Legislation, Reauthorization and Policy

Legislation

The National Park Service (NPS) Federal Lands Transportation Program (FLTP) is authorized through the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) legislation rather than included in NPS statutes. The Surface Transportation Assistance Act, which was first passed in 1982, provides the principal source of funding for NPS roads and bridges through the Federal Highway Trust Fund. Legislative intent for the Act is reviewed and refreshed through new Trust Fund authorizations, which occur every four to six years, and affect the operational aspects of the FLTP.

The following table indicates past authorizations and average NPS FLTP allocations:

NPS FLTP Funding Allocation Summary
^{*Annual average funding for the life of the bill}

AUTHORIZATION	YEARS | DURATION	AVG FUNDING*	TOTAL FUNDING
Surface Transportation Assistance Act	1983-91 | 9 Yrs	$75 M	$ 675 M
ISTEA	1992-97 | 6 Yrs	$84 M	$ 504 M
TEA-21	1998-2004 | 7 Yrs	$158 M	$1,105 B
SAFETEA-LU	2005-12 | 8 Yrs	$221 M	$1,770 B
MAP-21	2013-15 | 3 Yrs	$240 M	$ 720 M
FAST ACT	2016-21 | 6 Yrs	$287 M	$1,720 B
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law)	2022-26 | 5 Yrs	$346 M	$1,731 B
			$8,225 B

The DOT Federal Lands Transportation Program Fact Sheet provides the total authorization, the NPS set-aside, the program purpose, statutory citations and other features of the current Surface Transportation Assistance Act

NPS Transportation Priorities

To maintain a high quality, multimodal transportation system and address key transportation priorities, NPS allocates funding across three theme areas:

• Protect the Climate & Advance Resource Protection
• Enhance Visitor Experience & Connect Diverse Communities
• Reinvest in the System & Make Legacy Investments

Learn more about NPS transportation priorities.

Policy

The NPS Federal Lands Transportation Program relies on Chapter 9, Park Facilities, in NPS Management Policies (2006), as its foundation for giving direction and setting limits for making management decisions.

In October 2022, the NPS Associate Director, Park Planning, Facilities, and Lands issued the NPS Federal Lands Transportation Program Policy to provide consistent, strategic direction for the NPS to achieve national priorities. National priorities are identified in the 2024 NPS Transportation Priorities and Needs which complements National Transportation Strategy (NTS). The FLTP policy focuses on NPS FLTP funds, while also highlighting opportunities for addressing critical national priorities and leveraging other funding sources through partnerships and Department of Transportation (DOT) grant programs authorized in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.