State Comprehensive Planning Process

General
As a condition of receiving federal transportation funds, states are required to have a comprehensive planning process. The
Texas Transportation Plan
(TTP), Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and
Statewide Transportation Improvement Program
(STIP) are various documents developed during this planning process and are used to assure projects selected for implementation best balance identified needs within available federal resources. TxDOT is the state agency involved in transportation planning, while the two primary federal agencies are FHWA and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
Federal Requirements
  1. 23 CFR §450.216(g)
    – Requires the STIP to include projects proposed for funding under 23 U.S.C. and 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53. The statute lists a few exceptions, such as safety projects funded under 23 U.S.C. 402 and most emergency relief projects.
  2. 23 CFR §450.220(a)
    – Requires that only projects in the FHWA/FTA approved STIP shall be eligible for funds administered by the FHWA or the FTA, and notes a few exceptions.
  3. 23 CFR Part 450 Subpart C
    – Establishes a national policy requiring designated MPOs to develop a MTP and corresponding TIP.
State Requirements
  1. 43 TAC §16.103
    – Requires TxDOT to develop a STIP and requires a project in the STIP to be consistent with the Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan and metropolitan TIPs.
    1. A highway or transit project funded under
      23 U.S.C.
      or the Federal Transit Act (
      49 U.S.C. §5307 et seq
      .) will be included in a federally approved STIP.
    2. Regionally significant projects to be funded with non-federal funds will be included in the STIP for planning, coordination and public disclosure purposes.
Required Practices
The
LGPM Guide
provides guidance to the LG and TxDOT district related to the state comprehensive planning process. In general, all federally funded projects must be included in the STIP. TxDOT also requires all regionally significant projects to be in the STIP.