Highway Trust Fund spending would reach $280 billion in 2016-2020 via FAST Act

Updated Dec 9, 2015

highway-contractor-mainJust days before the FAST Act became law, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) offered its review of the new five-year, $305 billion highway bill’s “budgetary impact” and how it would affect the Highway Trust Fund (HTF).

The CBO found spending from the HTF under the Fast Act would reach $280 billion from 2016 through 2020, with revenue and interest reaching $208 billion and $70 billion would be transferred from the general fund of the U.S. Treasury.

By the end of fiscal 2020, the CBO says the HTF highway account would have a balance of $8 billion, with the transit account reaching $2 billion

Here’s a breakdown of the cash flows for the highway account for fiscal years 2016-2020:

2016

Beginning balance: $9 billion

Revenue and interest: $36 billion

Intragovernmental transfers: $52 billion

Outlays: $45 billion

Year-end balance: $51 billion

 

2017

Beginning balance: $51 billion

Revenue and interest: $36 billion

Intragovernmental transfers: less than $500 million

Outlays: $46 billion

Year-end balance: $42 billion

 

2018

Beginning balance: $42 billion

Revenue and interest: $37 billion

Intragovernmental transfers: less than $500 million

Outlays: $47 billion

Year-end balance: $31 billion

 

2019

Beginning balance: $31 billion

Revenue and interest: $37 billion

Intragovernmental transfers: 0

Outlays: $48 billion

Year-end balance: $20 billion

 

2020

Beginning balance: $20 billion

Revenue and interest: $36 billion

Intragovernmental transfers: 0

Outlays: $49 billion

Year-end balance: $8 billion

 

For comparison, here are the actual figures for 2015

Beginning balance: $11 billion

Revenue and interest: $36 billion

Intragovernmental transfers: $6 billion

Outlays: $44 billion

Year-end balance: $9 billion