(Photo by BeyondDC on Flickr)

Ever wonder how area transportation agencies prioritize and fund major projects and programs? Or which projects are slated for funding and construction in the next few years? On September 15, the TPB will host a public forum to shed greater light on the prioritization process and to take a closer look at the region’s six-year transportation spending plan, known as the Transportation Improvement Program, or TIP.

The TIP Forum will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 15. TPB planners and state transportation officials will be on hand to present information and answer questions. The TPB’s planners will present highlights from the latest draft TIP, which covers spending from FY 2017 through FY 2022. The planners will also explain the federal regulations governing development of the TIP.

Then, officials from the three state-level departments of transportation (DOTs) will be available to answer questions about projects in their respective jurisdictions. A few major projects in the draft FY 2017-2022 TIP include Maryland’s Purple Line, the second phase of the Silver Line in northern Virginia, and rehabilitation of the South Capitol Street bridge in the District of Columbia.

The TIP is an important regional planning document because it identifies most of the major transportation projects and programs for which local, state, and regional agencies have identified and committed funding over the next six years. As such, it is a reflection of the transportation priorities of those jurisdictions and agencies. It also provides information on the sources of funding for major projects and can be analyzed to determine what share of spending is going to certain project types or travel modes.

The TPB will consider the draft FY 2017-2022 TIP for approval at its November meeting. A federally required 30-day comment period ahead of that meeting will give the public a formal opportunity to comment on the draft spending plan. At the same time, the TPB will also invite comment on the draft 2016 amendment to the region’s Constrained Long-Range Transportation Plan (CLRP). The CLRP is a longer-term plan that identifies projects and programs that area transportation agencies expect to be able to afford in coming decades but that have not been prioritized for funding in the next few years.

The TPB holds a public forum on the TIP every two years as required by federal law.

RSVP now for the Sept. 15 TIP Forum