Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program

The federally required Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is known as the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP) in the Sacramento Region. It is a short-term listing of surface transportation projects that receive federal funds, are subject to a federally required action, or are regionally significant. Apart from some improvements to the region’s airports and the Port of Sacramento, all regionally significant transportation projects and federally funded capital projects are part of the MTIP. This means that many-but not all-transit, highway, local roadway, bicycle and pedestrian investments are included in the MTIP. The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), as the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the six-county Sacramento Region, prepares and adopts the MTIP about every two years.

Only projects included in with the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) may be incorporated into the MTIP. The MTIP derives all its projects either directly from the MTP or indirectly from the policies and lump sums within it. The MTP is the long range policy and planning document while the MTIP is the short range implementing document that enables those planned project to begin work. Specifically, the MTIP lists those projects from the MTP that have committed or reasonably available funding and intend to begin a phase of work during the 4 years of the MTIP.

The MTIP must comply with three key tests. First, it must give the public the opportunity to comment. Second, it must demonstrate that the amount of dollars programmed (committed) to the projects does not exceed the amount of dollars estimated to be available. Therefore the MTIP includes a financial summary that demonstrates financial constraint, namely that sufficient financial capacity exists for programmed projects to be implemented. Third, it must conform to the State Implementation Plan for the region with consideration to federal Clean Air Act.

Although the MTIP lists the federal fiscal year of funding for projects, SACOG regularly and routinely allows and encourages project phases to begin work anytime within the four years of the MTIP. SACOG, in consultation with the State and public transit operators adopted “Expedited Project Selection Procedures” (EPSP). EPSP is the federal mechanism that we use to allow sponsors to begin work in any year, regardless of in which year they are programmed. No modification or amendment of the MTIP is required. For more information refer to our Project Delivery Process.

For more information, read A Guide to the MTIP.

E-mail Miguel Mendoza to join the MTIP E-mail List and receive updates on draft amendments and modifications.