Effectiveness of Transportation Funding Mechanisms for Achieving National, State, and Metropolitan Economic, Health, and Other Livability Goals

The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), adopted in 2012, established national performance goals for Federal-aid highways in seven areas. (Federal Highway Administration, n.d.) MAP-21 requires states and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to establish performance-based planning processes, set targets (performance measures), and link planning and funding to these targets. States and MPOs have different mechanisms for allocating funding from various sources to transportation projects and programs: the Federal Highway Trust Fund, state gas and sales taxes, etc. Many funding sources are dedicated to particular uses. For example, thirty states limit the use of gas and other motor vehicle taxes to just investments in roadways. (Puentes & Prince, 2003.) In some states transportation commissions allocate funding; in others the legislature or governor decides. MAP-21 directs states and MPOs to focus on goals and performance measures. But little has been written about the link to transportation funding. This project examines how livability goals are embedded in funding processes and the opportunities and constraints for using transportation investments to advance those goals. Researchers will select case study states and MPOs across the country. For each case study, researchers will identify major economic, health, or other livability goals and performance measures, and catalog transportation funding sources. Researchers will examine how transportation funding decisions are made in each state and MPO. Researchers will analyze how states measure the effectiveness of investments in meeting goals, both at the time of investment and later to see whether investments achieve targets. Finally, researchers will synthesize findings and develop best practice recommendations for more effectively investing in transportation to achieve national, state, and metropolitan livability goals. The results of this research will be of national interest to anyone wanting to promote livability, health and economic competitiveness through transportation investments.

• Record URL:
  http://nitc.trec.pdx.edu/research/project/875

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $177896
• Contract Numbers:

  NITC 875

• Sponsor Organizations:

  University of Oregon, Eugene

  Eugene, OR  United States  97403

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Transportation of America

  1707 L Street NW, Suite 250
  Washington, District of Columbia  United States  20036

  Natural Resources Defense Council

  1152 15th Street NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20005
• Managing Organizations:

  TREC at Portland State University

  1900 SW Fourth Ave, Suite 175
  P.O. Box 751
  Portland, Oregon  United States  97201
• Project Managers:

  Hagedorn, Hau

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Oregon, Eugene

  Eugene, OR  United States  97403
• Principal Investigators:

  Zako, Robert

  Lewis, Rebecca

• Start Date: 20150801
• Expected Completion Date: 20170630
• Actual Completion Date: 20170630

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Competition; Economic development; Financial analysis; Metropolitan planning organizations; Performance measurement; Resource development; Sales tax
• Identifier Terms: Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21)
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01632277
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Institute for Transportation and Communities
• Contract Numbers: NITC 875
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Apr 13 2017 3:23PM