Minnesota Department of Transportation

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MAP-21

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century

About MAP-21

On July 6, 2012, President Obama signed into law P.L. 112-141, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). Funding surface transportation programs at over $105 billion for fiscal years (FY) 2013 and 2014, MAP-21 is the first long-term highway authorization enacted since SAFETEA-LU in 2005.

The provisions of MAP-21 direct funds to the federal Highway Trust Fund, which receives money from a federal fuel tax of 18.3 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon of diesel fuel. It currently has two main accounts, the Highway Account which funds road construction, and a Mass Transit Account which supports mass transit. It was established in 1956 to finance the United States Interstate Highway System and certain other roads. These funds are distributed to states, cities and counties. The fund is authorized by the Federal Transportation Act, MAP-21, through Sept. 30, 2016.

On July 31, 2014 Congress passed a bill that transferred $10.8 billion in additional funding to keep transportation aid flowing to states through May 31. The additional funding came from pension smoothing (changing how employers fund worker pension programs), extending customs user fees and transferring money from a fund to repair leaking underground fuel storage tanks. The money was needed to make up a Highway Account shortfall between aid promised to states and revenue raised by federal fuel taxes, which haven't been increased in more than 20 years. The HTF is currently spending an estimated $16 billion per year more than it is taking in and would have become insolvent in May or June 2015, had the “patch bill” extension not been put in place.

The information below and in the box provides details on MAP-21's original development in 2012:

MAP-21 implications for Minnesota

  • Summary (PDF 253 KB,  Word)
  • Federal Aid Highways – Division A including highway funding, planning, project delivery and innovative finance (PDF 596 KB, Word)  
  • Public Transportation – Division B  (PDF 151 KB, Word)
  • Transportation Safety and Surface Transportation Policy – Division C including safety, commercial vehicle and transport of hazardous materials (PDF 460 KB, Word)
  • Research and Education – Division E (PDF 338 KB, Word) 

FHWA guidance