TIP Overview
The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a staged multi-year program of regional transportation improvement projects scheduled for implementation in the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) area over four succeeding Federal fiscal years. This program of projects is prepared by the MPO cooperatively with NHDOT, regional transit agencies, and local municipalities in accordance with joint federal metropolitan planning regulations, 23 CFR 450, issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA), U.S. Department of Transportation. The projects identified are prioritized by year and have been selected for funding, as jointly agreed upon by the MPO and the NHDOT. Under Federal law, the TIP must:
- Cover a period of no less than four years
- Be updated at least every four years (NH Updates every two)
- Be approved by the MPO and the Governor of New Hampshire
- Be consistent with the approved MPO Long Range Transportation Plan
- Conform to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for air quality if the region is designated as a non-attainment or maintenance area under the Clean Air Act of 1990 and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
- Demonstrate that proposed transportation projects are financially realistic and achievable with available resources.
- Include all federally funded and regionally significant transportation projects regardless of funding source.
- Include all modes of surface transportation.
Projects listed on the TIP must be consistent with the MPO's Transportation Plan, and the TIP itself must be found to conform to the state's SIP (the State Implementation Plan for air quality attainment). Under conformity rules, "consistent with" the transportation plan is interpreted to mean that TIP projects must be specifically recommended in the Plan.
The TIP is prepared by staff of the Rockingham Planning Commission and is reviewed and endorsed by the Technical Advisory (TAC). Final TIP endorsement is received from the Planning Commission acting as the MPO Policy Committee which is the designated MPO for the Portsmouth urbanized area and a portion of the Greater Boston urbanized area in New Hampshire.
The development of the TIP is conducted in conjunction with updates to the State Ten Year Plan, and the first four years of that document form the basis of the State TIP from which improvement projects are selected.
See the MPO Prospectus for additional detail regarding the Transportation Improvement Program Download: MPO Prospectus
The Current TIP (2017-2020) was adopted by the MPO on December 14th, 2016 and can be found on the Current TIP webpage.
