What's on the map

America’s transportation policy is dysfunctional. It’s also nearly bankrupt. Now, as debate reaches a crescendo over a new $500 billion transportation bill, can the national interest trump hundreds of special interests?

Don’t bet on it.

The Center for Public Integrity compiled records for organizations lobbying on the issue of transportation.

The total dollar amounts listed for contracts usually include lobbying on multiple issues, including transportation, but also others like housing or health care. Lobbyists are not required to determine how much money in a given contract is devoted to a specific issue. However, all of the contracts in this map include lobbying on transportation.

This map will help you to track lobbying being done on behalf of interests in your area. In some cases, the map will reveal the specific projects being lobbied for. However, lobbyists are not required to disclose the specific projects for which they’re lobbying, so the Center's data are limited.

And that’s where we need your help. If you investigate projects in your area, please report your findings to us. More information about finding projects in your community is offered in the "Find Projects in Your Area" section.

How to view the map

When you first load the map, lobbying relationships for the second quarter of 2009 — represented by orange markers on the map — are displayed. Because some computers can't show more than a few hundred markers at a time — each quarter has more than 1,500 lobbying events — the intial image that appears will display only lobbying contracts of $100,000 or more.

As you zoom into the map (either by using the zoom tool at the top left or the scroll wheel on your mouse), more markers will appear illustrating lobbying contracts of lesser value . You can also type in a city or a state to quickly zoom in and show all lobbying activity in a specific area, using the form above the map.

How to search the map

To search the map, click on "Search" in the menu bar above the map. A drop-down menu will appear. You can search by the type of lobbying client or by lobbying firm. For example, if you click "City" under search by type, only lobbying relationships in which the client is a municipality will appear.

Editor's note: Data discrepancies were removed from map data Sept. 22, 2009.