Highway Information Quarterly Newsletter
June 2001
Office of Highway Policy Information
Federal Highway Administration
FHWA Committee on Oversight of State-Reported Motor Fuel Data Met in May
A group of Federal Highway representatives met in Washington, DC, on May 3 and 4, 2001, to discuss what additional measures might be needed to improve the conduct of Motor Fuel Reviews. State-reported motor fuel data is a critical input to the determination of the distribution of funds to the States. This data is used as a factor in the distribution of three major highway programs (the National Highway System, the Surface Transportation, and the Interstate Maintenance programs) and the minimum guarantee program. In total, about $12 billion in Federal-aid funds are distributed based on motor fuel data.
FHWA recognizes that motor fuel reviews will continue to be conducted by Division Offices periodically. The reviews, however, must be improved to assure data quality. Division Offices that have not conducted reviews will be required to do so. Improved resource materials and training in the conduct of reviews will assist all Division Offices in strengthening the reviews.
Headquarters motor fuel staff, with the assistance of this committee, will develop materials, techniques, and tools to provide a better background for tax and revenue issues, provide sources for guidance to finding how each State treats motor fuel taxation, and provide keys to get from State tax legislation, tax forms, and administrative procedures to motor fuel data as it is reported on the FHWA Form 551M.
FHWA, is re-assessment of motor fuel reporting, (conducted in cooperation with the American Association of State Highway and Transit Officials, and the Federation of Tax Administrators) and reviews by the General Accounting Office and the Department of Transportation's Inspector General have indicated that oversight of State-reported data must be improved, in large part because of the significant amounts of money distributed based on the data.
In response to a Federal Register notice requesting comments on oversight, all the commenting States recognized the importance of this effort, and several States mentioned that FHWA should ensure that a consistent review process be applied to all States, since the importance of consistent and verifiable data is a primary concern of the reviews.
For more information, contact Ralph Erickson at: Ralph.Erickson@fhwa.dot.gov
Highway Taxes and Fees Update
The Office of Highway Policy Information has processed the information for updating the publication, Highway Taxes and Fees: How They Are Collected and Distributed. The Office of Highway Policy Information expects to release the publication for printing in late May 2001. To the maximum extent possible, the report presents the State's information as provided by the State's Transportation Agency. This information reflects the changes in State Laws since the passage of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21).
Highway Taxes and Fees: How They Are Collected and Distributed includes information regarding the taxes and fees paid by highway users and the laws that provide for the distribution of these taxes and fees. Also included is information on other non-highway user State taxes that are allocated for highway purposes, and on the Federal funds and Federal agencies that provide funding for highway activities. This publication is available on this website under Products and Publications of the Office of Highway Policy Information webpage.
If you have any questions contact Carla Mauney at (202) 366-5045.
Census Releases 1998 Data on Local Expenditures
The Bureau of the Census is releasing its 1998 Census of Government. Between 1997 and 1998, total highway expenditures increased in both the top twenty spending cities as well as the top twenty spending counties.
In 1998, the top twenty spending cities increased their total highway expenditures by 7.2 percent from $3.352 billion in 1997 to $3.593 billion in 1998. In 1998, San Francisco, CA, Sacramento, CA, Long Beach, CA, Milwaukee, WI, and San Antonio, TX joined the top twenty spending cities. San Diego, CA, San Antonio, TX, Columbus, OH, Wichita, KS, St. Paul, MN and Cincinnati, OH which were among the top 20 1997 cities in highway spending dropped from the "top twenty" list in 1998.
In 1998, the top twenty spending counties increased their total highway expenditures by 9.0 percent from $1.993 billion in 1997 to $2.173 billion in 1998. In 1998 Hennepin County, MN, replaced Nassau County, NY, which had been 15th highest spending county in 1997 and was 21st in 1998.
Highway capital construction costs fell about 2 percent between 1997 and 1998, according to FHWA Bid Price Index.
The following table compares 1997 and 1998 data from the Census Bureau's Census of Government. (www.census.gov). Local highway finance data is also collected from the States by FHWA and published in the annual Highway Statistics publication (LF series tables of the Finance Section) This data, while not by "place", include spending and income data not covered by Census.
