The U.S. Department of Transportation allocated $78 billion in Highway Trust Fund money toward purposes other than construction and maintenance of highways and bridges during the fiscal years 2004 through 2008.
The department had about $243.1 billion in total authorizations during that time, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

Of the $78 billion, about $28 billion was used by the Federal Highway Administration for purposes other than construction and maintenance. Of this amount, $3.8 billion went toward transportation enhancement projects such as facilities for pedestrians and bicycles ($2 billion), landscaping and scenic beautification ($850 million) and rehabilitation and operation of historic transportation buildings ($224 million), to name a few. The remaining $24.2 billion went toward safety, facility, planning, and other projects.

The Federal Transit Administration used over $44 billion for purposes other than construction and maintenance, including about $27 billion in formula and bus grants, $15.9 billion in capital investment grants and discretionary grants and $421 million toward research.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration put about $3.1 billion into highway safety initiatives, including $952 million to state and community highway safety grant programs, $488 million to behavioral research and $422 million to vehicle safety research.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration used about $2.4 billion for similar purposes, including $947 million in Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program Grants (MCSAP) and $754 million in operating expenses.