States are given some leeway from the Federal guidelines. California and FHWA have always had a tenuous relationship, so it is of no surprise that they have dif

States are given some leeway from the Federal guidelines. California and FHWA have always had a tenuous relationship, so it is of no surprise that they have different road markings. At one point, California threatened to pull out of the Highway Trust Fund program because they felt they did not receive their fair share. The Highway Trust Fund is funded through Federal gas taxes and redistributed back to the States. Some low population state receive more money than they put in, while some large population states get the opposite. If California had pulled out, they would not have been eligible to receive any Federal transportation funding.