Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs)
The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a document listing all transportation projects that will be built using federal funds (either partially or fully). Federal law requires states to develop Statewide Transportation Improvement Programs (STIPs). In North Carolina, the STIP covers a seven-year period, and is typically updated every two years. The current STIP can be found here.
TARPO plays an important role in this project funding process:

Once a project is identified in the STIP for funding, there are several additional activities that must take place before construction can begin, including environmental analysis, roadway and structure design, and right-of-way acquisition. The graphic below shows the basic steps in the life of a project, from idea to construction, and a rough estimate of how long each step takes to complete.

For more information on the prioritization process and STIP, see the NCDOT Strategic Planning Office of Transportation (SPOT) website.
Click here to see archived information from previous TIP cycles at TARPO.









