House Transportation reviews $883 million FY26 transportation budget; members press on TIB, maintenance and transit funding

The House Transportation Committee on Feb. 6 examined the governor’s fiscal year 2026 transportation budget, a proposal totaling $883 million across all funds and including roughly $331 million from the state transportation (T) fund and about $452 million in federal money, Joint Fiscal Office analyst Logan Moberry told the committee.

Moberry said the largest single program area is program development — primarily paving and capital projects — at about $411 million, of which roughly $308 million is federal funding. “If you’ll see $411,000,000, that’s almost half of everything in this budget,” Moberry said. He also walked members through maintenance, town highway programs, the internal service (central garage) fund and transfers the administration proposes, including a $12.5 million set‑aside for IIJA federal match.

Why it matters: Committee members pressed staff to clarify how fund types and prior bond activity constrain short‑term flexibility, and asked for historical comparisons to detect trends. That context matters because state, federal and locally matched dollars carry different eligibility rules, and many program obligations extend multiple years, limiting how quickly the legislature can re‑direct spending.

Committee discussion and key details Members repeatedly asked how the Transportation Infrastructure Bond (TIB) fund is being used when the state has no outstanding bonds. Moberry explained the TIB fund is a dedicated revenue stream…