Skip to main content

US FY 2016 budget invests heavily in ITS, infrastructure

Announcing President Obama’s US$94.7 billion Fiscal Year 2016 budget for the US Department of Transportation, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said, “Our budget proposal lays the foundation for a future where our transportation infrastructure meets the demands of a growing population and an economy that depends on the free flow of freight,” said Secretary Foxx. “This Administration is looking towards the horizon – the future – but to do this we need Congress’ partnership to pass a long-term reauthorisa
February 3, 2015 Read time: 3 mins
Announcing President Obama’s US$94.7 billion Fiscal Year 2016 budget for the 324 US Department of Transportation, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said, “Our budget proposal lays the foundation for a future where our transportation infrastructure meets the demands of a growing population and an economy that depends on the free flow of freight,” said Secretary Foxx. “This Administration is looking towards the horizon – the future – but to do this we need Congress’ partnership to pass a long-term reauthorisation to put Americans to work rebuilding America.”

The proposal makes critical investments in infrastructure needed to promote long-term economic growth, enhance safety and efficiency and support jobs for the 21st century.

The last year has demonstrated the pitfalls of repeated short term funding extensions and is why the President’s FY 2016 budget creates additional certainty with a six-year US$478 billion surface transportation reauthorisation proposal that would improve America’s highways, ports and transit networks. The proposal would better ensure these systems are safe, and support the development of a high-performance rail system. The proposed budget would be paid for in part with US$238 billion from transition revenues generated from pro-growth business tax reform.

Speaking at Google headquarters in Mountain View, California, Foxx highlighted the President’s budget proposal, which notably includes funding to advance research and autonomous vehicles, while announcing his report Beyond Traffic, a look at future trends and choices that will impact America’s transportation system over the next three decades.

In order to tackle the infrastructure deficit and support job creation, the six-year budget includes US$317 billion to rebuild America’s roads and bridges, an increase of almost 29 per cent over current investment in the highway system. To help meet growing demand, the budget provides more than US$143 billion to create and improve transit and passenger rail service.

The budget also invests US$935 million over six years in the future of intelligent transportation systems, including US$158 million in FY 2016 to accelerate research on vehicle automation and vehicle-to-vehicle technology.  

In addition to US$18 billion for multi-modal freight programs to strengthen America’s global competitiveness, US$1 billion annually has been allocated for credit assistance for nationally or regionally significant transportation projects through the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) Program.

The six-year budget reinforces the Department’s commitment to safety, increasing funding for the 834 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) by an average of 20 per cent annually, providing US$6 billion to address safety defects on US highways. To modernise and improve NHTSA’s data collection tools, the budget includes US$41.7 million in FY 2016 to establish data collections sites and expand the agency’s analytical capacity.

US$3 billion over six years has been provided to help with the implementation of positive train control, with a further US$29 billion for targeted infrastructure investments for deficient roads and bridges through the Critical Immediate Safety Investments Program, including US$7.35 billion for rural communities.

In addition, the FY 2016 budget includes US$956 million to continue efforts to modernize America’s air-traffic control system and help transition from a ground-based radar system to a more accurate, satellite-based system of the future, known as NextGen.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Lima to invest in subway lines
    October 24, 2014
    Peru will invest nearly US$10 billion in the construction of Lima metro lines No. 3 and 4, private investment promotion agency ProInversión forecast at BNamericas 5th South America Infrastructure Summit. ProInversión recently awarded a pre-investment studies contract for line No. 3 and in coming the months will launch pre-investment and feasibility studies for line No. 4. "These are projects that, given similar characteristics to line No. 2 – more than 30 kilometres long and all built underground – s
  • CDOT launches road usage charge pilot research program
    November 18, 2016
    The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has explored a number of ways to find sustainable road funding. It is facing a nearly US$1 billion annual funding gap over the next 25 years and is looking to explore transportation funding alternatives as the fuel tax continues to become less reliable over time, due decreased purchasing power and more fuel efficient and electric vehicles. This pilot is the first step in an extensive process of evaluating the concept alongside other funding alternatives. I
  • Evidence growing for distance-based charging
    January 18, 2012
    The case is growing for an alternative to fuel taxation for funding highway infrastructure. A more sustainable system of mileage-based charging can be established in a way that is acceptable to the travelling public, writes Jack Opiola. Fuel tax - the lifeblood relied on for 80 years to maintain and improve roads and transit systems - is now in considerable jeopardy in the United States. Increased vehicle fuel efficiency and a poor economy already hamper generation of fuel tax revenue; now a recent federal
  • Test 7th January 2016 News 1
    January 6, 2016
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniamLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam