For Immediate Release: November 29, 2023 

Contact:
Richard Donovan   
Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments   
203-757-0535   
Rdonovan@nvcogct.gov 

(Waterbury, CT) –  The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) proudly announces the integration of EcoInteractive, a cutting-edge planning software, to streamline the workflow of the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program  (LOTCIP). By integrating this innovative technology, NVCOG aims to ensure effective collaboration and achieve sustainable transportation planning goals. 

The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a critical planning tool that guides the allocation of federal funds for transportation projects in our region. Metropolitan Planning Organizations maintain a TIP to manage federal transportation spending, ensuring that projects work to enhance safety, capacity, and reliability of the region’s transportation network. By applying EcoInteractive’s advanced capabilities, NVCOG aims to significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of the TIP process, ultimately leading to more effective project selection and implementation.  

EcoInteractive offers NVCOG a centralized platform that allows for improved coordination and communication between the COG’s staff, municipalities, and CTDOT. As MPOs must approve all federal spending before projects can begin, streamlining this process will reduce delays and errors in the process while also providing additional visibility into projects and plans to the public. Similarly, the LOTCIP program, which uses state funds managed by the COG to support municipal transportation projects, will be centralized within the system to ensure that the public remains informed of project progress while also ensuring a simple and effective means of communication between the COG and municipal project sponsors.

A key feature of the new system, the public facing website, will not only allow the public to see proposed changes before they are adopted but will provide more project information, regular status updates, and the opportunity for the public to ask questions or provide comment on projects and changes.   

“We are thrilled to integrate EcoInteractive into our planning workflow for the Transportation Improvement Program,” said Rick Dunne, Executive Director of NVCOG. “We are taking a significant step towards increasing our efficiency and transparency. This partnership will strengthen our ability to better serve our communities.”