| TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (TIP) What is the Transportation Improvement Program or TIP? The NEPA RPO Committee develops a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). What is a TIP you ask, well a TIP is an agreed upon list, covering a four year period, of transportation priorities. It is a project specific, fiscally constrained by year transportation program of highway, bridge, and transit priorities for a region. The federal transportation law known as the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) requires a TIP. TEA-21, enacted in 1998, authorizes federal funding for highway, bridge, transit, and other surface transportation programs. The TIP is the document used for budgeting the funds needed to make transportation improvements. So, as is important for any good budget, the federal law requires that the TIP be financially constrained to the amount of funds that are expected to be available. Therefore, once the TIP is developed any additions/deletions must have corresponding deletions/additions in order to maintain a balance. The TIP is submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and becomes a part of the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The STIP is a compilation of all of the TIPs from the regional agencies across the Commonwealth. The STIP is the official document, submitted by PENNDOT, to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for approval. The STIP/TIP shows estimated costs and schedule of a project by phase, including preliminary engineering, final design, utilities, right–of–way acquisition, and construction. The TIP may be changed after it is adopted by the NPRTPO. The approved TIP can be modified or amended to add, delete, or advance projects, or to accommodate cost and phase of work changes. Inclusion of a project phase in the TIP is not a guarantee or commitment of funds. However, being listed on the TIP is a requirement for consideration of funds to a project, and means that the project will have a good chance of being implemented. The TIP is updated every two years.
**********************************************************************************************
Public Notice
**********************************************************************************************
NPRTPO Committee
2009-2012 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
Notice of Public Comment Period, Public Hearing & Special Business Meeting
The Northeastern Pennsylvania Rural Transportation Planning Organization (NPRTPO) Committee has distributed for public review the following documents: 2009-2012 TIP including highway, bridge and transit project listings, TIP administrative procedures, air quality conformity analysis and environmental justice analysis determination. These documents concern previously approved highway, bridge, and transit projects for Carbon, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, and Wayne Counties, for the remainder of the four-year TIP, which became effective on October 1, 2008.
The TIP is being opened to add the Marshalls Creek Traffic Relief Project in Monroe County and the PA Turnpike Access Slip Ramp Project in Carbon County. The air quality conformity analysis for this and other TIP projects located in nonattainment counties (Carbon & Monroe) has determined there will be no impact or a significant positive effect upon air quality. TIP documents will be available for public review from February 17, 2009 through 10:00 AM on March 20, 2009 on the NEPA website at www.nepa-alliance.org and at the following locations during normal business hours:
Carbon County Planning Commission 76 Susquehanna St. Jim Thorpe, PA
Monroe County Planning Commission Admin. Ctr., 1 Quaker Plaza Stroudsburg, PA
Pike County Planning Commission 556 Rt. 402, Suite 2 Hawley, PA
Schuylkill County Planning Commission 401 N. Second St. (Courthouse) Pottsville, PA
Wayne County Planning Commission 925 Court Street (Courthouse) Honesdale, PA
PennDOT District 4-0 55 Keystone Industrial Park Dunmore, PA
PennDOT District 5-0 1002 Hamilton Street Allentown, PA
NEPA Alliance Office 1151 Oak Street Pittston, PA
A public hearing will be held at the NEPA offices on Friday, March 20, 2009 at 9:30 AM to receive public testimony on these documents. Those interested in providing testimony at the hearing are requested to contact Kurt Bauman one week prior to the hearing at (570) 655-5581 to register and be placed on the meeting agenda. Individuals providing testimony will be allotted five minutes and must provide 3 written copies of their testimony. Those unable to attend may provide written testimony by sending comments to the NEPA at 1151 Oak Street, Pittston, PA 18640. Written testimony must be received by 4:00 PM on March 19, 2009.
The NPRTPO Committee will conduct a special business meeting immediately following the March 20th public hearing to consider endorsement of the revised 2009-2012 TIP. The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. Persons requiring special accommodations to permit attendance at this hearing may make such arrangements by calling Kurt Bauman, of NEPA at (570) 655-5581.
**********************************************************************************************
End of Public Notice
**********************************************************************************************
2009 - 2012 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (TIP)
|
