How Are Projects Selected To Be Included in the Six-Year Improvement Program?
Local governments work with citizens and Virginia’s transportation agencies and form a vision by developing a transportation plan that anticipates land use changes and travel patterns more than two decades into the future. These factors are taken into consideration: • Statewide and regional plans that identify transportation needs and projects required to serve future travel demands over a 20- to 25-year period • An analysis of projected traffic volumes and population, business and residential growth • An evaluation of the priorities for implementation of the transportation plan • Citizen and community participation meetings to receive input on the transportation priorities There will be a limited number of new projects added to the program; most are safety-related or critical priorities. Citizens’ input on transportation priorities at the SYIP public hearings is important in determining which projects to add to the program.
Allocations are applied to projects in the SYIP based on the type of funding. Special program funds are allocated based on priorities and eligibility criteria specific to that program: • Regional Surface Transportation Program (RSTP) funds are allocated by eligible Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) according to their established processes. • Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds are allocated by the CTB in coordination with MPOs in air quality non-attainment and maintenance areas according to CTB priorities and CMAQ eligibility requirements. • Bridge funds are allocated based on priorities defined by structural deficiency and other technical factors. • Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds are allocated based on eligibility criteria related to safety issues and a cost/benefit analysis. • Enhancement funds are allocated based on the established CTB process and eligibility criteria. • Revenue Sharing funds are allocated based on the established CTB process
