The Plan In Action: Implementing the CLRP

A Public Forum on the Transportation Improvement Program for the Washington Metropolitan Region

Federal regulations require metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) like the TPB to conduct a public meeting during the TIP development process. The TPB holds two public forums each year that focus on the CLRP and the TIP; one in the spring and a second in the fall. The spring forum focuses on the draft TIP document before it is released for public comment. The fall forum takes a broader approach to the CLRP and TIP and is intended to give the public a better chance to get involved in the project selection process at the beginning of the annual cycle.

Fall Forum

On September 11, 2008, the TPB held its first fall forum on the region’s six-year TIP. The meeting was designed to give citizens an understanding of how projects are selected and prioritized for the CLRP and TIP and how funding decisions are made.

TPB staff provided information about federal requirements detailing the development of the TIP; financial summaries of transportation funding for the state DOTs; and the schedule for approval of the TIP. Representatives from the DOTs of the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia (DDOT, MDOT, and VDOT) described how projects are developed, prioritized and funded within their jurisdictions and announced their agencies upcoming opportunities for public involvement.

Following the presentations, attendees were invited to ask questions of the panelists. Their questions and additional comments were recorded and delivered to the TPB. A full report on the 2008 Fall CLRP and TIP forum is available here.

Spring Forum

This year, the spring forum was held in conjunction with the TPB’s Citizens Advisory Committee on June 11, 2009 - the same day that the TIP was released for public comment.

TPB staff presented a brief overview of the purpose and organization of the TIP along with a preliminary financial analysis of the FY 2009-2014 TIP. Representatives from the DOTs of the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia (DDOT, MDOT, and VDOT) were on hand to discuss the status of major projects in their jurisdictions and answer questions.