FHWA Gives Out $2B in FY20 General Fund Highway Formula Funding

The Federal Highway Administration has apportioned to states the $2 billion in additional highway formula funding from general revenues provided by the fiscal 2020 transportation appropriations act.

In a formal funding notice dated yesterday and sent to state DOTs today, FHWA distributed $1.15 billion in funding for bridge rehabilitation and construction, $781 million in general purpose funding for projects eligible under the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program, and $100 million for the Appalachian Development Highway System.

The general purpose and ADHS money goes out under the same formulas by which Highway Trust Fund contract authority goes out under those programs, and 55 percent of the general purpose money is also sub-allocated within a state by population, just like the STBGP money is. The bridge money was given out with a new needs-based formula, with each state and D.C. getting a minimum of $8.45 million and a ceiling of $50 million on the states with the most poor-condition bridges highest percentage of their total bridge deck area in poor condition.

Those states were Connecticut, West Virginia, and Rhode Island, the latter being the home of Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee ranking minority member Jack Reed (D). And by statute, the state that gets the most Appalachian highway money is Alabama (they have the most cost-to-complete left in the ADHS and the law sets a hard ceiling of 30 percent on any new apportionments), home of Senate Appropriations full committee chairman Richard Shelby (R). In both it goes to show that you can get around the earmark ban by funding or creating formula programs when your state is a clear winner of the formula.

General Fund Highway Formula Appropriations, FY 2020
Millions of dollars.
General Bridge Appalachian Formula
Purpose Program Highways Total
Alabama 15.04 8.45 30.00 53.49
Alaska 9.95 33.72 0.00 43.67
Arizona 14.52 8.45 0.00 22.97
Arkansas 10.27 8.45 0.00 18.72
California 72.91 28.23 0.00 101.14
Colorado 10.61 8.45 0.00 19.06
Connecticut 9.97 50.00 0.00 59.97
Delaware 3.36 24.79 0.00 28.14
Dist. of Col. 3.17 8.45 0.00 11.62
Florida 37.56 8.45 0.00 46.01
Georgia 25.62 8.45 3.64 37.70
Hawaii 3.36 8.45 0.00 11.81
Idaho 5.67 8.45 0.00 14.12
Illinois 28.22 46.96 0.00 75.18
Indiana 18.90 8.45 0.00 27.35
Iowa 9.74 42.79 0.00 52.54
Kansas 7.49 8.45 0.00 15.94
Kentucky 13.17 8.45 14.53 36.15
Louisiana 13.92 35.38 0.00 49.29
Maine 3.66 35.13 0.00 38.79
Maryland 11.93 8.45 1.77 22.15
Massachusetts 12.06 49.82 0.00 61.88
Michigan 20.89 39.43 0.00 60.33
Minnesota 12.94 8.45 0.00 21.39
Mississippi 9.59 8.45 0.51 18.55
Missouri 18.77 36.04 0.00 54.81
Montana 8.14 32.81 0.00 40.95
Nebraska 5.73 21.89 0.00 27.62
Nevada 7.21 8.45 0.00 15.66
New Hampshire 3.28 35.00 0.00 38.28
New Jersey 19.83 29.97 0.00 49.79
New Mexico 7.28 8.45 0.00 15.73
New York 33.34 43.02 0.00 76.36
North Carolina 20.69 38.61 11.60 70.90
North Dakota 4.92 21.78 0.00 26.70
Ohio 26.60 8.45 4.96 40.01
Oklahoma 12.57 26.32 0.00 38.89
Oregon 9.91 8.45 0.00 18.36
Pennsylvania 32.56 35.60 0.00 68.15
Rhode Island 4.34 50.00 0.00 54.34
South Carolina 13.28 27.57 0.00 40.85
South Dakota 5.59 33.82 0.00 39.42
Tennessee 16.76 8.45 8.45 33.66
Texas 72.59 8.45 0.00 81.04
Utah 6.89 8.45 0.00 15.34
Vermont 4.03 8.45 0.00 12.48
Virginia 20.19 8.45 8.83 37.47
Washington 13.45 31.67 0.00 45.12
West Virginia 8.67 50.00 15.71 74.38
Wisconsin 14.92 8.45 0.00 23.37
Wyoming 5.08 38.39 0.00 43.47
U.S. Total 781.14 1,150.00 100.00 2,031.14

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