99 percent of transportation injuries, and are the leading cause of death for Americans age 3 through 33. Alcohol is still the single biggest contributing factor in fatal crashes. While declining for the second year in a row (-2.4 percent), fatalities in alcohol-related crashes still claimed 16,694 lives in 2004, falling below 17,000 fatalities for the first time in five years.

Recent statistics show that about 12 percent of all people killed in motor vehicle incidents were involved in a crash with a large truck, yet trucks represented less than four percent of registered vehicles and over seven percent of the vehicle miles of travel. Twenty percent of Americans (about 60 million people) still do not use safety belts all of the time when driving motor vehicles. The large number of crashes has placed a considerable burden on the Nation's health care system and has had significant economic effects. The cost to the economy of all motor vehicle crashes was approximately $230.6 billion or 2.3 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product.

The table below depicts the performance measures and goals related to Highway Safety.

HIGHWAY SAFETY – Departmental Performance Measures and Goals
Performance Measures Modal Administration FY 2002 Actual FY 2003 Actual FY 2004 Actual FY 2005 Target FY 2005 Actual FY 2005 Results
Fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) FHWA, NHTSA, FMCSA 1.51 (r) Target 1.40 1.48 Target 1.40 1.46 Target 1.38 1.38 1.43(1) Not met
Large truck-related fatalities per 100 million truck vehicle miles traveled (TVMT) FMCSA 2.30 Target 2.32 2.31(r) Target 2.19 2.37# Target 2.07 1.96 2.35(1) Not Met

Notes:

(r) Revised

(1) Projections; based on statistical forecasting model using historical fatality and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) data. This projection will change when actual fatality and VMT data for 2005 are available in summer 2006. The 2005 fatality rates are based on fatality forecasted by the most recent 1997 to 2003 data. Inputs were monthly fatality counts from Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) from 1997 to 2003.. The 2005 VMT projection assumes a 1.5 percent increase from 2004 VMT estimates. Updated figures for these measures will be reported in next year's report. Data and estimates of VMT are provided by FHWA and can be viewed on the FHWA Web site at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov.

# Projection from trends

FY 2005 Results: The Department did not meet the highway fatality rate and/or truck-related fatality rate targets. However, as a direct result of the Department’s programs and modal initiatives, motor vehicle travel has become significantly safer—the overall fatality rate declined from 3.35 in 1980 to an estimated 1.43 in 2005.

FHWA

In FY 2005, FHWA’s safety-related programs and funding yielded multiple benefits for communities across the United States, including a reduction in the number of specific types of crashes and improvements in system conditions and operations. Construction programs contributed to safety by improving unsafe roadway design and operations, improving the condition of bridges and removing roadway hazards. The continued use of Road Safety Audits assisted communities with safety improvements in the construction of new roadways and reconstruction of existing roadways.

Early estimates for roadway departures in 2004 are 24,848 fatalities, a slight reduction from 2003. Preliminary estimates for fatalities for intersection-related fatal crashes are 8,887 and 4,641 for pedestrian-related fatalities. These estimates also represent slight reductions from 2003. In 2005, FHWA actively pursued improved roadway departure safety through a multi-faceted approach in the fields of engineering, education, and enforcement. As part of its comprehensive safety program, FHWA engineers worked closely with state highway engineers and law enforcement officials to identify appropriate engineering safety countermeasures for high-risk locations and new roads. Examples include promoting greater use of roadway improvements, such as upgraded guardrails and rumble strips, greater use of retro reflective signage and improved markings, and the removal of roadside hazards. Intersection safety is a serious, national public health issue. FHWA continued to pursue improved intersection safety through a multidisciplinary approach that includes working with industry partners to develop a national Agenda for Intersection Safety. This national plan includes a number of solutions and strategies, including engineering and technology improvements, intersection safety audits, red-light cameras, training for local safety professionals, and increasing public awareness.

Within the ITS Program, efforts continued to develop technology-based systems that could significantly reduce intersection crashes. A major component of these efforts were the establishment of an intersection safety test facility at FHWA’s Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center and development of an Intersection Collision Avoidance System to help drivers avoid crashes at intersections. To counter the serious issue of pedestrian fatalities, FHWA targeted crash causes in major urban areas and select rural locations and facilitated community-based programs that fully and safely accommodated pedestrians.

FHWA successfully partnered with American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and other national organizations to advance the Lead States initiative and promote adoption of the framework of the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan. A major component of the Safety Plan is an outreach program to actively engage lead states to develop strategic highway safety plans that include strong crash data systems, establishment of a statewide goal for reducing deaths within a set period of time, and establishment of stakeholder safety teams dedicated to supporting the effort. The number of States with statewide strategic highway safety plans is currently at 20. An additional 11 States are actively developing plans.

FMCSA

Despite increased risk exposure due to yearly increases in both TVMT and the number of vehicles traveling the Nation’s roads, FMCSA and its state partners have made solid progress over the last decade in reducing both the number and rate of fatalities involving large trucks. Based on data for 2004, the number of deaths in crashes involving large trucks decreased by almost 23 percent from its all-time high in 1979, and the rate of these fatalities decreased more than 61 percent during the same time period. Additional ten-year accomplishments include:

While these long-term accomplishments are significant, FMCSA needs to continue to work towards achieving the DOT/FMCSA performance target to reduce large truck-related fatalities to no more than 1.65 fatalities per 100 TVMT by the end of 2008. Preliminary estimates for 2005 indicate fatalities increased from a rate of 2.34 per 100 million TVMT in 2004, to a rate of 2.35 per 100 million TVMT in 2005. As a result, FMCSA will not meet its annual target. These latest trends indicate that after years of steady progress in reducing large truck-related fatality rates, FMCSA may have wrested most of the safety improvements it can expect using current operational practices, procedures, and legal authorities. In response, FMCSA in 2005 initiated the Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) 2010 initiative, to reach the next level of safety. The CSA 2010 project is examining the foundation of all of FMCSA’s safety programs, exploring new enforcement regimes, and revisiting many existing practices and procedures to increase and sharpen the agency’s focus on improving safety.

Compliance and Enforcement

Regulatory standards continue to provide the cornerstones of FMCSA’s compliance and enforcement mission. In 2005, the Agency issued rules concerning: Hours of Service; Title VI Regulations for financial assistance; Rules of Practice; transportation of household goods; and, parts and accessories necessary for safe operation. In addition to providing technical assistance to industry and the public, FMCSA has processed in excess of 1,000 e-mails and over 35,000 phone calls concerning safety regulations. Additionally, FMCSA processed through the Internet website pay.gov:

During FY 2005, FMCSA continued to place a high priority on enforcement and compliance operational activities. FMCSA obligated $100 million to States for motor carrier compliance and enforcement activities to complement Federal operations. Working closely with its State partners in coordination with the OIG, FMCSA initiated five strike force operations in targeting household goods carriers (HHG) and conducted its first ever roadside inspections of HHG Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMVs), resulting in the initiation of two enforcement cases. FMCSA completed 380 commercial investigations and continues to focus on and increase enforcement actions against unscrupulous HHG movers, with the addition of three positions dedicated to HHG activities. Additionally, FMCSA completed the second year of a two-year study of HHG Dispute Settlement Programs. During FY 2005, Federal and State safety enforcement operations to ensure compliance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations included:

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