What is the TIP?
The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a list of all transportation projects receiving federal funding in Southeast Michigan. The TIP represents the priorities of cities and transportation agencies for implementing the region's 2030 Regional Transportation Plan. The Regional Transportation Plan documents the future development of the transportation system. For a community or agency to receive federal highway or transit funds, the project must first be in the Regional Transportation Plan. To get in the TIP, projects pass through a rigorous technical review that determines the impact on our community's air quality and minority populations and the financial feasibility of the project. Comments from stakeholders and the public are actively sought during the process.
Who approves the TIP?
Projects in Washtenaw County are subject to an extensive committee review that includes recommendations from the WATS Technical and Policy Committees, SEMCOG's TIP Development Committee and Transportation Advisory Council, and final approval from the SEMCOG Executive Committee. Finally, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration must approve the project. Because agency priorities change from time to time, the TIP is subject to change with ample notification. To ensure that the TIP reflects current priorities, projects are added or deleted four times each year, usually in December, February, April, and July.
What's in the TIP?
The TIP contains transportation projects for the years 2006 through 2008. As of August, 2005, the list includes approximately 540 projects, totaling $2.2 billion, from the Michigan Department of Transportation, the five major transit agencies, cities, villages, and county road commissions in the seven-county region. The TIP is currently undergoing a complete update to bring it into compliance with new federal transportation standards.
What's not in the TIP?
The TIP database is limited in the amount of information available for each project. The database does not include engineering details or the exact location of all the projects. Some projects or programs are of such a general nature that specific locations are omitted. Specific construction schedules are not included. Please contact the project sponsor directly for more information.