The Bristol Tennessee/Virginia Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), as required by the Fixing Americas Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), develops and regularly updates the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The purpose of the TIP is to document how federal transportation funds will be expended within the MPO’s Metropolitan Planning Area. The TIP represents a four-year program of projects based on the Federal Fiscal Year (October 1 – September 30), which reflects funding allocations and priorities to ensure coordination for transportation improvements by local, state, and federal agencies and includes capital and non-capital projects (or phases of projects) proposed for highway and public transportation programs as well as transportation alternatives, safety projects, pedestrian walkways, and bicycle facilities. If applicable, the TIP also includes projects that are regionally significant even if they are not federally funded. The MPO’s TIP is approved by the appropriate State Department of Transportation.
Each state is also required to develop a State-wide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which represents a four-year program of projects and reflects funding allocations and priorities at the state level. As such, the MPO’s TIP is incorporated in the STIP by reference. The STIP is approved by the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration.
