Iowa Region 9 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) - Rural Scott County and Muscatine County, Iowa
The goal of transportation planning in Region 9 is to develop a transportation system that will provide for the safe, efficient, and economical movement of people and goods in a manner that encourages harmonious community interaction and enhances the aesthetic and ecological features of our physical environment.
The Region 9 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a result of a comprehensive, coordinated, and continuing transportation planning process. The program is divided into two primary sections, the first containing the street/highway improvement projects including enhancement projects, and the second incorporating the public transit improvement projects.
Project priority is given to the Annual Element of the TIP. Projects in any of the annual elements can be moved from one year to another with a minor revision to this document due to changes in needs. There are adequate federal funds to conduct the program outlined in the initial annual element. Projects in future annual elements are financially feasible, based on expected federal funds to be made available to the region for programming, or are listed as placeholders prior to the ranking process.
Programming is the transition of projects from planning and design to construction/ implementation. The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a listing of those roadway, public transit and other related transportation projects that are expected to be initiated during the current federal fiscal year and the next three subsequent federal fiscal years, and will be financed in whole or in part with federal funds in the Region 9 area. The Region 9 area includes all of Muscatine County and the non-urban portions of Scott County. Listed are transportation improvements receiving federal funding, as outlined in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The federally-funded projects address general needs outlined in the Long Range Transportation Plan for the Region 9 Area.
Funding Projects
Region 9 receives annual allocations of Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) and Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TASA) funds, and typically conducts solicitations every two years for each fund. The call for projects follows the Region 9 public participation plan process, found in the appendix of the TIP. The Region 9 Transportation Policy Committee is responsible for programming these funds, and programmed projects are expected to appear in the TIP as these are federal funds passed down through the state to Region 9 for programming. Evaluation manuals outline the solicitation process.
STBG
Surface Transportation Block Grants are awarded to road projects that improve the conditions and performance of public roads. Jurisdictions in Region 9 can apply for STBG funds for roads classified as major collector or above. STBG funds also allow for transit and trail improvements.
TASA
The Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TASA) is a subprogram under STBG, and funds projects improving travel conditions for bicycle and pedestrian transportation. Eligible projects include on-road and off-road bicycle and pedestrian facilities, as well as preservation of historic transportation facilities, safe routes to school projects, and other select categories. In Iowa, the program is also reference to as Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP).