Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)

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The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is the five-year rolling capital plan for the 97 cities and towns in the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization's (MPO) planning area. The TIP documents all transportation projects that will receive federal funding in the region over the next five years. Projects in the TIP include those supported by Regional Target funds—the federal transportation dollars that the MPO has direct discretion over—and federally funded projects of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA), and the Cape Ann Transportation Authority (CATA). 

More Information

Creating New TIP Project Cost Policies

In the spring of 2021, the MPO board voted to create an Ad Hoc Committee to explore the ongoing issue of cost increases for programmed TIP projects. The goal of the committee is to explore the causes and consequences of cost increases for projects that the MPO funds and recommend possible policy changes to the full MPO board. The committee is chaired by the MPO board’s Vice-Chair, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and has eight members representing MassDOT, the Regional Transportation Advisory Council, the MBTA Advisory Board, the City of Boston, the Town of Everett, the City of Somerville, the Town of Medway, and the Town of Rockland.

The committee met six times, ultimately voting to recommend a set of policies to the full MPO board. The MPO board is scheduled to discuss these policies at the meeting on September 23, 2021. If the MPO board members agree on a set of policies, they will vote to release the policies for a public review period. During that time, project proponents and members of the public will have the opportunity to review and comment on the proposed policies before they are formally adopted by the MPO.

Past Meetings

The MPO’s New Capital Plan: FFYs 2022–26 TIP

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At the MPO meeting on June 3, 2021, the board voted to endorse the FFYs 2022–26 TIP (PDF) (HTML). The TIP includes a list of transportation construction projects that the MPO will fund over the next five years. The FFYs 2021–25 TIP will remain in effect until September 30, 2021.

The Current TIP: FFYs 2021–25

The current TIP (PDF) (HTML) includes a list of transportation construction projects that the MPO will fund over the next five years, including the pilot of the Community Connections Program, which focuses on solutions to first- and last-mile transportation gaps. For the complete list of Regional Target- and state-prioritized projects, refer to the TIP tables. The FFYs 2021–25 TIP is in effect from October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021. To review a summary of the development of the FFYs 2021–25 TIP, visit the archived TIP development page.

Endorsed FFYs 2021−2025 TIP

Full Document (PDF) (HTML)

Tables of Projects by FFY [updated to include Amendments] (PDF)

Executive Summary

Amendments and Adjustments

In addition to deciding how Regional Target funds are spent, the MPO board reviews and votes to endorse the full list of projects prioritized by other agencies, and any changes that are made to these projects throughout the life of the TIP. These changes are called amendments, and must be released for a 21-day public review period before the MPO can approve them and the funds can be spent. Some changes that are made to projects in the TIP are not large enough to qualify as an amendment. These changes are called adjustments, and the MPO can vote to approve them without releasing them for public review.

Adjustment One

The MPO board voted to approve Adjustment One to the FFYs 2021–25 TIP on December 3, 2020. Adjustment One adds one MWRTA project to FFY 2021. This project was originally added to FFY 2021 of the FFYs 2020–24 TIP through an amendment to that plan. The FFYs 2021–25 TIP was endorsed by the MPO and submitted to the MPO’s federal partners for approval prior to the endorsement of that amendment, requiring the project to be added into the current TIP. For more information, refer to the simplified Adjustment One table.

Amendment One

The MPO board voted to approve Amendment One to the FFYs 2021–25 TIP on December 17, 2020. Amendment One includes cost and funding source changes for three MassDOT-funded highway projects in FFYs 2021, 2022, and 2023. Amendment One also includes a minor adjustment in the MPO’s funding allocation for the MBTA’s Green Line Extension project. For more information, refer to the simplified Amendment One table.

Amendment Two

The MPO board voted to approve Amendment Two to the FFYs 2021–25 TIP on January 7, 2021. Amendment Two moves funding from MBTA capital projects to cover operating expenses in response to the loss of ridership and fare revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This amendment is part of the MBTA’s Forging Ahead initiative. For more information, refer to the simplified Amendment Two table and the MBTA’s Forging Ahead: Capital Reallocation presentation.

Amendment Three

The MPO board voted to approve Amendment Three to the FFYs 2021–25 TIP on April 8, 2021. Amendment Three includes changes to four MWRTA projects to align MWRTA’s 2021 programming with current needs and planned projects for FFY 2021 and allow MWRTA to spend expiring funds. For more information, refer to the simplified Amendment Three table.

Amendment Four

The MPO board voted to approve Amendment Four to the FFYs 2021–25 TIP on April 29, 2021. Amendment Four added one MassDOT highway project, project #608836 (Drainage Improvements on Route 9 at Route 126 Interchange and Salt Shed Demolition in Framingham), to FFY 2021 of the TIP to allow MassDOT to advertise the project for construction in FFY 2021. For more information, refer to the Amendment Four table.

Amendment Five

The MPO board voted to approve Amendment Five to the FFYs 2021–25 TIP on April 29, 2021. Amendment Five addresses cost and schedule changes for projects funded in FFY 2021, allowing these projects to proceed with advertisement for construction bids before the current FFY ends. Amendment Five makes further cost, schedule, and project description changes to align the active FFYs 2021–25 TIP with the draft FFYs 2022–26 TIP, ensuring that every year of the current TIP stays within its allotted funding limits. For more information, refer to the Amendment Five table.

Amendment Six

The MPO board voted to approve Amendment Six to the FFYs 2021–25 TIP on June 3, 2021. Amendment Six includes cost and description updates for three highway projects currently programmed in FFY 2021. Amendment Six also includes numerous changes to the FFYs 2021–25 transit program, including the alignment of the MBTA’s FFYs 2021–25 programming with its proposed FFYs 2022–26 programming, and the addition of a state funding match to a federally funded maintenance project in FFY 2021 for CATA. For more information, refer to the Amendment Six table.

Federal Reporting

The MPO must publish a complete list of obligated projects within 90 days after the close of the FFY. Obligated projects are projects that have funds committed to them through the approval of a construction contract. The list includes the amount of money approved in the TIP, the total amount obligated, and the remaining balance for each project or program. The FFY 2020 Federal Obligation Report (PDF) lists the MassDOT, MBTA, MWRTA, and CATA projects within the MPO area that spent federal funds during FFY 2020 (October 1, 2019–September 30, 2020). Federal obligation reports from previous FFYs may be found in the TIP Archive.

TIP Archive

Older TIP documents and the lists of projects that were advertised for construction in prior years are available in the archive.

Contact

Matt Genova
TIP Manager
857.702.3702
mgenova@ctps.org