Administrative disbursements typically include general and main-office expenditures in support of state-administered highways. They do not include project-related costs but occasionally include “parked” funds, which are funds from bond sales or asset sales awaiting later expenditure. Therefore, they can vary widely from year to year.
Administrative disbursements comprise about 6.3% of total disbursements, totaling $9.52 billion in 2018, an increase of 8.1% from $8.81 billion in 2016, the last time this assessment was calculated.
This year, we measure administrative disbursements per SHA, lane-mile, and vehicle-miles traveled per lane-mile. Last year, we used lane-miles. In past years, we measured them in centerline-miles. The average 2018 per-mile disbursement is $6,443.
The average disbursement per lane-mile increased 43% from 2016 ($4,501 disbursement per mile average), the last time this assessment was calculated.
There is a generally steady increased spending trend over the last decade. Since 2007, these per-mile disbursements have increased by about 65%, while the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has increased about 22%.
In 2018, Kentucky, Arkansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Louisiana reported the lowest administrative expenditures. Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, California, and Washington reported the highest expenditures. In terms of disbursements per lane-mile, the largest percentage shifts from 2016 to 2018 were New Hampshire and Colorado (both saw over 100% decreases) and Connecticut and Idaho (with increases of over 65%).
In terms of disbursements per SHA, the largest percentage shifts from 2016 to 2018 were Washington and New Hampshire (which increased by 260% and 149%, respectively) and Connecticut and Wyoming (which decreased by 77% and 36%, respectively). Some of the disbursements per state-controlled mile can vary widely from year to year—reflecting funding actions and project schedules.
Administrative Disbursements Per State-Controlled Mile
| 2018 Rank | State | Z Score | Disbursement Per SHA | Disbursement Per Lane Mile | Disbursement Per VMT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kentucky | -2.69 | $1,171 | $510 | $654 |
| 2 | Arkansas | -2.56 | $2,228 | $534 | $1,000 |
| 3 | Nebraska | -2.54 | $1,937 | $843 | $918 |
| 4 | Missouri | -2.46 | $2,340 | $1,014 | $1,034 |
| 5 | Louisiana | -2.36 | $3,175 | $1,345 | $1,058 |
| 6 | Maine | -2.27 | $2,829 | $1,304 | $1,598 |
| 7 | North Dakota | -2.2 | $2,775 | $1,181 | $2,081 |
| 8 | North Carolina | -2.13 | $3,185 | $1,454 | $2,104 |
| 9 | Idaho | -2.11 | $6,726 | $748 | $1,892 |
| 10 | Texas | -2.1 | $4,856 | $1,978 | $1,385 |
| 11 | South Carolina | -2.08 | $3,199 | $1,456 | $2,325 |
| 12 | Mississippi | -2.05 | $5,353 | $2,053 | $1,435 |
| 13 | West Virginia | -2.04 | $1,890 | $908 | $3,344 |
| 14 | Montana | -2.01 | $3,411 | $1,078 | $2,960 |
| 15 | Kansas | -1.95 | $5,416 | $2,268 | $1,731 |
| 16 | Iowa | -1.89 | $6,408 | $2,333 | $1,712 |
| 17 | Wyoming | -1.85 | $4,476 | $1,781 | $2,892 |
| 18 | Indiana | -1.56 | $9,796 | $3,671 | $1,338 |
| 19 | Illinois | -1.24 | $12,067 | $4,330 | $1,777 |
| 20 | Michigan | -1.2 | $13,503 | $4,752 | $1,276 |
| 21 | Ohio | -0.78 | $14,718 | $5,390 | $2,475 |
| 22 | Virginia | -0.71 | $8,365 | $3,843 | $5,786 |
| 23 | Minnesota | -0.68 | $15,231 | $5,249 | $2,957 |
| 24 | Utah | -0.65 | $15,623 | $5,446 | $2,867 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | -0.57 | $15,402 | $6,082 | $2,745 |
| 26 | South Dakota | -0.41 | $9,386 | $3,299 | $7,487 |
| 27 | Tennessee | -0.4 | $17,313 | $6,246 | $2,964 |
| 28 | Hawaii | -0.39 | $19,835 | $6,997 | $1,724 |
| 29 | Maryland | -0.25 | $21,640 | $7,136 | $1,869 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | -0.1 | $14,073 | $6,042 | $5,476 |
| 31 | Connecticut | -0.07 | $21,454 | $7,430 | $2,525 |
| 32 | Oregon | 0.23 | $21,024 | $7,214 | $4,341 |
| 33 | Florida | 0.38 | $30,739 | $8,314 | $1,677 |
| 34 | New York | 0.63 | $26,053 | $9,391 | $3,181 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | 0.66 | $21,471 | $7,898 | $5,789 |
| 36 | Alabama | 0.76 | $25,754 | $9,342 | $3,957 |
| 37 | Arizona | 0.9 | $35,868 | $7,465 | $3,679 |
| 38 | New Mexico | 0.97 | $21,733 | $5,279 | $9,520 |
| 39 | Rhode Island | 1.51 | $32,019 | $11,284 | $4,402 |
| 40 | Colorado | 1.65 | $31,380 | $11,288 | $5,254 |
| 41 | Nevada | 1.98 | $31,980 | $12,021 | $6,103 |
| 42 | Alaska | 2.16 | $16,387 | $5,242 | $16,823 |
| 43 | Georgia | 2.16 | $36,294 | $13,118 | $4,955 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | 2.29 | $28,216 | $12,723 | $7,994 |
| 45 | Vermont | 2.36 | $26,754 | $11,720 | $9,571 |
| 46 | Washington | 2.37 | $51,422 | $8,913 | $5,814 |
| 47 | California | 3.12 | $56,936 | $15,510 | $2,463 |
| 48 | New Jersey | 4 | $75,725 | $15,298 | $2,279 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | 6.85 | $93,662 | $24,185 | $4,217 |
| 50 | Delaware | 11.34 | $60,559 | $27,235 | $32,305 |
| Average | $19,875 | $6,443 | $4,154 |
The Difference Between Maintenance and Administrative Disbursements
Certain disbursement data can be counted in one of several categories. One example is the benefits (vacation, health care, etc.) of a state’s department of transportation maintenance workers. Certain states such as New Jersey count the benefits as a maintenance disbursement since the employees are conducting routine highway maintenance. Other states such as Connecticut count the benefits as an administrative disbursement since benefits are an administrative expense.
As a result, it is important to look at both the individual disbursement categories and disbursements as a whole, as states have some leeway in their classification of certain expenditures.