On Feb. 4, President Bush released his budget request for Fiscal Year 2009, which proposes cuts in the highway, transit and airport improvement programs. The President requested a $39.4 billion obligation limitation for highways. This is $1.8 billion below the $41.2 billion level authorized in SAFETEA. This request is also $1.82 billion below this year's approved funding level, a reduction of about 4.4%. In 2008, the total obligation limit was $41.216 billion, which included an additional $1.0 billion for bridge repairs.