Overview

The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a federal and state mandated six-year program document that includes information concerning local highway, state highway, and transit projects and services.

The TIP also covers all capacity and non-capacity enhancing transportation projects programmed with federal, state or local funds, as well as all capital and non-capital/operational elements for both highway and transit projects.

Lastly, any regionally significant project, as defined by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), must be included in the TIP even if it is not federally funded.

The TIP is also necessary because it is a planning process mandated by federal and state requirements. In addition, a transportation project is not eligible for federal/state funding, federal/state permits and environmental review (EIR, EIS), unless it is listed in the TIP.

Before federal funds can be approved to listed project sponsors, the TIP must meet air quality conformity and be financially constraint with the Los Angeles County TIP comprising part of the Southern California Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP).

Once approved, the TIP will become part of the Federal Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (FSTIP) approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as a component of the Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) approved by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.