A draft of the state’s next long-range transportation improvements plan is now available for public review.
The State Transportation Improvement Program, or STIP, is the N.C. Department of Transportation’s guide that shows how and when transportation projects are expected to be funded over the next 10 years. Projects scheduled in the first five years are generally considered to be committed, while those on the latter half of the schedule are subject to be re-evaluated when the next STIP is developed.
People can view the draft 2024-33 document at www.ncdot.gov. There will be upcoming opportunities for the public to comment on the draft in person and online.
The draft STIP document is presented as a spreadsheet rather than the PDF from years past. The spreadsheet is more user friendly, allowing people to sort columns to explore projects that interest them.
The STIP is typically updated every two years, however, the draft plan was developed under unique circumstances.
Material and labor cost escalations led local, regional and state transportation planning partners to recommend and the Board of Transportation to concur with foregoing the usual process for prioritizing projects. Instead, they decided the new STIP should be built from existing projects in the current (2020-29) STIP to the extent that funding allows, while giving planning organizations the opportunity to propose project swaps that meet the needs of their communities.
The draft plan still adheres to the Strategic Transportation Investments law since the projects are derived from the 2020-29 STIP, which was developed using the required data-driven process and input from local officials and the public.
NCDOT plans to use public input and planning organization requests to produce a revised draft of the STIP by December. Transportation officials are expected to adopt the 2024-33 STIP in summer 2023.
More information on the STIP process can be found on the NCDOT webpage.