Analysis of Federal and State Discretionary Funding of Highway and Transit Projects in FTA Region VI 1993-2000

The divestiture of the Federal Highway Trust Fund gave local officials the financial resources necessary to encourage the development of new transportation-related projects. Under the auspices of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), some of these projects included bikeways, alternatives fuels demonstration projects, and corridor beautification. ISTEA was not designed to hinder highway development and research, but encourage the implementation of alternate mobility strategies, especially in the country’s urban cores. While ISTEA was the first attempt at discretionary funding, it was eventually replaced by the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) and subsequently the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Despite the efforts of this legislation, most urban cores still seem dependent upon highways. This study conducts an historical evaluation of federal and state discretionary funds from 1993 to 2000 to determine the distribution patterns in Region VI (Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Oklahoma).