Recapping transportation projects from 2016: Results of annual Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Survey show more than $940 million invested.

Investments in transportation projects ensure that our region’s transportation network safely and effectively enables people, goods, and materials to reach the places they need to go. Through SEMCOG’s coordinated long-range Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and four-year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), projects are selected and approved to fulfill regional priorities such as economic prosperity; safe and reliable infrastructure; and access to services, jobs, markets, and amenities.

A survey is conducted annually to catalog all implemented projects for the fiscal year. “Implemented” means that project construction, acquisition of transit vehicles, etc., was actually underway. The survey serves two important functions. First, it is a critical chapter in the story of each project from planning to completion; and second, it also provides data on the total cost of each project. This helps the region to determine the cost of various types of transportation projects.

Approximately $942.2 million worth of projects were implemented in FY 2016 (October 1, 2015-September 30, 2016). About $573.8 million (61%) of these were highway projects and $368.4 million (39%) were transit projects. This is slightly less than the five-year implementation average.

Accomplishments included 877 lane-miles of pavement preservation, nine lane-miles of congestion relief, and 69 bridges rehabilitated or replaced. In addition, 23 miles of new non-motorized facilities were constructed and 72 miles of signal interconnects and other intelligent transportation systems (ITS) improvements were installed. Transit agencies acquired 46 large buses, 38 small buses, and six non-revenue vehicles.

This progress shows simultaneous efforts to meet the needs of our existing system as well as the increasing emphasis on expanded mobility options and technological enhancements.