While the Highway Trust Fund, backed by motor fuel taxes and several other Federal taxes, provides most surface transportation funding, some revenue comes from the Federal General Fund. Most of the Federal funding derived from the General Fund is used to support intercity passenger rail and Amtrak through FRA and mass transit capital investment grants through FTA. Other uses of the General Fund include USDOT agency operations, emergency highway relief beyond authorized levels, the RAISE discretionary grant program (formerly TIGER and BUILD programs), and transportation research. The General Fund has also been used since 2008 to cover shortfalls in the Highway Trust Fund's ability to meet its obligations.
All funding administered by the FRA comes from the General Fund. This includes state intercity passenger rail capital assistance to states and operating, capital, and efficiency incentive grants to Amtrak.
New Starts, Small Starts, and Core Capacity fixed guideway capital projects administered by FTA under Title 49, Section 5309.
