This is the accessible text file for GAO report number GAO-04-935R entitled 'Highway Projects--Extent of Unobligated Balances for Demonstration Projects as of April 30, 2004' which was released on August 18, 2004. This text file was formatted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to be accessible to users with visual impairments, as part of a longer term project to improve GAO products' accessibility. Every attempt has been made to maintain the structural and data integrity of the original printed product. Accessibility features, such as text descriptions of tables, consecutively numbered footnotes placed at the end of the file, and the text of agency comment letters, are provided but may not exactly duplicate the presentation or format of the printed version. The portable document format (PDF) file is an exact electronic replica of the printed version. We welcome your feedback. Please E-mail your comments regarding the contents or accessibility features of this document to Webmaster@gao.gov. This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. It may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without further permission from GAO. Because this work may contain copyrighted images or other material, permission from the copyright holder may be necessary if you wish to reproduce this material separately. August 18, 2004: The Honorable Richard C. Shelby: Chairman: The Honorable Patty Murray: Ranking Minority Member: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury and General Government: Committee on Appropriations: United States Senate: The Honorable Ernest J. Istook: Chairman: The Honorable John W. Olver: Ranking Minority Member: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies: Committee on Appropriations: House of Representatives: Subject: Highway Projects--Extent of Unobligated Balances for Demonstration Projects as of April 30, 2004: Congress has provided funding for numerous highway demonstration projects in legislation authorizing surface transportation programs as well as in annual appropriations acts for the Department of Transportation (DOT). In some cases, the projects are identified in the legislation itself. In others, they are identified in committee reports accompanying the legislation. These projects are all designated for specific geographic locations within states and for specific purposes, and funds made available for them generally remain available for them until expended. This report includes information we provided your staff on July 14, 2004, on unobligated funds no longer needed that could be rescinded from highway demonstration projects and also includes a recommendation to the Secretary of Transportation. Results in Brief: As of April 30, 2004, there were 80 highway demonstration projects with unobligated balances that were no longer needed by the states constructing the projects. These projects accounted for about $16.4 million in unobligated funds. These funds were provided in authorization or appropriations acts enacted from 1982 through 2000. Table 1 in the enclosure specifies the following for each of the 39 projects with unobligated balances over $100 as of April 30, 2004: * the state in which the project is located; * a brief project description; * the public law and, where appropriate, committee reports identifying the projects; * the budget authority made available; * the obligated amounts; and: * unobligated amounts available for rescission. We also found that 41 of the 80 projects have very small unobligated balances of less than $20 each, and we have provided that information separately to your staff. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is not routinely identifying highway demonstration projects with unobligated balances that could be rescinded. Rather, according to an agency official, FHWA receives regular requests from GAO, the Department of Transportation's Inspector General (DOT IG), and other parties to identify unobligated balances. Although the review excluded demonstration projects, the DOT IG reported in March 2004 that a significant amount of unneeded obligations exists for highway-and transportation-related grants.[Footnote 1] As a result, the DOT IG recommended, among other things, that FHWA routinely work with states to identify unneeded obligations. Scope and Methodology: To identify highway demonstration projects with unneeded unobligated balances, we requested that FHWA analyze reports from its Fiscal Management Information System (FMIS) to identify highway demonstration projects with unobligated balances and then to verify the information with state officials to identify those with remaining unobligated balances that were unneeded. We verified the statutory sources of the projects by reviewing the relevant statutes and associated reports. We relied on FMIS to identify the amount of budget authority, as well as obligated and unobligated amounts for each project, and did not independently verify this information. To ensure the data in table 1 are correct, FHWA, at our request, verified the unobligated balances and the status of the demonstration projects with state departments of transportation; therefore, we determined the information was sufficiently reliable for our purposes. We conducted our review from March through June 2004 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. Conclusion: FHWA is not taking action on a regular basis to identify projects with unobligated balances that could be rescinded; rather, it responds to requests from outside parties to identify such information. Regularly tracking this information, sharing it with FHWA division offices and state transportation officials to identify unneeded unobligated balances, and submitting it to Congress could result in more timely rescissions of unobligated balances that the states no longer need, freeing funds for other purposes. Recommendation for Executive Action: We recommend that the Secretary of Transportation direct the Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, to regularly compile a list of highway demonstration projects that have unneeded, unobligated balances available for rescission. Agency Comments: We provided DOT, including officials from the Office of Infrastructure, Federal Highway Administration, with a draft of this report for review and comment. DOT officials generally agreed with the findings and recommendation in this report and provided technical comments, which we incorporated, as appropriate. We are sending copies of this report to the Secretary of Transportation; the Administrator, Federal Highway Administration; the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works; and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The report will also be available on GAO's Web site at http://www.gao.gov. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact me at (202) 512-2834 or Catherine Colwell at (312) 220-7655. Other key contributors to this report were Ray Sendejas, Kimberly Berry, and Stacey Thompson. Signed by: JayEtta Z. Hecker: Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues: Enclosure: Enclosure: Table 1: Summary of 39 Demonstration Projects with Unobligated Balances over $100 Available for Rescission as of April 30, 2004: State: California; Project description: Extend Highway 41 in Madera County; Public law: TEA-21[A] (PL 105-178); Budget authority: $5,638,047.00; Obligations: $5,159,942.00; Unobligated balance: $478,105.00. State: California; Project description: Upgrade access road to Mare Island; Public law: TEA-21 (PL 105-178); Budget authority: $500,000.00; Obligations: $497,966.60; Unobligated balance: $2,033.40. State: California; Project description: Conduct planning, preliminary engineering, and design for Etiwanda Avenue/Interstate 10 interchange, San Bernardino County; Public law: TEA-21 (PL 105-178); Budget authority: $1,537,649.00; Obligations: $0.00; Unobligated balance: $1,537,649.00. State: Colorado; Project description: Construct alternative truck route in Montrose; Public law: TEA-21 (PL 105-178); Budget authority: $4,305,417.00; Obligations: $4,199,999.00; Unobligated balance: $105,418.00. State: Connecticut; Project description: Implement Trinity College Area road improvements, Hartford; Public law: TEA-21 (PL 105-178); Budget authority: $5,235,694.00; Obligations: $4,791,708.00; Unobligated balance: $443,986.00. State: Connecticut; Project description: Construct overlook and access to Niantic Bay; Public law: TEA-21 (PL 105-178); Budget authority: $2,367,980.00; Obligations: $2,167,176.00; Unobligated balance: $200,804.00. State: Connecticut; Project description: Pedestrian/disabled access improvements at