MPO/State Transportation Improvement Program

MPO/State Transportation Improvement Program

Metropolitan areas use a variety of plans to turn their transportation visions into reality. These plans start out as the present and future transportation needs of the community and are eventually prioritized and funded as the scope of the plan narrows. The MTP is used as a fiscally-constrained, long-term vision between a Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) and funding in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

A transportation plan is essential for building an effective multimodal transportation system. The implementation of any transportation project often requires several years to complete from concept to construction. Once a community determines that a project is needed, there are many detailed steps to be completed including public involvement, environmental analysis, design, funding, and finally construction. In southeastern North Carolina, a roadway project often takes between 10 and 15 years from planning to construction; however, depending upon the complexity of the project and the associated environmental, community, and economic impacts, a project could take as many as 20 to 30 years or more to complete.

Types of Transportation Plans:

CTP: Comprehensive Transportation Plan (30+ years)

  • Long-term multimodal vision of how the transportation network should serve residents
  • Projects are identified, not prioritized
  • No identified funding
  • View WMPO CTP

MTP: Metropolitan Transportation Plan (20+ years)

  • Mid-term multimodal vision that establishes goals and objectives for the transportation network
  • Projects are prioritized at the regional/local level for aviation, bicycle/pedestrian, ferry, freight and freight rail, public transportation, and roadway
  • Revenue forecasts created to predict funding
  • Creates basis to develop MPO’s TIP, and the STIP
  • Adopted every 5 years
  • Review current MTP: Cape Fear Moving Forward 2045

TIP: Transportation Improvement Program (10 years)

  • Short-term transportation investments for the metropolitan area as outlined in the STIP
  • Prioritized at the state/local level
  • Funding mutually approved by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and the WMPO
  • Identifies transportation projects that will receive funding over the next 10 years based on strategic prioritization.
  • Statewide plan, STIP, includes 1700+ projects across NC. Read more about the NC Department of Transportation 2020-2029 Current STIP
  • View the final draft of the 2024-2033 MPO/State Transportation Improvement Program.

View map below of STIP projects within the WMPO boundary: