The Transportation Improvement Program is the most important way that local elected officials set the direction of federal transportation spending. Every federal dollar to be spent on transportation related items must be endorsed by the MPO board, ensuring that communities support the projects that occur within their borders.
Authorized by 23 CFR 450, the TIP is a fiscally constrained listing of all projects using federal dollars over a four year period. The current TIPs for both the CNVMPO and GBVMPO run from federal fiscal years 2021-2024, meaning they end in October of this year. The next TIP, which covers federal fiscal years 2025-2028 will begin on October 1st, 2024, and is currently available for the public to review and comment before the MPO boards act to endorse them.
At their core, MPOs exist to ensure that federal transportation investments align with the goals and desires of local communities. By placing the decision making on federal spending into the hands of local elected officials, it is possible to ensure better outcomes for communities and regions, giving everyone a say in the transportation network.
Key features and aspects of a Transportation Improvement Plan include:
Project Listings: The TIP includes a detailed list of transportation projects that are proposed for implementation during the specified timeframe. These projects can range from road construction and maintenance to public transit enhancements, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and other transportation-related initiatives.
Financial Information: The TIP provides information about the funding sources for each project, including federal, state, and local funds. It ensures that the proposed projects are financially feasible and can be implemented within the available budget constraints.
Performance Based Planning: Projects listed in the TIP are selected using a performance-based method, including factors such as safety, congestion relief, environmental impact, and economic development. This prioritization helps allocate limited resources to the most critical transportation needs.
Public Involvement: The development of the TIP involves public input to gather feedback and perspectives from the community. This ensures that the MPO board can make decisions informed by resident beliefs and needs and ensures a transportation network that works for all.
Environmental Considerations: Before the TIP is reviewed by the MPO board, the CTDOT models the projects in the TIP to ensure that any air quality non-attainment areas are not negatively impacted.
Updates: Over the course of the TIP, it is regularly updated and changed to reflect the needs of the region and state. To ensure that local communities still have their say in projects, all new projects, removed projects, or those whose budgets increase by a significant amount must be approved by the MPO board. This process, known as TIP Amendments, also provides an opportunity for the public to review and comment on any projects prior to their adoption.
The 2025-2028 TIPs have been under development for nearly a year, a collaborative effort between Connecticut’s MPOs, the CTDOT, FTA, and FHWA. This effort has resulted in final project lists that reflect ongoing efforts, regional priorities, and fiscal constraint.
Once the lists were finalized, the CTDOT began the process of modeling for air quality conformity. Since the NVCOG is covered by several air quality non-attainment areas, it is important that all projects do not increase pollutant emissions, but ideally reduce them. The Air Quality Conformity Determination, linked in the TIP and Related Documents Tab, shows the expected improvement to below federal emission maximums, based on the projects programmed in the TIP and STIP.
Following the completion of Air Quality Conformity, the TIP, STIP, and related documents are all available for public review and comment. Between March 1, 2024 and April 19, 2024 there will be many opportunities for the public to share comments, feedback, and questions about the TIP, STIP, and related documents, all further detailed on the Share Your Thoughts Tab.
Before the boards of the CNVMPO and GBVMPO adopt their respective TIPs, we want to provide as much opportunity for the public to learn more, ask questions, and share thoughts as possible.
To give the public this opportunity, NVCOG staff have created the below schedule for public involvement in the CNVMPO TIP Process:
- March 1, 2024 – The new TIP for the CNVMPO will be published to the NVCOG website, along with supporting documents, marking the official beginning of the public comment period.
- March 7, 2024 – Join the staff of the NVCOG as we host a public meeting regarding the TIP for the CNVMPO. This hybrid meeting, held jointly in the NVCOG office and via Zoom at https://bit.ly/3ORIPzT, will provide a short presentation on the contents of the new TIP, Air Quality Conformity, and how to interpret the technical aspects of the documents. This meeting will also be recorded and made available on the NVCOG YouTube Channel.
- March 22, 2024 – A separate public comment period will be held during the regularly scheduled CNVMPO meeting. Join us to provide comments directly to the chief elected officials of the towns that make up the CNVMPO board.
- April 3, 2024 – Another dedicated public comment period will be held during the regularly scheduled meeting of the NVCOG Transportation Technical Advisory Committee (TTAC). The TTAC, made up of City Engineers, Public Works Directors, and other Transportation Professionals, will then discuss the draft TIP and make a recommendation to the CNVMPO board regarding its approval.
- April 11, 2024 – The staff of the NVCOG will be hosting open office hours regarding the TIP. Come visit us in our office or join our Zoom call at any time between 11 AM and 12 PM to ask questions, share thoughts, or learn more.
- April 19, 2024 – A final dedicated public comment opportunity is scheduled for the beginning of the regularly scheduled April meeting of the CNVMPO. At this meeting, the members of the CNVMPO board will be asked to consider the TIP and vote regarding its adoption.