Mark Twain House Historic Site; Public law: TEA-21 (PL 105-178); Budget authority: $512,550.00; Obligations: $469,086.00; Unobligated balance: $43,464.00. State: Florida; Project description: State Route 46A/Interstate 4 interchange, Sanford; Public law: STURAA[B] (PL 100-17); Budget authority: $6,980,748.00; Obligations: $6,682,377.00; Unobligated balance: $298,371.00. State: Florida; Project description: Highway Capacity Improvement Demo U.S. 231; Public law: PL 101-516 (1990); Budget authority: $2,599,978.00; Obligations: $2,593,013.00; Unobligated balance: $6,965.00. State: Florida; Project description: Interchange at U.S. 301 and University Parkway, Sarasota; Public law: ISTEA[C] (PL 102-240); Budget authority: $2,341,029.00; Obligations: $1,903,013.00; Unobligated balance: $438,016.00. State: Florida; Project description: Engineering of improvements for State Route 3 between State Route 520 and State Route 528, Brevard County; Public law: ISTEA (PL 102-240); Budget authority: $156,069.00; Obligations: $19,095.00; Unobligated balance: $136,974.00. State: Georgia; Project description: Railroad relocation demonstration project, overpass at 15th Street and Greene Street, Augusta; Public law: ISTEA (PL 102-240); Budget authority: $7,430,028.00; Obligations: $0.00; Unobligated balance: $7,430,028.00. State: Georgia; Project description: Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Atlanta; Public law: STURAA (PL 100-17); Budget authority: $19,944,994.00; Obligations: $19,201,053.78; Unobligated balance: $743,940.22. State: Georgia; Project description: Transportation improvements for 1996 Olympics and ITS traffic management system, Atlanta (See PL 104-59 Sect 335); Public law: ISTEA (PL 102- 240); Budget authority: $56,672,402.00; Obligations: $56,668,432.80; Unobligated balance: $3,969.20. State: Iowa; Project description: Improvements to Fifth and Sixth Streets, Waterloo; Public law: PL 102-143 (1991), House Conference Report 102-243; Budget authority: $7,900,000.00; Obligations: $7,718,006.48; Unobligated balance: $181,993.52. State: Kansas; Project description: Interstate 70/110th Street interchange, Kansas City; Public law: PL 103-331 (1994), House Conference Report 103-752; Budget authority: $3,846,400.00; Obligations: $3,535,457.10; Unobligated balance: $310,942.90. State: Kentucky; Project description: Conduct feasibility study for Northern Kentucky High Priority Corridor (Interstate 74); Public law: TEA-21 (PL 105-178); Budget authority: $512,551.00; Obligations: $383,061.61; Unobligated balance: $129,489.39. State: Maine; Project description: Brunswick-Topsham Bypass; Public law: ISTEA (PL 102-240); Budget authority: $10,242,001.00; Obligations: $10,148,004.87; Unobligated balance: $93,996.13. State: Mississippi; Project description: Upgrade Alva-Stage Road, Montgomery County; Public law: TEA-21 (PL 105-178); Budget authority: $1,153,237.00; Obligations: $0.00; Unobligated balance: $1,153,237.00. State: New Jersey; Project description: Route 17/4 Interchange Project, Paramus; Public law: ISTEA (PL 102- 240); Budget authority: $9,559,943.00; Obligations: $9,508,099.06; Unobligated balance: $51,843.94. State: New Jersey; Project description: Route 21 viaduct "NJ Transit Br" Acquisition, Newark; Public law: PL 102-388 (1992), House Conference Report 102-924; Budget authority: $2,700,000.00; Obligations: $2,695,000.00; Unobligated balance: $5,000.00. State: New Jersey; Project description: Perth Amboy and Woodbridge Township: Study whether additional river crossings required; Public law: ISTEA (PL 102-240); Budget authority: $2,438,571.00; Obligations: $2,401,071.36; Unobligated balance: $37,499.64. State: New Jersey; Project description: Construct road from the Military Ocean Terminal to the Port Jersey Pier, Bayonne; Public law: TEA-21 (PL 105-178); Budget authority: $3,075,299.00; Obligations: $3,061,663.00; Unobligated balance: $13,636.00. State: New Jersey; Project description: Improvements to County Route 605 in Delaware Township and West Amwell Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey; Public law: PL 106-346, Sec. 378; Budget authority: $1,197,360.00; Obligations: $1,163,977.57; Unobligated balance: $33,382.43. State: Ohio; Project description: Upgrade one warning device on the rail line from Marion to Ridgeway; Public law: TEA-21 (PL 105-178); Budget