Pew's Subsidyscope Launches New Databases on Federal Subsidies for Highways and the Maritime Industry

Rounding out its transportation sector analysis, Subsidyscope has launched two new databases on federal subsidies for highways and the maritime industry. 

Highways

Building on an earlier analysis Subsidyscope released in November 2009, which illustrated that user fees are increasingly paying for a smaller share of American roads (51 percent in 2007), Subsidyscope presents a database that allows users to explore and visualize highway funding by level of government and by geographic region. Users may also look at the extent to which funding came from user-related revenue or non-user sources. The data that drives this interface is also available for download. 

Maritime

The U.S. Maritime Administration's Title XI Federal Ship Financing Program is a loan guarantee program that subsidizes domestic shipyards. The program has committed nearly $7.5 billion in loan guarantees since 1994. Subsidyscope has compiled 15 years of historical data and summary statistics showing which companies have obtained loan guarantees and how much they received, including outstanding loans and government losses on defaulted loans.