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The Ohio Department
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STIP Process
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Ohio’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) covers Fiscal Years 2008-2011 and is updated biennially. The STIP has two main purposes. First, it presents the fiscally balanced, multimodal transportation program, including projects funded with federal and state resources and scheduled for some phase of implementation for the next four years, for the state of Ohio. Second, it serves as the reference document required by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for use in approving federal funds for transportation projects in Ohio. The current STIP approval, dated 7/1/2007, does not include Belmont County, until the MPO completes the update on the Transportation Plan and receives an air quality conformity determination from U.S. DOT. Ohio has seventeen Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) which cover transportation planning for the seventeen major cities in the state whose area population is over 50,000. See MPO Map. These MPOs are required by federal law and are designated by the state for conducting planning in these areas. Each MPO develops a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for their area, in cooperation with their regional partners, to implement their regional Transportation Plan. These TIPs are incorporated by reference into this STIP. The non-MPO or rural areas of Ohio are covered by the STIP. ODOT develops the STIP for the rural areas in cooperation with the local government officials through the rural consultation process. The ODOT District offices work together with the rural local officials to address needs and concerns for the transportation system. The FY 2008-2011 STIP was approved by U.S. DOT effective July 1, 2007. It remains in effect through June 30, 2011. ODOT plans to update the STIP for FY 2010. Projects listed in the approved STIP are eligible for federal authorizations, for funding administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), subject to appropriate project selection procedures. Ohio’s project selection procedures recognize projects included in the first year of the approved STIP as an ‘agreed to’ list of projects requiring no further project selection actions. In MPO areas, projects from the second, third, and fourth year of the STIP may be advanced into an earlier year with a letter of concurrence from the affected MPO. In rural areas, projects from the second, third, and fourth year of the STIP may be advanced into an earlier year of the STIP based on ODOT’s routine coordination with local elected officials. The approved STIP and subsequently each of the MPO TIPs also include air quality transportation conformity documentation for the Ohio counties which are identified as non-attainment areas under the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and the associated U.S. EPA National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The STIP is developed in cooperation between ODOT Central Office, ODOT Districts, MPOs, County Engineers Association of Ohio, and other local project sponsors. The draft STIP Standard (link below) is used to coordinate the STIP development. Questions concerning the STIP process may be directed to Libby Rushley at (614) 644-1204 or libby.rushley@dot.state.oh.us.
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