City Government Ranking for Highway Expenditure, 1998 (Thousands of dollars)
Fiscal
year
|
Name
|
State
|
Population
1990
|
Total
Highway Expenditure
|
Total
Highway Capital Outlay
|
1998
|
New York | NY |
7,420,166
|
1,260,831
|
788,109
|
1998
|
Chicago | IL |
2,802,079
|
372,336
|
209,345
|
1998
|
Houston | TX |
1,786,691
|
212,788
|
112,712
|
1998
|
Detroit | MI |
970,196
|
205,966
|
75,283
|
1998
|
Washington | DC |
502,124
|
145,380
|
139,112
|
1998
|
Seattle | WA |
536,978
|
139,612
|
70,653
|
1998
|
Los Angeles | CA |
3,597,556
|
131,294
|
51,298
|
1998
|
San Francisco | CA |
745,774
|
122,534
|
81,450
|
1998
|
Baltimore | MD |
645,593
|
111,735
|
40,916
|
1998
|
Phoenix | AZ |
1,198,064
|
92,945
|
60,398
|
1998
|
Philadelphia | PA |
1,436,287
|
90,497
|
33,885
|
1998
|
Indianapolis | IN |
741,304
|
87,594
|
45,775
|
1998
|
Sacramento | CA |
404,168
|
87,506
|
63,885
|
1998
|
Minneapolis | MN |
351,731
|
86,023
|
47,184
|
1998
|
Dallas | TX |
1,075,894
|
80,640
|
43,176
|
1998
|
Long Beach | CA |
430,905
|
76,048
|
23,065
|
1998
|
Milwaukee | WI |
578,364
|
74,051
|
45,775
|
1998
|
Boston | MA |
555,447
|
73,519
|
29,873
|
1998
|
Portland | OR |
503,891
|
71,534
|
6,638
|
1998
|
San Antonio | TX |
1,114,130
|
70,363
|
39,490
|
Total for top twenty cities |
27,397,342
|
3,593,196
|
2,008,022
|
City Government Rankings for Highway Expenditure, 1997 (Thousands of dollars)
Fiscal
year
|
Name
|
State
|
Population
1990
|
Total
Highway Expenditure
|
Total
Highway Capital Outlay
|
1997
|
New York | NY |
7,380,906
|
1,205,840
|
865,022
|
1997
|
Chicago | IL |
2,721,547
|
424,694
|
278,285
|
1997
|
Houston | TX |
1,744,058
|
165,274
|
75,492
|
1997
|
Detroit | MI |
1,000,272
|
153,992
|
46,564
|
1997
|
Los Angeles | CA |
3,553,638
|
152,118
|
70,658
|
1997
|
Baltimore | MD |
675,401
|
138,523
|
58,383
|
1997
|
Washington | DC |
543,213
|
117,916
|
110,621
|
1997
|
Seattle | WA |
524,704
|
104,665
|
46,772
|
1997
|
Philadelphia | PA |
1,478,002
|
101,100
|
34,685
|
1997
|
San Diego | CA |
1,171,121
|
98,858
|
59,808
|
1997
|
Dallas | TX |
1,053,292
|
80,163
|
37,635
|
1997
|
San Antonio | TX |
1,067,816
|
78,404
|
50,983
|
1997
|
Phoenix | AZ |
1,159,014
|
75,210
|
45,028
|
1997
|
Portland | OR |
480,824
|
68,548
|
5,364
|
1997
|
Columbus | OH |
657,053
|
67,442
|
43,040
|
1997
|
Wichita | KS |
320,395
|
67,196
|
49,166
|
1997
|
Indianapolis | IN |
746,737
|
63,819
|
30,453
|
1997
|
Boston | MA |
558,394
|
63,519
|
21,063
|
1997
|
St. Paul | MN |
259,606
|
63,200
|
35,347
|
1997
|
Cincinnati | OH |
345,818
|
61,975
|
36,579
|
Total for top twenty Cities |
27,441,811
|
3,352,456
|
2,000,948
|
County Government Rankings for Highway Expenditure, 1998 (Thousands of dollars)
Fiscal
year
|
Name
|
State
|
Population
1990
|
Total
Highway Expenditure
|
Total
Highway Capital Outlay
|
1998
|
Clark | NV |
1,162,129
|
298,005
|
177,424
|
1998
|
Los Angeles | CA |
9,213,533
|
168,569
|
59,098
|
1998
|
Harris | TX |
3,206,063
|
157,573
|
63,335
|
1998
|
Cobb | GA |
566,203
|
121,867
|
93,113
|
1998
|
King | WA |
1,654,876
|
114,127
|
66,241
|
1998
|
Lee | FL |
392,895
|
113,789
|
91,223
|
1998
|
Wayne | MI |
2,118,129
|
109,222
|
5,312
|
1998
|
Miami-Dade | FL |
2,152,437
|
105,294
|
48,280
|
1998
|
Oakland | MI |
1,176,488
|
96,198
|
41,359
|
1998
|
Palm Beach | FL |
1,032,625
|
93,574
|
68,634
|
1998
|
Montgomery | MD |
840,879
|
91,745
|
48,789
|
1998
|
Orange | FL |
805,837
|
91,319
|
45,062
|
1998
|
Maricopa | AZ |
2,784,075
|
90,490
|
53,342
|
1998
|
Sacramento | CA |
1,144,202
|
88,080
|
39,505
|
1998
|
Cook | IL |
5,189,689
|
85,625
|
58,026
|
1998
|
Hillsborough | FL |
925,277
|
77,857
|
42,986
|
1998
|
Orange | CA |
2,721,701
|
75,796
|
43,870
|
1998
|
Gwinnett | GA |
522,095
|
65,569
|
51,850
|
1998
|
Hennepin | MN |
1,059,669
|
64,713
|
49,015
|
1998
|
San Diego | CA |
2,780,592
|
64,019
|
34,409
|
Total for top 20 counties |
41,451,384
|
2,173,431
|
1,180,873
|
County Government Rankings for Highway Expenditure, 1997 (Thousands of dollars)
Fiscal
year
|
Name
|
State
|
Population
1990
|
Total
Highway Expenditure
|
Total
Highway Capital Outlay
|
1997
|
Clark | NV |
1,048,717
|
203,298
|
151,095
|
1997
|
Los Angeles | CA |
9,127,751
|
164,126
|
42,927
|
1997
|
Harris | TX |
3,126,966
|
136,565
|
44,022
|
1997
|
Cobb | GA |
538,832
|
113,018
|
87,651
|
1997
|
King | WA |
1,117,275
|
109,813
|
52,963
|
1997
|
Lee | FL |
380,001
|
107,909
|
82,302
|
1997
|
Wayne | MI |
2,076,175
|
105,294
|
46,939
|
1997
|
Miami-Dade | FL |
1,619,411
|
94,398
|
54,538
|
1997
|
Oakland | MI |
1,162,098
|
96,444
|
41,605
|
1997
|
Palm Beach | FL |
2,137,302
|
96,436
|
4,658
|
1997
|
Montgomery | MD |
802,729
|
92,800
|
46,175
|
1997
|
Orange | FL |
5,096,540
|
89,438
|
63,645
|
1997
|
Maricopa | AZ |
758,980
|
87,000
|
45,665
|
1997
|
Sacramento | CA |
992,840
|
81,022
|
56,545
|
1997
|
Cook | IL |
1,303,389
|
76,190
|
40,570
|
1997
|
Hillsborough | FL |
478,001
|
75,987
|
63,367
|
1997
|
Orange | CA |
2,611,327
|
70,403
|
28,213
|
1997
|
Gwinnett | GA |
897,522
|
67,540
|
32,499
|
1997
|
Hennepin | MN |
2,636,888
|
63,164
|
34,910
|
1997
|
San Diego | CA |
2,655,463
|
62,560
|
33,003
|
Total for top 20counties |
39,562,627
|
1,993,405
|
1,053,292
|
If you would like more information on this sub-State highway finance data, contact Lenny Goldberg at (202) 366-5024.
Commuting to Work
How is the commute to work for most Americans? According to the 1995 Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey (NPTS), the average time spent driving to work in a privately owned vehicle was about 20 minutes (one way). The 1983 NPTS shows a little less than 18 minutes, with the 1990 NPTS showing about 19 minutes.
Americans who commute to work via public transit take twice as long as those who drive to get to work. The 1995 NPTS showed that transit users spent 42 minutes to get to work as opposed to those workers who drove to work. (20 minutes). (1983 shows about 40 minutes public transit and 1990 shows 41 minutes.)
At the same time, Americans are also driving longer distances. The average miles to work in 1995 showed 11.84 miles (a 3 mile increase since 1983). Not only are Americans driving farther, they are moving faster. The average commute speed or miles per hour (mph) for private vehicles was just over 35 mph in 1995, an increase of a little over 5 mph since 1983. (1983 showed 30 mph with 1990 showed over 34 mph).
Average Commute Trip Length (miles)
Private
|
Transit
|
||||
1983
|
1990
|
1995
|
1983
|
1990
|
1995
|
8.86
|
11.02
|
11.84 |
11.81
|
12.75
|
12.88
|
Average Commute Travel Time (minutes)
Private
|
Transit
|
||||
1983
|
1990
|
1995
|
1983
|
1990
|
1995
|
17.62
|
19.05
|
20.10
|
39.77
|
41.10
|
41.95
|
Average Commute Speed (miles per hour)
Private
|
Transit
|
||||
1983
|
1990
|
1995
|
1983
|
1990
|
1995
|
30.18
|
34.74
|
35.36
|
17.82
|
18.23
|
19.29
|
How is this changing, and what are the trends for the future? Currently, the Federal Highway Administration and Bureau of Transportation Statistics are conducting the National Household Travel Survey 2001, which is collecting data from households across the Nation. This data will be useful in further evaluating how Americans are commuting to work, and how the transportation trends are affecting the average American commuter. The results will aid transportation planners and decision makers in planning for future transportation. The results of the NHTS 2001 are expected to be available in late 2002.