authority: $76,882.00; Obligations: $74,800.00; Unobligated balance: $2,082.00. State: Oregon; Project description: Design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction of the Ferry Street Bridge, including pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle approach roadways, intersections, signalization, and structural bridge changes, and related structures between East Broadway and Oakway Road, Eugene. (See PL 104-59 Sect 330); Public law: STURAA (PL 100-17); Budget authority: $1,994,499.00; Obligations: $1,985,630.32; Unobligated balance: $8,868.68. State: Oregon; Project description: Upgrade Interstate 5, Salem; Public law: ISTEA (PL 102-240); Budget authority: $13,851,086.00; Obligations: $13,825,580.60; Unobligated balance: $25,505.40. State: Oregon; Project description: Upgrade access road and related facilities to port of Port Orford; Public law: TEA-21 (PL 105-178); Budget authority: $1,537,648.00; Obligations: $0.00; Unobligated balance: $1,537,648.00. State: Oregon; Project description: Construct bike path between Main Street/Highway 99 in Cottage Grove to Row River Trail, Cottage Grove; Public law: TEA-21 (PL 105-178); Budget authority: $235,773.00; Obligations: $0.00; Unobligated balance: $235,773.00. State: Pennsylvania; Project description: Widen and extend Chestnut Avenue from Altoona to Juniata; Public law: ISTEA (PL 102-240); Budget authority: $6,945,051.00; Obligations: $6,940,000.00; Unobligated balance: $5,051.00. State: Pennsylvania; Project description: Construct State Route 3019 over Great Trough Creek in Huntingdon County; Public law: TEA-21 (PL 105-178); Budget authority: $384,413.00; Obligations: $375,000.00; Unobligated balance: $9,413.00. State: Pennsylvania; Project description: Upgrade two sections of U.S. 6 in Tioga County; Public law: TEA-21 (PL 105- 178); Budget authority: $1,153,237.00; Obligations: $1,148,676.57; Unobligated balance: $4,560.43. State: Pennsylvania; Project description: Install traffic signal upgrade in Clearfield Borough in Clearfield County; Public law: TEA-21 (PL 105-178); Budget authority: $384,413.00; Obligations: $375,000.00; Unobligated balance: $9,413.00. State: Pennsylvania; Project description: Reconstruct the Interstate 81 Davis Street interchange in Lackawanna; Public law: TEA-21 (PL 105-178); Budget authority: $7,175,696.00; Obligations: $7,175,595.00; Unobligated balance: $101.00. State: Rhode Island; Project description: Historic rehab of Albion Bridge and Albion Trench Bridge, Lincoln and Cumberland; Public law: ISTEA (PL 102-240); Budget authority: $1,950,857.00; Obligations: $1,838,962.20; Unobligated balance: $111,894.80. State: Tennessee; Project description: Access road in Clarksville and Fort Campbell; Public law: STURAA (PL 100-17); Budget authority: $3,988,999.00; Obligations: $3,885,812.75; Unobligated balance: $103,186.25. State: Tennessee; Project description: Study and construct a bicycle system to serve as an alternative form of commuter transportation, reduce air pollution, and enhance recreation, Murfreesboro (see PL 102-338 Section 378); Public law: ISTEA (PL 102- 240); Budget authority: $390,172.00; Obligations: $36,000.00; Unobligated balance: $354,172.00. State: Utah; Project description: Minimum allocation for any eligible title 23 project: AK, AZ, CO, CT, DC, DE, HI, MT, NE, NH, OK, OR, PQ, RI, UT, VT, WA, WI, WY. Note UT001 took $1,447,909 from these funds. [Rescinded $154 ($96 of 308 funds and $58 of 309 funds) on 1/10/2000 as part of PL 103-211 rescission]; Public law: STURAA (PL 100-17); Budget authority: $4,760,508.85; Obligations: $4,755,210.50; Unobligated balance: $5,298.35. State: West Virginia; Project description: Preliminary engineering, design and construction of the Orgas to Chelayn Road, Boone County; Public law: TEA-21 (PL 105-178); Budget authority: $2,050,199.00; Obligations: $1,936,000.00; Unobligated balance: $114,199.00. Total; $16,407,908.88. Source: GAO analysis of FHWA data. [A] Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century. [B] Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987. [C] Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991. [End of table] (544086): FOOTNOTES [1] Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, Inactive Obligations--Federal Highway Administration, Fl-2004-039 (Washington, D.C., March 31, 2004).