In order to receive federal funds, Federal legislation mandates that states adopt a specific process for selecting projects for implementation known as the STIP. The Maryland Statewide Transportation Improvement Program is a five-year, fiscally constrained, and prioritized set of transportation projects that is compiled from local and regional plans. STIP projects are selected through an annual development process. The Maryland STIP is financially constrained by the revenues reasonably expected to be available through the STIP’s five-year funding period using year of expenditure dollars. In Maryland, all five years of the STIP list projects and appropriate project groupings with specific funds identified for each fiscal year. Projects (or phases of projects) are listed only if full funding is anticipated to be available for the project (or appropriate project phase) within the time period established for its completion. All projects and funding details in the STIP have been scrutinized and approved by the Maryland General Assembly and by the Governor through the State’s annual budget process. The STIP is comprised of three parts: the STIP Policy Documentation, the CTP, and the six TIPs. Maryland updates its STIP every year even though the Federal requirement is to update it every four years. |
Maryland’s six MPOs are charged with developing a 20-year Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and a short-term (usually 2 to 6 years) program called the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). LRTPs help MPOs review how their region is changing and growing in order to determine future transportation needs and act as a tool to channel transportation investments where they can be most effective to meet the region’s transportation needs. TIPs allow MPOs to review and approve all plans and programs of regional significance that involve Federal funds. TIPs generally reflect local needs, priorities, and available funding in coordination with local transit providers, land use, and other local government officials, citizens and other stakeholders. For example, the TIP must also show year of expenditure and what types of funding will be used and each project must be described in detail, including project cost. The Federal requirement is to update TIPs every four years; however, in Maryland MPOs update their TIPs annually to ensure that the cost and project information is as up-to-date as possible and fiscally constrained. |
