Public Spending on Transportation Has Increased but Makes Up a Smaller Share of the Federal Budget and the Nation’s Economy

Source: Authors’ analysis of data from Congressional Budget Office, Public Spending on Transportation and Water Infrastructure (Washington, DC: Congressional Budget Office, 2025).

Notes: FAST Act = Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act; IIJA = Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act; MAP-21 = Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act. Totals include capital, operations, and maintenance spending unless otherwise noted. Highway and rail investments include both passenger- and freight-focused infrastructure.