The transportation improvement program (TIP) is a listing of all arterial highway, public transit, and other transportation improvement projects proposed to be carried out by State and local governments over the next four years in the seven county Southeastern Wisconsin Region.
The current program is for the period 2011-2014 and may be found here. The TIP indicates the transportation system improvement priorities of State and local governments in Southeastern Wisconsin by their programming of projects to be undertaken in each of the next four years. Transit, arterial highway, and other improvement projects proposed to be implemented in the next four years with Federal U.S. Department of Transportation funding should be included in this program.
The TIP was compiled by an interagency staff team drawn from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Southeast Region; the Milwaukee County Department of Public Works; the Milwaukee County Transit System; the City of Milwaukee; and SEWRPC. This staff team contacted all local engineers, planners, and transit operators within the Region in an attempt to include all proposed State and local government transportation projects in the TIP. The TIP is reviewed by the SEWRPC’s Advisory Committees for Transportation System Planning and Programming for the Kenosha, Milwaukee, Racine, and Round Lake Beach-McHenry-Grayslake, Illinois-Wisconsin urbanized areas. These committees are comprised of local elected and appointed officials and agency representatives responsible for transportation system improvement, operation, and maintenance within each urbanized area. The TIP is also reviewed by SEWRPC for consistency with the regional transportation plan. The TIP and any amendments thereto must be approved by SEWRPC as the MPO governing body.
The project-by-project listing of the 2011-2014 transportation improvement program includes for each project a brief description; estimated costs; estimated levels of federal, state, and local funding; and the state or local unit of government sponsor responsible for project implementation. The 2011-2014 TIP contains 694 projects representing a total potential investment in transportation improvements and services of $2.96 billion over the next four years. Of this total, $1.46 billion, or about 49 percent, is proposed to be provided in federal aids; $1.07 billion, or about 36 percent, in state funds; and $438 million, or about 15 percent, in local funds.
About 33 percent of the four year 2011-2014 TIP proposed expenditures, or about $986 million, are programmed in 2011, the first year of the TIP. A significant proportion of the 2011 financial resources are devoted to the preservation of existing transportation facilities and services – about $644 million or 65 percent. The expenditure of funds for highway expansion – the construction of new arterials – is about $3 million, or less than one percent, of total programmed expenditures in the Region. The expenditures for highway improvements – widening existing arterials – are about $176 million, or about 18 percent of total expenditures. (It should be noted that much of the cost of a highway improvement project is attendant to reconstruction of the existing highway facility. The cost of additional traffic lanes provided may only represent 10 to 20 percent of the total costs of a highway improvement project.) A significant portion of total financial resources is devoted to public transit projects, which account for about $349 million or 35 percent of programmed funding. Public transit ridership represents about two percent of all person trips made on an average weekday in southeastern Wisconsin. Of the programmed funding for public transit, about 69 percent is programmed for preservation of existing services, and less than 1 percent for service improvement and about 31 percent for service expansion.
The TIP may be amended from time-to-time. This occurs when projects are substantially modified or funding sources substantially change and, in some cases, when new funding sources arise. Amendments also include significant changes in project timing. In addition, projects in the TIP can be administratively modified to correct errors or make relatively small changes to project scope, timing, and funding sources. SEWRPC posts on this website all TIP amendments and modifications.
In an activity related to the TIP, Federal law requires that the MPO post for public access on an annual basis a listing of projects for which the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has obligated funds in the preceding program year. This material may be found listed in the right toolbar.