Facts

Funding

State Funding

Per Article 6A of the NH Constitution, all Highway Fund revenue, less the cost to collect, must be spent on highway related purposes. The Highway Trust Fund mainly collects revenue from the State Gas tax, and Registration and Plates Fees.

  • The State gas tax is 19.6 cents per gallon with 18 cents available for highway purposes and 1.6 cents available for oil related cleanup.
  • NH is the only New England state that has not increased its motor fuel excise tax since 1997, in fact NH last raised it in 1992.
  • A penny of gas tax raises approximately $8.4 million of which 12% or approximately $1.0 million goes to Block Grant Aid (cities and towns).
  • Overall net revenues to the NHDOT from gas tax (for the Highway Fund and Betterment fund) increased at a rate of 2.6% per year over the six-year period between 1999 and 2005. Between 2004 and 2007 net revenues have remained relatively level with an average decrease at a rate of -0.1% per year. Between 2008 and 2009 revenues decreased about 3.5%.

Turnpike System

The Turnpike program consists of the maintenance and operation of the Turnpike System, collection of toll revenues, retirement of debt service, and Capital Programs. The Turnpike System includes approximately 95 miles of limited access highway, 640 total lane miles, 159 bridges, 10 individual toll plazas, 5 rest area/welcome centers, and 5 maintenance facilities. Toll money can only go towards the turnpike system. No highway fund money can go to the turnpike.

  • Over 107.3 million toll transactions were processed in FY 2009, down from 112.4 million in 2008. The decrease reflects national economy. Toll revenue in FY 2009 was $104.5 million, up from $100.3 million in FY 2008 due to a full year’s accounting of the toll increase initiated in October 2007. Toll revenues are projected to be nearly $1111.7 million in FY 2010, with the increase largely attributable to the toll increase at Hampton toll plaza in July 2009. Operating costs totaled $78.3 million in FY 2009, with $42.3 million spent on operating, maintenance, and administration, $27.5 million spent on debt service, and $8.5 million spent on Renewal and Replacement Program.
  • Bond payments for existing debt service are currently around $27.5 million per year.

Federal Funding

The federal surface transportation is an essential source of funding for the construction, maintenance and improvement of New Hampshire’s system of roads, highways, bridges and public transit. Federal funds provide 22 percent of revenues used annually by the NH DOT to pay for road, highway and bridge construction, repairs and maintenance. Similarly, federal funding in NH provides the highest share in the nation - 65 percent - of the revenue used to pay for the operation of and capital improvements to the state’s public transit systems, which includes the purchase and repair of vehicles and the construction of transit facilitates.

Last year's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided approximately $129 million in stimulus funding for highway and bridge improvements and $13 million for public transit improvements in New Hampshire. This funding has served as a stop gap measure for addressing needed road, highway, bridge and transit infrastructure preservation, but it has not been sufficient to allow the state to proceed with numerous projects needed to enhance its surface transportation system. Meeting New Hampshire’s need to modernize its transportation system will require a significant, long-term boost in transportation funding at the federal, state and local levels.

Congress is currently deliberating over a long-range federal surface transportation program, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). SAFETEA-LU was originally set to expire on September 30, 2009. Following a series of short term continuing resolutions, the current program now expires December 31, 2010. The level of funding and the provisions of a future federal surface transportation program will have a significant impact on future highway and bridge conditions and safety as well as the level of transit service in New Hampshire, which, in turn, will affect the state’s ability to improve its residents’ quality of life and enhance economic development opportunities.

The apportionment of Federal Highway Funds under SAFETEA-LU:

  • Federal funds provide 55 percent – one of the highest shares in the nation - of the revenue used annually to pay for the operation of, and capital improvements to, the state’s public transit systems, which includes operations, purchase and repair of vehicles, and the construction of transit facilities.
  • Federal funds provide 24 percent of revenues used annually by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation to pay for road, highway and bridge construction, repairs and maintenance.
  • The level of funding and the provisions contained in the upcoming federal surface transportation program will have a significant impact on future highway, bridge and transit conditions, levels of traffic congestion, and safety in New Hampshire. The future condition of New Hampshire’s surface transportation system will have a critical effect on the state’s ability to enhance economic development opportunities and improve its residents’ quality of life.
s