Summary
On October 26, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced a pilot program to provide federal-aid highway funding directly to local governments, bypassing states. Under the Local Empowerment for Accelerating Projects (LEAP) program, five local public agencies (LPAs) will directly administer federal-aid highway funding, under federal oversight, for five years. The program will relieve states of direct oversight responsibilities, but also divest them of control over the use of federal funds. This Issue Brief provides a summary of the current federal highway funding process, and an explanation of the LEAP program.