The nation’s highways, airports, water supply systems, wastewater treatment plants, and other facilities play a vital role in the economy. That physical infrastructure, which is provided by all levels of government, supports the private commercial activities and the daily lives of individuals throughout the United States. CBO regularly examines proposals for changes in federal policy regarding such infrastructure.
Infrastructure and Transportation
featured work
Federal Grants to State and Local GovernmentsMar 2013 - In 2011, the federal government provided $607 billion in grants to state and local governments, accounting for 17 percent of federal outlays and a quarter of spending by states and localities. Nearly half of that amount was for Medicaid.
Effects of Federal Tax Credits for the Purchase of Electric VehiclesSep 2012 - CBO’s report assesses how the credits affect the relative cost of owning an electric vehicle, and how cost-effectively the credits reduce gasoline consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Infrastructure Banks and Surface TransportationJul 2012 - An infrastructure bank could play a limited role in enhancing investment in surface transportation projects by providing new federal subsidies to a limited number of large projects and allowing the benefits of potential projects to be more readily compared in a competitive selection process.
Using Public-Private Partnerships to Carry Out Highway ProjectsJan 2012 - CBO assesses the role of public-private partnerships in providing highway infrastructure. In particular, the study focuses on whether such partnerships might provide additional financing for highways and build them more quickly or at a lower cost.
The Highway Trust Fund and Paying for HighwaysMay 2011 - Testimony before the Committee on Finance, United States Senate.
Alternative Approaches to Funding HighwaysMar 2011 - CBO examines broad alternatives for federal funding of highways, focusing on fuel taxes and on other taxes that could be assessed on the basis of the number of miles that vehicles travel.
latest work
Statement for the Record on the Status of the Highway Trust Fund
reportApril 24, 2013Snapshot of the Highway Trust Fund
imageMarch 14, 2013Snapshot of the Highway Trust Fund
blog postMarch 14, 2013Federal Grants to State and Local Governments
reportMarch 5, 2013Highway Trust Fund Accounts—February 2013 Baseline
data or technical informationFebruary 5, 2013Status of the Highway Trust Fund Under MAP-21
presentationJanuary 21, 2013Presentation on Alternative Approaches to Funding Highways
presentationOctober 17, 2012Effects of Federal Tax Credits for the Purchase of Electric Vehicles
reportSeptember 20, 2012
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