Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)

The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) was established in 1973 as the federally-designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Austin metropolitan area. CAMPO's two main purposes are to coordinate regional transportation planning among Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties, 39 cities, and transportation providers in the Austin metropolitan area; and to approve the use of federal transportation funds.

According to federal law and regulations, CAMPO, in cooperation with the state and transit operators, will develop a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for the area. The four-year TIP lists projects that are funded with federal dollars and are consistent with the long range plan developed for the area. The TIP may also include non-federally funded projects that are regionally significant.

In developing the TIP, CAMPO provides citizens, affected public agencies, representatives of transportation agency employees, other affected employee representatives, private providers of transportation, and other interested parties with a reasonable opportunity to comment on the proposed program. According to Texas Administrative Code, Title 43, Chapter 16, Section 101(b), the TIP shall be updated and approved at least every two years. The TIP development process, including public involvement activities and opportunities for public review and comment, is being used to satisfy program or project requirements of the Federal Transit Administration Urbanized Area Formula Program.

Scheduled Cycles to request amendments to the CAMPO long-range transportation plan (CAMPO 2035 Regional Transportation Plan) and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)

CAMPO is committed to holding two amendment cycles for both the Plan and the TIP per calendar year. All amendment requests must be submitted using the Plan/TIP Amendment Form. Applicants must also complete the Self Certification Summary and CMP/ITS Compliance Form before their application is considered complete. All three documents should be submitted together in the initial application submittal.

The table below provides the tentative amendment cycle dates through 2015.

It is important to note that CAMPO will stop processing FYs 2013 – 2016 TIP amendment requests after the fall 2013 amendment cycle and 2035 Plan amendment requests after the spring 2014 amendment cycle in order to transition to the FYs 2015-2018 TIP and the 2040 Plan.

If you have any questions regarding amendment requests, please contact staff at campo@CAMPOtexas.org or (512) 974-2275.

FYs 2013 - 2016 Transportation Improvement Program:
	FYs 2013 – 2016 TIP: Amended on June 10, 2013
	FYs 2013 – 2016 TIP: Adopted on April 9, 2012
FYs 2011 - 2014 Transportation Improvement Program:
	FYs 2011 – 2014 TIP: Amended on December 12, 2011
	FYs 2011 – 2014 TIP: Amended on July 11, 2011
	FYs 2011 – 2014 TIP: Amended on March 23, 2011
	FYs 2011 – 2014 TIP: Amended on January 10, 2011
	FYs 2011 – 2014 TIP: Adopted on August 9, 2010
TIP Administrative Policies:
	TIP Administrative Policies as amended by the Transportation Policy Board on 4/09/2012

Federal Funds Obligation Report:

Funding for projects is programmed or reserved for a project until they are "obligated". Obligation is a way of ensuring that actual cash is available to pay for project expenditures. Obligation of funds occurs on a project phase basis (i.e. design, right of way or construction).  Key activities under each phase will trigger obligation of funds.  Typically these are critical points at which commitments are made, but expenditures have yet to start.  Such items as advertisement of consultant or construction contracts and preparing offers for property acquisition are actions which will obligate funds.

Before an agency can obligate funds, it must have approval to do so.  In the case of highway and streets projects, the authority to approve the obligation of funds is passed from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).  The TxDOT has specific processes that must be followed for an agency to get to a point in which funds can be obligated.  These vary depending on the program, but generally include submitting a "project authorization request" and/or entering into an Agreement with TxDOT.  For transit related projects, the lead agency for the project must transmit specific information directly to the Federal Transit Authority (FTA).

Once an agency has authorization to proceed with a project, it can obligate funds.  Every federal program will have specific time limits in which funds must be obligated. Typically these are by the end of a federal or state fiscal year (September 30th and August 30^th, respectively). If funds are not obligated by those deadlines, those funds are withdrawn from the project. FTA projects have a longer window of opportunity, typically three years from the time the grant is approved.

Federal funding is typically transferred to an agency on a reimbursement basis.  Therefore, the agency must ensure it has adequate cash flows to cover planned project expenditures. Typically once expenditures are incurred, the agency can request reimbursement for those costs.  If the agency is required to provide matching monies to the federal funds, those must also be expended. Once the project is complete, the lead agency may have to conduct an audit to ensure funds were spent in accordance with the grant or funding program guidelines.

This document was developed by CAMPO for informational purposes and is not warranted for any other use. The information contained in the document was provided to CAMPO by transportation providers in the CAMPO region. No warranty is made by CAMPO regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information provided.

Federal Funds Obligated FY 2010(1.3 MB)

Federal Funds Obligated FY 2009(329 KB)

Federal Funds Obligated FY 2008(286 KB)

Federal Funds Obligated FY 2007(645 KB)