More information on the 1995 NPTS can be found http://www-cta.ornl.gov/npts.
For more information on the current NHTS 2001 see article below, or see the NHTS 2001 website at: http://www.bts.gov/nhts/.
Other inquiries regarding this article can be forwarded to Bryant.Gross@fhwa.dot.gov or phone 202-366-5026.
The National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), A Combination of the NPTS and the ATS
The NHTS is a joint USDOT effort to collect data on the full continuum of personal travel in the US. The current survey replaces two previous surveys, the Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey (NPTS) which has collected data on daily travel since 1969, and the American Travel Survey (ATS) which collected information on longer-distance trips in 1977 and in 1995. The combined survey has been re-named the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS). The survey is managed and co-sponsored by FHWA and BTS, with NHTSA supporting the data collection.
The data series is a rich source of information about travelers and their characteristics, household composition, selected information about household vehicles, and the amount and type of trips that people do, both a full account of each person's travel for one day, and a roster of trips of over fifty miles taken in the previous four-week period. Trips by all modes and all purposes are obtained.
The travel data collected is used in a wide variety of applications at both national and local levels, from policy and safety analyses to academic research. For example:
New data items address current issues, such as Internet use, tele-commuting frequency, cell phone availability, immigrant status, and mobility impairment. Annual estimates of driving are collected from household drivers, and through odometer readings taken at two points in time.
The Add-On Program
Locally collected data is always preferred, but many States and MPOs do not have the time and resources to develop, contract, and manage a household travel survey. The add-on program allows States and MPOs to purchase additional samples of the NHTS in their planning area to use for trip generation and other travel demand forecasting model inputs or other transportation planning applications.
The additional samples, along with the national samples randomly selected from the local area, are compiled, geocoded, and edited and weighted to represent the participating region. The project also allows the State/MPO to use 100% SP&R or PL funds.
In the current survey, in addition to the national sample of 25,000 households, five States; Hawaii, Kentucky, New York, Texas, and Wisconsin and four MPOs; Baltimore, MD; Des Moines, IA; Lancaster County, PA and Oahu, HI have contracted for add-on samples-together adding over 40,000 households to the national sample. Three of the States are also obtaining the detailed information on long trips in their samples. With these states as case studies and the national data on longer trips, we will gain additional insight into the dynamics of long trip making in different regions of the country.
Information on the current survey can also be found at: www.bts.gov/nhts.
Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) News Briefs
HPMS Issues Seminar
The Office of Highway Policy Information (OHPI) will be conducting an HPMS Issues Seminar in 2001. The seminar will provide an opportunity for HPMS data providers to discuss problems and shared solutions to some of the HPMS reporting issues they are facing. Based on input from an earlier solicitation of interest, we are planning the seminar for the third week of September in Chicago, IL. Contact beverly.harrison@fhwa.dot.gov with suggested topics. Plan to Attend!!!
HPMS Computer Based Training
The HPMS Computer Based Training (CBT) pooled fund project is in its final stages of development. Beta testing of the software began in April 2001. The final product will be a series of interactive computer-based training modules that explain HPMS data coding requirements and sample management techniques. Final product delivery is expected by the end of July 2001.
Knowledge Sharing Website
The OHPI has set up an HPMS page on FHWA's Highway Community Exchange knowledge sharing website to enable HPMS data providers and users to interact on a real time basis concerning HPMS issues, problems, and practices. It can be accessed at www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim. Click on Highway Performance Monitoring System and then on HPMS Discussion Group. Check it out! Participate; your views count! Registration in the Directory section will assure that you are notified when new topics are posted to the site.
Travel Trends for 2000
Early indications of travel for the Nation in 2000 showed minimal change as compared to 1999. The latest estimate of vehicle miles of travel from the Traffic Volume Trends (TVT) was estimated at 2691.9 billion for 2000 as compared to 2691.3 billion for 1999, which is an overall increase of 0.02 percent. The earliest estimate had shown a 0.12 percent decrease. This is the smallest change in travel since 1980 when travel changed by only 0.12 percent. The TVT estimates are based on monthly submissions of continuous traffic recorder data from the various States & provide FHWA with its earliest indicator of vehicle miles of travel. The TVT travel estimate for 2000 is an interim value that will be superceded by that from the Highway Performance Monitoring System, which will become available in September 2001. Questions on the TVT data series can be directed to Jeff Patten at (202) 366-5052 or Email jeff.patten@fhwa.dot.gov for assistance.