Change in Database Since Last Edition

The current report contains updated data to the latest year available on federal, state and local government transportation finance. Revisions have been made to some of the historical data series of the previous report, particularly to the data on federal expenditure, grants and budget authority. The data on federal government transportation finance are primarily obtained from the Public Budget Database of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). To improve the accuracy of data, OMB makes periodic revisions and corrections to the data in the Public Budget Database. This requires making corresponding revisions of the historical data series of the federal government that are reported in the last edition. Due to the revisions, the numbers for some of the federal government transportation finance categories and government transportation finance aggregates in the current report may not correspond to the numbers in the last report. Similar to the last report, the data in the new report are provided in current and chained dollars. Chained dollar values in the current report are, however, provided in chained 2000 dollars, while the data in the earlier report were presented in chained 1996 dollars. Thus, the chained dollar values of the two reports are not comparable.

Moreover, the coverage of the database is expanded to incorporate outlays for new transportation programs that are implemented since the last edition. Government outlays for the following new federal transportation programs are included.

• Transportation Security Administration the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ASTA) established TSA on November 19, 2001. The main objective of the Transportation Security Administration is to protect the nations transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce. Its outlays are treated as transportation outlays, because its activities are transportation-related.
• Federal Air Marshal Service the federal government provides air marshal service to promote confidence in the nations civil aviation system through the effective deployment of Federal Air Marshals to detect, deter, and defeat hostile acts targeting U.S. aircrafts, passengers, and crews. Government expenses for this program are included in transportation-related expenditure of the federal government.
• Compensation for Air Carriers - the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act provided funds to compensate air carriers for losses incurred during the federal ground stop of civil aviation after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and for incremental losses incurred between September 11 and December 31, 2001. Federal outlays for this purpose are included in the current report under air transportation.
• Border Enforcement Program this program was authorized by section 350 of the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2002. The program supports the federal and state safety enforcement efforts at the U.S./Mexico border needed to ensure that Mexican carriers entering the U.S. are in compliance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. Funding is provided for federal enforcement personnel to inspect commercial vehicles at the border and for travel into Mexico to conduct compliance reviews of Mexican carriers.