Project Overview

Each year, Region 1 Planning Council (R1), serving as the Rockford Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), develops a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The purpose of the TIP is to document infrastructure and non-infrastructure transportation projects programmed within the Rockford Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA) for the next four fiscal years. This includes all surface transportation projects receiving Federal and State funding, projects of regional significance, and public transportation operations and/or capital.

Public involvement is an important component in the development and maintenance of the TIP and is welcome at all stages of the process. Comments can be directed to Nathan Larsen, whose contact information can be found below.


Development Process

The annual development process typically occurs in several phases over a three- to four-month period. MPO staff typically begins work on the TIP in January, approximately six months prior to the start of the fiscal year. The schedule is deliberately extended over several months to provide ample opportunities for public involvement. For more information on the development process of the TIP can be found under Annual TIP Development Process.


Maintenance Process

Maintenance of the annual TIP is required throughout the fiscal year. To effectively manage necessary revisions, the Rockford MPO has a process to formally amend or modify the TIP. This process includes a standardized procedure for both major and minor revisions to the multi-year program, known as amendments and administrative modifications.

Both types of revisions to the multi-year program, begin with partner agencies submitting their requested revision to MPO staff. These requests must contain the project name and its associated TIP identification number, as well as information regarding the revision, including changes in project phase, extent, cost breakouts, funding sources, or fiscal year. If the requested revision includes the addition of a project not listed in the currently adopted TIP, an identification number will be assigned. Once all necessary information has been received, MPO staff will review the revision request and determine whether the revision should be an administrative modification or an amendment.

Click the boxes below to learn more about each revision type.

Amendments are any major revisions to a project within the TIP. The following thresholds are used to determine if an amendment to the TIP is appropriate:

  • Addition of a new project to the program;
  • Increases to funding;
  • Redistribution of currently listed funding to a new project phase;
  • Change in funding type or funding split and required local matching funds;
  • Change in the project scope that results in added capacity;
  • Change in programmed year for projects receiving MPO-Attributable Federal Funds; and
  • Removal of a project from the program.

Once an amendment request has been verified, staff will present a formal resolution to the MPO Technical and Policy Committees for recommendation and adoption, respectively.

An administrative modification to the TIP is for minor revisions as listed below:

  • Reduction in funding amounts;
  • Change in programmed year for projects not receiving MPO-Attributable Federal Funds;
  • Minor Changes to a project scope of termini that does not result in substantial changes to the function or anticipated impacts
  • Adding or deleting a phase of a project without major changes to the scope of the project; and
  • Other change necessary that is not listed above, except those changes specifically identified as requiring a formal amendment.

Once an administrative modification request has been verified, a memo will be presented to the MPO Policy Committee at a regularly scheduled meeting.

Guide to TIP Terminology

Project Life Cycle

The projects listed in the TIP are organized by their phase in the life cycle of projects. There are four categories within a TIP projects life cycle:

  • Annual Element: The projects programmed to be implemented are awaited letting within the current year of the TIP (e.g. FY 2029)
  • Out Years: The three remaining years of the TIP (e.g. FY 2027-2029)
  • Awarded, Initiated, or Completed/Programmed:
    • For highway projects, this phase indicates that construction has been awarded letting* or that construction has begun or been completed.
    • For transit projects, this phase in the life cycle indicates projects that:
      • Have verified funding sources and have been placed in a grant;
      • Procurement is completed, received, and/or paid for.
  • Previously Approved: This category contains projects that have been adopted by the MPO Policy Committee in a previous TIP, which have been accepted and approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Authority (FTA), but have not yet been to letting or awarded.

In addition to the projects in one of the four life cycle categories listed above, the TIP includes a list of Illustrative Projects. Illustrative projects, as defined by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), are future projects that would be included in the TIP if reasonable additional resources beyond those identified in the financial plan were to become available.

*Letting can be defined as the opening of the period of time during which bids to construct the project can be submitted by private contractors.

An image showing the process by which projects programmed in the TIP progress through the different life cycle stages.

Project Life Cycle

Project Numbers

Projects have been assigned unique identification numbers by the MPO. This numbering system follows the following convention: agency responsible for the project (AA), the year the project was first programmed in the TIP (YY), and a sequential project number (##).

AA-YY-##

Project Type

  • Capacity: Capacity expansion (road widening), capacity reduction, or new construction.
  • Preservation: Extend the service life of the existing facility (3R - rehabilitation, restoration, and/or resurfacing) or the reconstruction of the roadways existing horizontal and/ or vertical alignment, but the road or street will remain essentially within the existing corridor.
  • Bike/Ped: Construction of bicycle facilities, sidewalks, or ADA improvements.
  • Intersection: Installation of traffic control signals, implementation of Intelligent Transportation or intersection reconstruction.
  • Bridge: Any work associated with a bridge and/or structure.
  • Transit: Public transportation-related projects.
  • Safety: Improvements aimed at enhancing the safety of roadway users.

Phases of Work

Highway Projects

  • PE: Preliminary Engineering.
  • DES: Design.
  • ENVIR: Environmental/National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
  • ROW: Right-of-Way, development of ROW plans, real property acquisition, temporary and permanent easements, and utility relocation.
  • CON: Construction, work completed by the agency or contractor(s) to construct the project, possibly including utility relocation.
  • OPS: Operating the transportation system such as incurring costs related to the day-to-day operations or maintenance of the Transit vehicle systems, traffic signal systems, or Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).

Transit Projects

  • PURCHASE: Procuring equipment, software, or vehicles (FTA).
  • REBUILD: Rebuilding vehicles (FTA).
  • ADMIN: Project administrative costs (FTA).
  • CAPITAL: Eligible capital projects (FTA).
  • STUDY: Development of transportation-related plan or study.