The Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program

The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a 6-year financial program that describes the schedule for obligating federal funds to state and local projects.  The TIP contains funding information for all modes of transportation including highways and HOV as well as transit capital and operating costs.  State, regional and local transportation agencies update the program each year to reflect priority projects in the CLRP. 

While estimated completion dates are given for projects in the plan, it should be noted that the TIP is not a Capital Improvement Program.  The TIP represents an agency's intent to construct or implement a specific project and the anticipated flow of federal funds and matching state or local contributions.  The first year of the TIP is called the Annual Element.  Projects that have funds programmed in the Annual Element are eligible to receive federal funding in that fiscal year.

Finally, the TIP serves as a schedule of accountability to the Federal Highway and Federal Transit Administrations.  Their annual review and certification of the TIP ensures the continuation of federal financial assistance for Washington area transportation improvements.

The current FY 2008-2013 TIP was approved by the TPB on January 16, 2008.

Public Forum

On October 11, the TPB hosted its first annual public forum on the region's six-year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The meeting was designed to give citizens a preview of the draft FY2008-2013 TIP and provide background information on the annual process for developing the program.

As required by federal law, the TIP includes all the regionally significant projects that are anticipated to be funded over the next six years. Along with the Constrained Long-Range Plan (CLRP), the TIP is one of the TPB’s fundamental planning documents.

The 2005 federal transportation reauthorization legislation (SAFETEA-LU) requires metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) like the TPB to conduct a public meeting during the TIP development process.

The TIP forum featured presentations from the agencies responsible for implementing transportation in the region, including the state departments of transportation and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Representatives of these agencies provided insight into their project selection processes and agency revenue streams. The forum was held during the second hour of the regular TPB Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting.

TPB staff provided information about federal requirements detailing the development of the TIP; financial summaries of transportation funding for the state DOTs and WMATA; and the schedule for approval of the TIP. Representatives from the DOTs of the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia (DDOT, MDOT, and VDOT) and WMATA described how projects are developed, prioritized and funded within their jurisdictions. The agency staff discussed the process for approving a project for construction and opportunities for the public to be involved in the project development process.

The public forum provided an opportunity for citizens to voice their concerns about project development within their jurisdictions. Participants inquired about strategies the agencies use to identify projects of regional significance. Agency staff responded that while most projects are conceptualized at the local or state levels, the agencies have recently been increasing coordination on regional priorities.

Participants also commented that it is difficult for the average citizen to make connections between how the TIP relates to local plans and to the CLRP. They suggested that staff should develop materials to show how the individual projects listed in the TIP fit into the wider regional context. Other questions focused on specific transportation project coordination among the departments of transportation.