- Watch the live stream on YouTube.
- If you intend to make a public comment please fill out the public comment form. Please read our Procedures and Guidelines for Public Participation in Meetings before filling out the form.
At any time during this period, comments and questions will be accepted via the following means:
- Email – Send your thoughts to the NVCOG via email at contactus@nvcogct.gov.
- Telephone – You can call our offices Monday-Friday between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM. Let us know that you have a comment or question regarding the TIP and you’ll be connected with a member of our transportation planning staff who will be happy to talk with you. Call us at (203) 757-0535.
- EcoInteractive – The NVCOG has recently adopted the EcoInteractive Platform as the public facing repository of TIP information. Please ensure you’re viewing the 2025-2028 TIP cycle, and then you can make comments directly on individual projects.
- Mail – Write out your comments and send them to us directly. You can mail comments to the NVCOG, C/O Rich Donovan, at: 49 Leavenworth Street 3rd Floor, Waterbury, CT 06702
Language Assistance
- Language assistance is available to the public at no cost through the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG). If you require language assistance, you can contact Desira Blanchard, the Communications and Community Engagement Coordinator, via email at dblanchard@nvcogct.gov or by phone at 203-757-0535.
Draft 2025-2028 CNVMPO TIP Project List- The project listing for the new CNVMPO TIP, this PDF shows all of the programmed projects in the 15 town CNVMPO region, as well as funding and timeline info. To learn more, or view this in a more interactive way, visit the NVCOG’s EcoInteractive site.
Draft 2025-2028 CNVMPO TIP Document – This narrative inlcues the full project listing, as well as information about the region’s performance targets, planning process, and overall transportation goals.
2025-2028 GBVMPO TIP – The project listing for the new GBVMPO TIP, this PDF shows all of the programmed projects in the 10 town GBVMPO region, including the four lower Naugatuck Valley towns that are part of the NVCOG. To learn more, or view this in a more interactive way, visit the CT Metropolitan COG’s EcoInteractive site.
2025 Bridge Report – The bridge report shows all bridge projects included in the 2025-2028 TIP across the state. This breakout provides information about a key piece of the transportation network.
2025 Safety Report – Projects identified on this report focus specifically on roadway safety across the state. As a Vision Zero community, the NVCOG region prioritizes safety in the transportation system above all else, believing that even one fatality on our roads is too many.
Draft 2025-2028 STIP PROJECTS – The Draft Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) is the combination of all of the TIPs across the state, providing a comprehensive view of all federal dollars expected to be spent in the next four years.
Conformity Determination Report February 2024 – The Air Quality Conformity Determination Report, completed by CTDOT for the 2023-2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plans and the 2025-2028 TIP, includes information about the conformity process, CTDOT’s modeling technique, and demonstrates conformity with EPA limits for air pollutants from the transportation System.
2025-2028 TIP Equity Analysis – Because of the NVCOG’s belief that the transportation system should benefit all residents and visitors to our region, we have undertaken a comprehensive equity analysis to ensure that environmental justice communities of concern receive at least a fair share of benefits and no more than a fair share of burdens from transportation investments. To learn more about the NVCOG’s commitment to environmental justice, take a look at our Title VI Report.
Have questions? They may be answered here already. If not, let us know using any of the means under the Share Your Thoughts tab.
What is the TIP?
The TIP is the fiscally-constrained listing of all projects using federal dollars over a four-year period. The TIP is specific to an MPO, where the STIP covers the entire state.
Why does the TIP matter?
The TIP is the way to ensure local priorities and goals are reflected in federal transportation spending. As the regional planning agency, the NVCOG always aims to ensure that projects benefit residents and visitors to our region, and the TIP is one of the primary ways local officials can ensure that happens.
I have a project idea. How do I let someone know?
The NVCOG is always looking for feedback on the transportation network in our region, and we love to get ideas from residents and visitors who use our roads, trails, and transit every day. Please email your ideas to us at contactus@nvcogct.gov.
What types of projects are included in the TIP?
Any project that uses federal money must be included within the TIP. This includes road, transit, and trail construction, as well as operating costs. It also includes programs like transportation demand management, or CTrides here in Connecticut, and similar programs that use federal money to support the work of the COGs, transit districts, and CTDOT.
The TIP is too technical for me to meaningfully comment; how am I supposed to know what I’m looking at?
The TIP is an inherently technical document, so we want to provide as many opportunities for the public to understand the programmed projects as possible. If you want to learn how to read the TIP spreadsheet and technical data, watch the recording of the March 7 public meeting on the NVCOG YouTube Page. Want to better understand the projects that are included in the TIP? Take a look at the descriptions and status info on nvcog.ecointeractive.com.
Staff Contact:
Rich Donovan
Transportation Planning Director
rdonovan@nvcogct.gov