It’s not only states that are running out of money to fund transportation projects; the federal government is too.

According to the US Department of Transportation’s Highway Trust Fund Ticker, updated last Sunday, it is likely that the Highway Trust Fund’s Highway Account will run out of money in late July, just over a month before federal fiscal year 2014 ends. The Highway Trust Fund “is the principal mechanism for funding federal highway and transit programs” through revenue generated by user fees like the federal gas tax. The Highway Account is projected to end the fiscal year in September 2014 $700 million in the hole. Politico notes that the newly-updated Tracker shows a shortfall “two weeks earlier than last month’s figures, which showed the anticipated red ink in the second or third week of August.”

The transportation funding crisis in Washington is of particular concern for transportation projects in the tri-state region. In fiscal year 2014, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut will receive $3.07 billion from the Highway Account, which will fund road, bridge and bicycle and pedestrian projects across the three states ($484.8 million for Connecticut; $963.7 million for New Jersey; and $1.62 billion for New York.)

As TSTC has previously noted, in fiscal year 2014, the region is to receive about $2.11 billion in transit funding ($146.1 million for Connecticut, $513.8 million for New Jersey and $1.45 billion for New York). The Highway Trust Fund’s Mass Transit Account is projected to end fiscal year 2014 with $1 billion. This Congress hasn’t exactly been a friend to transit riders, but luckily, Mass Transit Account dollars cannot be transferred to the Highway Account.