Road Builders’ Highway Dashboard: Investment transparency in overdrive

Sources: American Road and Transportation Builders Association, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

The “ARTBA Highway Dashboard: A 50-State Guide to the Benefits of Federal Investment” is a first of its kind, interactive tool providing the public and elected officials a clear look at how and where each state invests transportation project-designated tax dollars.

“This helps shift the conversation about federal highway investments from apportionment tables and obligation charts to specific outcomes and benefits,” says American Road and Transportation Builders Association President Dave Bauer. “Such transparency and accountability will help the American people better understand the value they are getting from infrastructure investments.”

Prepared by ARTBA Chief Economist Alison Premo Black and built on Federal Highway Administration Fiscal Management Information System data, the dashboard displays information on 24,000-plus projects from fiscal year 2018, during which states leveraged $31 billion in federal funds to advance $66.5 billion in highway improvements. Among FY 2018 transportation funds: 45 percent went to repair or reconstruction work on existing highways; 22 percent to added capacity; 14 percent to planning, design and construction engineering services; 4 percent to new construction; and, 2 percent or less to planning, environmental, research and administration, bike and pedestrian facilities, debt service and utilities. The Federal Highway Investment Benefits by State dashboard is posted here.

The main dashboard’s interactive companion features State, County, Fiscal Year, Type of Work and Federal-Aid System project classification. Users can visualize how each state has deployed federal funds in a given year and features the top projects dating to 1950. Posted here, it tracks federal surface transportation outlays eclipsing $1 trillion.