Funding and Finance

Budgeting and Appropriations

Annual budget; fiscal year begins April 1. The governor proposes the budget and the Legislature gives final approval.

Bonding or Pay-as-You-Go

Combination of bonding and pay-as-you-go financing.

State-Level Funding Provided for DOT Budgets

FY 2011 (approved): $6.28 billion
FY 2010: $6.52 billion
FY 2009: $4.97 billion
FY 2008: $4.67 billion

Allocation of Federal Transportation Funds to the DOT

Federal transportation funds are allocated to NYSDOT through state legislative appropriation at the agency level; state legislation appropriation at the program or category level; and state legislative approval of an NYSDOT transportation plan.

Allocation of State Transportation Funds to the DOT

State transportation funds are allocated to NYSDOT through state legislative appropriation at the agency level; state legislation appropriation at the program or category level; state legislative appropriation at the project-specific level; and state legislative approval of an NYSDOT transportation plan.

Traditional State Funding and Finance for Highways

Fuel taxes; motor vehicle/rental car sales taxes; vehicle registration/license/title fees; truck weight fees; general funds; petroleum business tax; various other revenues; general obligation bonds. The Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund no longer is able to fully support existing commitments and now requires significant annual support from the states general fund. The New York State Thruway Authority is supported by toll revenues; the authority is a separate operating entity, and its finances are not part of the state budget.

State Funding and Finance for Other Modes

Transit, rail, aviation, ports and bridges: Funded by the same sources as highways through the Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund. In 2009, the Legislature also enacted a payroll tax in the 12-county region served by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to help support authority operations.

Innovative Transportation Funding and Finance

Federal credit assistance (TIFIA); state infrastructure bank (federally capitalized); PPPs (used for at least one transit project); design-build (no authorizing statute found, used as a component of at least two projects); weight-distance tax; traffic camera fees; advance construction; toll credits or "soft match."

Dedicated/Restricted State Funds and Revenues

The Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund is a multimodal fund that can be used for highways, airports, ports, rail, ferries and transit (NY. State Finance Law §89-b).

DOT Authorized to Retain Surplus Funds

NYSDOT typically obligates annually the majority of the capital program funding that is appropriated. Funds that are not obligated in the year of appropriation are reappropriated. NYSDOT is largely funded by a dedicated fund; if revenues in the enacted budget exceed projections, the additional money remains in the dedicated funds.

Legislative Approval Required to Move Funds Between Projects

No. In general, legislative approval is not required for NYSDOT to be able to move funds from one project to another.

Transportation Funding Allocations through Local Aid

Funds are appropriated to the Consolidated Local Highway Assistance Program, from which New York City and the counties receive 41.4 percent by a statutory formula based on motor vehicle registrations and highway mileage. The rest of the appropriated funds are distributed to cities, counties, villages and towns by a formula based on vehicle miles of travel and, for municipalities within each jurisdiction, lane miles (NY. Highway Law §10-c ).