Transportation Improvement Programs
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Housatonic Valley Transportation Improvement Program
South Western Region Transportation Improvement Program
Executive Summary
Federal law requires the development and maintenance of a TIP, which is a financially-constrained listing of transportation projects covering a period of at least four years. The TIP includes projects using federal funding and/or requiring federal approval, typically containing projects of all transportation modes. The TIP is developed in cooperation with CTDOT and public transit providers. The CTDOT concurrently develops and maintains a Statewide TIP (STIP), the amalgamation of all regional TIPs in Connecticut. Both the TIP and STIP must meet air quality conformity requirements and adhere to transportation planning guidelines. HVMPO and SWRMPO have separate TIPs, requiring similar but separate processes and action. The TIP approval process is a multi-step process requiring public involvement, consistency with the Metropolitan Transportation Plan, and conformity with air quality regulations.
In accordance with the Federal Clean Air Act, each state has a State Implementation Plan (SIP) that outlines a path towards attainment of air quality goals. The EPA administers these efforts, which is why the agency is involved in STIP endorsement. CTDOT performs the modeling for their Air Quality Conformity Reports and have issued their conformity determinations for Particulate Matter under 2.5 microns (PM 2.5) and Ozone. CTDOT’s February 2024 Air Quality Conformity determinations demonstrate that the transportation projects in the STIP are consistent with national air quality goals and standards. For the complete report, please visit the air quality conformity page on the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s website.
The TIP includes a listing of highway and transit projects between FY 2025-2028, a financial plan outlining the funding that will be used to implement the projects, an overview of conformity with national air quality goals, a review of how projects support the MPO’s performance measures, an overview of public engagement, and an assessment of project benefits and impacts.
Following MPO TIP endorsement statewide, the full STIP is endorsed by the United States Department of Transportation and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).