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The Transportation Improvement Program is a prioritized list of projects ready for some phase of implementation. For construction projects, like new multi-use trails, implementation phases are:
- Design
- Acquiring right-of-way
- Relocating utilities
- Construction
The design phase finalizes the layout, appearance, and features of a project. The right-of-way phase is about getting access to the land needed to complete the project. The utility relocation phase ensures water, sewer, and electric lines are still able to service the area surrounding the project. And the construction phase is when the project is actually built. Some projects don’t need to be built. Implementation of these “non-construction TIP projects,” like traffic studies, involve different and fewer phases.
Any project considered ‘Regionally Significant’ by the MPO is added to the TIP. This can happen before implementation regardless of the funding source. Whether or not a project requires construction, all projects identified in the TIP must have a dedicated source of funding available during the four-year scope of the TIP. Funds come either through the Kentucky State Highway Plan, from the MPO directly, or by receiving competitive grants. A funding source from our region, or a “local match,” covers any remaining project costs. TIP projects can include roadway retrofits, new construction, bike/pedestrian improvements, studies, plans, and more. A new TIP is drafted every 4 years. As funding needs and construction timelines change, the MPO has to adjust the TIP. Small, simple modifications are made by MPO staff. However, any shifts in the scope of a TIP project are introduced as amendments. These amendments require a public comment period as well as final formal approval by the Transportation Policy Committee.
