USA: Total Spending on Personal Vehicles: 2001

Note: In 2001, gross spending on highways and roads (capital, operations, research, patrol, administration) exceeded highway user fees by $30 billion. This amount is not included in the US Department of Transportation table. Approximately $18 Billion in highway user revenues is diverted to other uses, including nearly $8 billion for transit.

At the same time, approximately 40 percent of capital and maintenance spending is attributable to large trucks, which are also not included in the US Department of Transportation table. Approximately $25 billion of capital and maintenance costs at the federal and state level are attributable to large trucks, leaving the automobile/SUV related excess of spending over highway user revenues at less than $5 billion. This increases the expenditures per passenger mile for automobiles and SUVs from $0.209 to $0.210 (see below).

2001 DATA ADJUSTED FOR EXCESS HIGHWAY SPENDING OVER HIGHWAY USER REVENUES

Highway User Fees		$99,350
Total Spending		$129,900
Deficit		$30,550
Truck Related Capital and Maintenance		$25,918
Net Auto/SUV Deficit		$4,632
Total Spending on Personal Vehicles		$848,770
Personal Vehicle Spending Plus Net Deficit		$853,402
Cost per Passenger Mile		$0.210

Truck related expenses at 40% (FHWA) of total state and federal capital and operations. No allocation for local.


To facilitate the ideal of government as the servant of the people by identifying and implementing strategies to achieve public purposes at a cost that is no higher than necessary.