Transportation Infrastructure: Review of Project Selection Process for Five FHWADiscretionary Programs

摘要

Beginning in 1930, the Congress established the first transportationdiscretionary program under which the executive branch could select specific transportation projects for federal funding, thus providing the executive branch with some latitude in allocating federal funds to the states. In that year, the Public Lands Program was established to pay for road work on the nation's public lands. In 1978, the Congress set up the Discretionary Bridge and Discretionary Interstate programs. The Discretionary Bridge Program was established to replace or rehabilitate high cost bridges while the Discretionary Interstate Program aimed to accelerate the construction of the Interstate Highway System. when the Interstate 4R Discretionary Program was begun in 1982, its goal was to resurface, restore, rehabilitate, and reconstruct the Interstate Highway System. Finally, the Ferry Boats and Facilities Program, begun in 1991, was intended to construct ferry boats and ferry terminal facilities. (See apps. I-V for additional information on ISTEA's provisions and eligibility requirements for each of the discretionary programs discussed in this report.) The Secretary of Transportation is responsible for selecting projects under the discretionary programs. The Secretary has delegated this responsibility to the FHWA Administrator. FHWA's Office of Engineering administers the programs, solicits applications from states, and compiles the applications and information for selection. States submit applications to FHWA's division offices, which either send the applications to FHWA's regional offices for compilation with other states' applications or to fl.WA'5 headquarters, as they do for Interstate Discretionary and 4R programs. Regional offices then send the applications to FHWA's Washington, D.C., headquarters.