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Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

Procedure for Preparing & Amending the TIP

TIP Preparation

This coordinated listing has been prepared through a cooperative effort by state and local implementing agencies and Greater Madison MPO staff and is primarily based on state and local capital improvement programs and budgets.

Implementing agencies submit their proposed projects to the MPO's electronic TIP (eTIP) platform, providing information on scope, location, cost, funding, and timing. Following submission, MPO staff review the projects and develop a comprehensive listing of major transportation improvements, which can be viewed interactively on the eTIP website.

This draft listing is subject to review by the MPO Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC), MPO Policy Board, and local units of government. A notice of the availability of the draft TIP is sent out to a list of stakeholders.

Anticipated transit and specialized transportation projects are also sent to private transit operators for comment. A public hearing is held before the MPO Board one month before adoption. Comments received are provided a response by staff.

Following action by the MPO Policy Board, this document is submitted to appropriate state and Federal agencies as an indication of transportation improvement projects anticipated to be undertaken in this area.

By annually pursuing this procedure, an up-to-date program of transportation projects is ensured.

TIP Amendments

Revisions to the TIP often occur between the scheduled annual updates. There are two types of revisions: (1) administrative modifications; and (2) amendments. 

The definitions and procedures for each are outlined below:

Administrative Modifications

Administrative modifications are minor revisions, including:

  • Minor change (less than 5%) in project or project phase costs;
  • Minor change in funding sources of programmed project(s); or
  • Minor change to project or project phase initiation dates.

Provided such a revision does not necessitate redemonstration of fiscal constraint, the procedure for administrative modifications includes approval by the MPO Director who then sends a letter to appropriate FHWA/FTA, WisDOT Bureau of Planning, WisDOT SW Region, and project sponsor staff notifying them of the TIP modification, with a copy included in the TIP file.

Amendments

Amendments are revisions to federally funded projects listed in the TIP that involve a major change, including:

  • Addition of a project to the first four years of the TIP;
  • Deletion of a project from the TIP or moving it out of the first four years of the TIP;
  • Major change to the initiation date of a project or project phase; or
  • Major change in the design concept or scope or limits of a project.

Amendments require provision for public review and comment, a resolution by the MPO Board, and submission to WisDOT and FHWA/FTA. Amendments also require a redemonstration of fiscal constraint. Amendments are categorized as minor or major with different procedures for each.

Minor Amendments

Minor amendments include:

  • Addition or deletion of system preservation projects, such as street resurfacing, reconstruction without additional travel lanes, or bus replacement, that do not involve a major capacity expansion, are not regionally significant, and do not exceed the cost threshold for major amendments outlined below. This includes moving federal project funding in or out of the four-year project window of the TIP.
  • Substantial change in the design concept, scope, or limits of a system preservation project such that the original project description is no longer reasonably accurate; and
  • Substantial change in funding for a project that impacts the funding for other projects within the first four years of the TIP, forcing any project out of the four-year TIP window.

Note: The Greater Madison MPO prepares a five-year TIP, but the FHWA and FTA consider projects in the fifth year to be informational only.

The process for minor TIP amendments is to provide advance notice of the amendment action by including a listing of the project changes under the TIP amendment resolution agenda item for the upcoming MPO Policy Board meeting. An opportunity for public comment is provided prior to action by the board.

Major Amendments

Major amendments include:

  • Addition or deletion of a major capacity expansion project or a regionally significant project;
  • Substantial change in the design concept or scope limits of a major capacity expansion project or regionally significant project such that the original project description is no longer reasonably accurate;
  • Change in the funding of a project or project phase, including adding or deleting a project, exceeding 10% of total Federal funding programmed in the MPO Planning area for the calendar year or $7 million, whichever is less;
  • Addition or deletion of a project involving STP-Urban funding; and
  • Change in the cost or implementation schedule of a project or project phase involving STP-Urban funding that impacts the funding available for or timing of other STP-Urban projects.

Note: Addition or deletion includes moving federal project funding in or out of the four-year project window of the TIP.

Major Capacity Expansion Projects

Major capacity expansion projects include:

  • Construction of a new regional arterial or collector roadway on new alignment;
  • Reconstruction of an existing regional arterial or collector roadway to provide additional general purpose travel lanes for a significant distance;
  • Construction of new interchanges;
  • Conversion of an expressway to a freeway; and
  • Construction of fixed-guideway or other priority (rail, bus rapid transit, dedicated bus lanes) transit facilities.

Regionally Significant Projects

Regionally significant projects include:

  • Roadway capacity expansion projects on the designated regional arterial system;
  • Transit projects involving a fixed-guideway or other priority transit facility; and
  • Major projects directly serving a regional employment/activity center or an airport (e.g. new roadway construction).

Major Amendment Process

The process for major amendments is to send out a notice to local officials and others included in the notice for the annual TIP update and post the notice on the MPO website. A minimum 15-day public comment period will be provided and a public hearing held before the MPO Policy Board prior to adoption.

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