Washington, DC -- A report released today finds that transit is getting a smaller share of federal money as states pour funds into building highways that are unlikely to solve traffic congestion. The analysis by the Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP) finds that in the last two years, the portion of federal spending on new roads grew 21 percent while spending on other transportation modes fell by 19 percent. This occurred as federal transportation funding reached a record level of $33 billion in one year.

In "Changing Direction: Federal Transportation Spending in the 1990s," STPP performed a first-ever comprehensive analysis of the more than 360,000 federally funded transportation projects undertaken in the 1990s. The analysis shows that during the mid-1990s, state spending of federal funds expanded to support a wider variety of transportation options and boosted funding for road repair. But the report finds these trends reversed in the last two years as road building increased. The report cites polls that show people want travel choices beyond roads, as well as new research that indicates that road building is not an effective strategy for congestion relief.

"The latest research shows that road building does not work to solve congestion," says Roy Kienitz, Executive Director of STPP. "Yet our analysis shows that a rush toward road-building is short-changing the type of projects that the public wants and that might really help people escape congestion entirely."

The long term trend of increasing attention to road repair also reversed in 1999, as the portion of federal funding for maintenance fell by 6 percent. Federal funding for building new highways and widening existing ones, grew from $5.8 billion in 1998 to almost $9 billion in 1999, garnering the largest share of new funding.

The analysis of federal spending since 1990 shows that earlier in the decade more money started going into transportation alternatives and road repair. Spending on public transportation almost doubled, from about $3 billion in 1990 to almost $6 billion in 1999. Funding for bike paths and lanes, sidewalks, and other facilities for walking and cycling exploded, growing from $7 million in 1990 to $222 million in 1999. The share of federal funds going to road repair grew from 39 percent in 1990 to 49 percent in 1998. These changes helped bring about a 15 percent increase in transit ridership and a marked improvement in road conditions.

But the report also finds that most states continue to spend most of their "flexible" federal transportation dollars on roads, even though federal law has made it possible for communities to tailor that spending to any local transportation need. Less than seven percent of this money has gone to funding buses, trains, bikeways, or sidewalks, even though polls and surveys show citizens want greater investment in transportation options. States are also underspending on innovative programs designed to enhance communities and improve the environment.

"Too many state transportation officials are failing to use federal money to diversify our transportation portfolio," said Kienitz. "People across the country are asking for more choices in how to get around, but most of our money is still being spent in the same old way."

The comprehensive report also addresses safety and environmental spending patterns. To draw a picture of overall state spending patterns, the report divides the states into four categories according to how they spent their federal dollars over the decade. The four categories are "Behind the Times," "Offering Few Options," "Middle of the Road," and "Open to Change."

The Surface Transportation Policy Project is a non-profit organization that represents a nationwide network of more than 250 organizations, including planners, community development organizations, and advocacy groups, devoted to improving the nation’s transportation system.