In order to receive federal transportation dollars, SACOG is required to
put together a federal transportation improvement program (TIP) which shows
how federal funds will be spent on transportation projects in the region.
SACOG refers to this as its Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program
(MTIP). Because this is our federal TIP, Caltrans refers to it as the federal
TIP (FTIP).
The federal funds used for these projects have been authorized by Congress
through legislation known as the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). These funds are further subdivided
into three categories: Surface Transportation Program (STP), Congestion
Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) and Transportation Enhancement Activities
(TEA).
State and local agencies apply for these funds and then SACOG makes
the final decision on how these funds will be spent. The current MTIP
and all its amendments are available on-line in PDF format. A new
MTIP is prepared every two years, and it is amended on a quarterly
basis. The current request for projects is available on-line.
An air quality conformity determination must be prepared on SACOG's MTIP
(as well as the MTP). This means that the projects contained in the MTIP
and the MTP must not be found to worsen air quality in the Sacramento region.
See SACOG's Air Quality Conformity
page for more information or visit the EPA's website for information on
the
role of transportation projects in air quality conformity.
