A series of three workshops will help develop regional policies related to the 2018-2022 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP) and the 2019-2022 Regional Flexible Funds Allocation (RFFA).
The MTIP is the document that puts the Regional Transportation Plan and its related policies into action. It documents the expenditures of all of the federal transportation funds spent in the region. The MTIP encompasses funding allocated by ODOT, TriMet, SMART and well as Metro in its role as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Portland region. Metro is required to prepare the MTIP document every two years, documenting funded projects scheduled for the next four years.
Metro allocates federal funds that come to the region through a project selection process called the RFFA. These funds come from three federal grant programs: the Surface Transportation Program, the Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality Program and the Transportation Alternatives Program. These programs allow greater discretion on how the monies are spent – hence the term “flexible” – which allows for greater focus on local priorities and innovative solutions to transportation challenges.
The MTIP is incorporated without change into the State Transportation Improvement Program, Oregon's statewide four-year transportation capital improvement program. Like the MTIP, Oregon's STIP covers a four-year construction period, and is updated every two years.
The three workshops will help develop a series of policy options for further consideration and public input.